1George Washington to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 9 September 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I have duly recieved your letter of Sep. 5 . and in consequence thereof have authorised Mr. David Ross of Bladensburg, and Colo. Robert Townshend Hooe of Alexandria, to examine the accounts and vouchers of the expenditure of the monies appropriated to your trust as Commissioners of the public buildings of the federal territory, and to certify to me the result. Dft ( DLC : Washington Papers);...
2From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 15 August 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
By this day’s post I have the honour to return the drawings of the Capitol which had been left here in order to have an estimate made; I send also that estimate, together with the rates of the different work, as made by a skilful workman here. The sum total it is supposed will enable you to form some idea of the whole cost of your building, as there is a tolerably well-known proportion between...
3Enclosure: Thomas Carstairs’s Estimate of the Cost of Masonry for the Capitol, [ca. 15 August 1793] (Jefferson Papers)
At the request of the President of the United States, and the Honble. Thomas Jefferson, the subscriber has measured and estimated the cut stone and Ruble work of a Capitol as seen in the plan and one elevation hereto annexed at the Philadelphia rates, viz. Cut Stone round building including 24¾ Columns and 2. pelestars £ 37278.13.0 Setting Do. & building rough Stone work 14705. 0.0 Rough...
4George Washington to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 31 January 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I have had under consideration Mr. Hallet’s plans for the capitol , which undoubtedly have a great deal of merit. Doctor Thornton has also given me a view of his. These last come forward under some very advantageous circumstances. The grandeur, simplicity, and beauty of the exterior, the propriety with which the apartments are distributed, and economy in the mass of the whole structure, will I...
5George Washington to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 31 January 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The regular course which the affairs of the Federal city are likely to move in by the appointment of a Superintendant, who may relieve you from details, and from all sacrifices of time except your periodical meetings, enables me now to proceed, on more certain grounds to the subject of compensation. That a proper compensation should be made you must undoubtedly be the public expectation as...
6From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 15 January 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The President, thinking it would be better that the outlines at least of the city and perhaps of Georgetown should be laid down in the plat of the Territory, I have the honor now to send it, and to desire that Mr. Ellicot may do it as soon as convenient that it may be returned in time to be laid before Congress. I have the honor to be with perfect esteem, Gentlemen your most obedt & most...
7From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 23 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Thinking it best that you should receive all possible information on the subject of procuring workmen, in order that you may avail yourselves of such parts of it as circumstances render eligible, I have the honor to mention to you that in a conversation with Mr. Pierpoint Edwards and Colo. Wadsworth of Connecticut, they informed me that any number of house carpenters may be got in that state...
8From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 17 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Knowing that there was a Mason here (Traquair) who was in the practice of importing workmen in his own line from Edinburgh, I took occasion to enquire of him whether it might not be possible for you to have some imported thro the means of his correspondent, whom he represented as having both address and zeal to forward his countrymen to this country to which he means after some time to come...
9From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 13 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I have according to the desire expressed in your letter of the 5th. inst. examined the model of Mr. Mullikin’s mill for sawing and polishing stone, lodged in my office. It is always an objection that a thing is new and untried. His method of giving motion backwards and forwards to a sawframe by a spiral plane is ingenious: but I confess it does not appear promising to me. It is certainly...
10Enclosure: Drawing of a Mill for Sawing and Polishing Stone, 13 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
PrC ( MHi ); entirely in TJ’s hand.
11From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 13 November 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 5th. inst. came duly to hand, and you will recieve by tomorrow’s stage 500. copies of the city of Washington with the soundings. It has been proposed here to sell them at 3/4 of a dollar, and the Boston plans at 3/8. On this you will be pleased to decide. I have the honor to inclose you the President’s order on the Treasurer of Virginia for the second instalment of the money...
12From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 29 July 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a letter and receipt for the engraved plate of the City, just come to hand , from Mr. Blodget. As the Plate will Probably be delivered, in my absence to Mr. Taylor chief clerk of my Office, I write to him by this Post to hold it subject to your orders, and to execute any thing you may choose to have done with it. I have the honor to be with the greatest respect, Gentlemen, &c. Tr...
13From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 11 July 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I am honored with yours of the 5th. inst. The President has left this place this afternoon. Being encumbered with lame and sick horses he was uncertain when he should reach Georgetown. Perhaps on Monday morning. I forwarded to you by post this morning two plans you had formerly sent to the President and a plan of a Capitol and another of a President’s house by a Mr. Hallet. I now send a proof...
14From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 11 June 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor to inclose you the President’s order on the treasurer of Maryland for 24,000. Dollars according to the desire expressed in your letter of the 6th. instant, and of adding assurances of the esteem and respect with which I am, Gentlemen, Your most obedient & most humble servt PrC ( DLC ); at foot of text: “The Commissioners of the Federal territory.” FC ( Lb in DNA : RG 360, DL...
15From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 9 June 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been duly honoured with your favor of the 2d. inst. and have thought that I could not do better, with respect to the German emigrants, than to address the inclosed letter to the Messieurs Van Staphorsts & Hubbard of Amsterdam, leaving it to yourselves to point out the number and description of persons you want, and the conditions, and to open a correspondence with them yourselves...
16From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 11 May 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I am to acknolege the receipt of your joint favor of April 14. and Mr. Carrol’s separate one of Apr. 16.—I had informed you in a former letter that the catastrophe among the paper dealers would retard the completion of the loan. I now inclose you a letter from Mr. Blodget by which you will perceive it’s effect to be greater than he had at first supposed. He thinks that the payment of June,...
17From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 20 April 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 11th. has been duly received and laid before the President. He thinks it best to decline making any alterations in the plan of the city. The considerations which weigh with him are the expediency of fixing the public opinion on the thing as stable and unalterable, the loss of the work done if altered, the changing all the avenues which point to the Capitol, removing the two...
18From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 9 April 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
In a former letter I inclosed you an idea of Mr. Lee’s for an immediate appropriation of a number of lots to raise a sum of money for erecting a national monument in the city of Washington. It was scarcely to be doubted but that you would avoid appropriations for matters of ornament till a sufficient sum should be secured out of the proceeds of your sales to accomplish the public buildings,...
19From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 5 April 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I now send you 500 obligations for your signature. Should Mr. Johnson not be with you it will be proper to send them to him by express. As soon they have received all your signatures if you will be so good as to return them to me the business shall be finally completed. I received yesterday yours of Mar. 30. and laid it immediately before the President. Tho’ he thinks the estimate of the...
20From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 21 March 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of Mar. 14. have been duly received, as also Mr. Carrol’s separate letter of Mar. 15. I now inclose you copies of the two advertisements inserted in Freneau’s, Fenno’s, and Dunlap’s papers of this place. You will probably think it proper to have them inserted in the papers of other parts of the Union, following herein your own choice. It is rather desired too that you adopt such...
21From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 11 March 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you two letters, the one from a Mr. Leslie of this place, offering to make a clock for some one of the public buildings at Washington, the other from Mr. R. B. Lee proposing that Mr. Ciracchi a statuary now at this place should be employed to erect at Washington a monument he has proposed. With respect to Leslie, he is certainly one of the most ingenious artists in America; and as to...
22From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 6 March 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
It having been found impracticable to employ Majr. Lenfant about the federal city, in that degree of subordination which was lawful and proper, he has been notified that his services are at an end. It is now proper that he should receive the reward of his past services, and the wish that he should have no just cause of discontent suggests that it should be liberal. The President thinks of...
23From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 21 November 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
A Mr. Blodget has a scheme in contemplation for purchasing and building a whole street in the new city, and any one of them which you may think best. The magnitude of the proposition occasioned it to be little attended to in the beginning. However, great as it is, it is believed by good judges to be practicable. It may not be amiss therefore to be ready for it. The street most desireable to be...
24From Thomas Jefferson to Commissioners of the Federal District, 28 August 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your joint letter of the 2d. inst. to the President , as also Mr. Carrol’s separate letters of the 5th. and 15th. have been duly recieved. Major Lenfant also having arrived here and laid his plan of the Federal city before the President, he was pleased to desire a conference of certain persons, in his presence, on these several subjects. It is the opinion of the President, in consequence...
25Queries for D. C. Commissioners, [ca. 28 August 1791] (Jefferson Papers)
Will circumstances render a postponement of the sale of lots in the Federal City advisable?—If not Not adviseable? 2. Where ought they to be made Left to be considered ultimately on the spot, the general opinion being onlythat the leading interests be accomodated. 3. Will it in that case, or even without it, be necessary or prudent to attempt to borrow money to carry on the difft. works in the...
26IX. The Secretary of State to the Commissioners of the Federal District, 29 January 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Carroll, supposing that Doubts may arise, whether he can act as one of the Commissioners for the federal Seat, while a Member of Congress, has declined, and has returned me the Commission, which had been deposited with him as one of the Members; I have now the Honor to enclose it to Mr. Johnson, first named therein, and to observe that two Members suffice for Business. It will be some Time...