To James Madison from Arthur S. Brockenbrough, 2 April 1826
From Arthur S. Brockenbrough
April 2d 1826
Gentlemen,
I contracted with Mr Philip Sturtevant for the carving of the Composite Capitels for the library room at $30 each amountg to the sum of $1.200 as appears from Letter No 11 accompanying this—from his letter of the 1st Jany No 22 you will find he is not satisfied with the contract and asks more pay. I informed him I would not take the responsibility of paying him more than the contract calls for but would lay his claim before the visitors and if they thought proper to allow it, he should have it, before contracting with Sturtevant I addressed a letter to John Haveland3 architect of Philadelphia enquiring what such capitels would cost there. His letter (No 3) is his answer to my enquiries wherein he states the lowes[t] offer for such Capitels was $75 each, the additional compensation that Sturtevant requires would be about $300. I should not be for giving him that much more certainly but perhaps the half of it would not be unreasonable as it is considered that the $30. is rather a low price. I am Gentlemen your Obt servt
A S Brockenbrough
P.S. I have paid $500. towards them.
RC (ViU: Special Collections, Jefferson Papers). Addressed to the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. Cover docketed by Thomas Jefferson. Enclosures not found, but see nn. 1–2.
1. See Philip Sturtevant to Brockenbrough, 17 June 1824 (ViU: Special Collections, Proctor’s Papers), which acknowledged Brockenbrough’s 7 June letter offering the contract.
2. See the original letter from Sturtevant to Brockenbrough, 1 Jan. 1826 (ViU: Special Collections, Jefferson Papers).
3. John Haviland (1792–1852), an English-born architect, immigrated to Philadelphia in 1816. He designed many churches, institutional buildings, and private homes there and elsewhere, but he is chiefly known for his radial plan of prisons, beginning with Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. Haviland’s plan for modern prisons was so successful that he was asked to design and construct penitentiaries in Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Missouri, and Rhode Island and was so influential that it was studied by European governments.