Thomas Jefferson Papers
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To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Munroe, 31 July 1804

From Thomas Munroe

Washington 31t July 1804

Sir,

I beg leave respectfully to submit for your consideration a sketch of our funds and a few remarks relative to the public works now progressing in the City, which I am apprehensive we shall be obliged to discontinue in part or the funds will be exhausted long before the end of the building Season.—

There is now in the Treasury of the $50,000 appropriated last session, including the $10,000 for which a requisition has, I presume, been signed at Monticello within a few days past, but not yet recd. by me } Dollars.
20,000
In T Munroes hands of public monies.  $6,709
Of which, arose out of City funds $145
  Do. remaining of the Appropriation of 1803 transferred to the Acct. of High ways } 5093
5,238 1,471
Unexpended balance of appropriation of 1804  Ds. 21,471
which sum of $21,471 is incumbered with the following demands & necessary reservations to wit $21,471
Due G Blagdin for Stone Cutting carving & setting $2000
Due to workmen & Labourers at the Capital & Presidents House, that is, at the latter Lenox’s roll of Carpenters & the men on the roof; for this month –1,700
Reserve for fitting up Library for Ho. of represts. 1000
Do. to pay for rough stone, Lime, sand, scaffold poles & other articles delivered & not paid for; or contracted to be delivered—and also for contingent demands now outstanding. 1,500
Do. for Freestone contracted for, say 1700 Tons
 
at the average of $9 ⅌ Ton $15,300
paid on Acct. say 7000  Due about 8,300
14,500

leaving about 7000 Ds. only, on the 1t. of August (tomorrow) to pay workmen, & to defray other expenses not enumerated.—

Blagdins roll of Cutters Carvers & setters it is said will require that sum to keep them at work 2 months & a half on the present establishment—. It occurr’d to me on Saturday last that our funds could not long stand the Expense of the works on the present scale, and I yesterday sent for Messrs Lenthall & Blagdin—. we conversed a good deal on the subject, and the enclosed letter written by Lenthall at my request, for your consideration, contains his ideas. Blagdin & myself supposed it might be best & that you would direct that the utmost should be done towards carrying up the external walls as high as possible this fall, and that as there is a great quantity of stone ready for setting it would be well to cease cutting & carving and all internal work and to set all the cut stone as fast as possible—he thinks it probable (and I believe Lenthall also thinks so) that if you Sir deem it eligible the external walls may be very nearly carried up by the end of the season—the works generally, however, are going on as when you left the City, and will continue, till your pleasure is made known on the subject.

Lenthall desires me to ask you, Sir, whether the west side of the cellar wall now digging at the Prests. Ho might not be carried up with thick plank instead of Stone as you contemplate its being taken down whenever the Colonnade between the Offices & Prests House is made—He is not at this time with me, nor shall I see him before the mail closes or I would ask him whether his memdm. by which I make the enquiry be correct, for I did not suppose that if the Colonnade mentioned should be erected it would necessarily require the taking down of that wall—he, however, best knows your ideas concerning it but it is not a matter of much consequence I suppose1—I have the Honor to be with the most respectful considn

Sir Yr Ob Hum Servt

Thomas Munroe

RC (DLC); at foot of text: “President of US”; endorsed by TJ as received 2 Aug. and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: John Lenthall to Munroe, 31 July, relating the state of construction at the Capitol Building; noting that the ground story exterior is finished all around to the top of the imposts and that the principal story exterior is finished to varying heights, depending on the side of the building, but nowhere “better than 8 feet from the top of the impost,” and in some cases only to the window seats; Lenthall further relates that, regarding the interior of the Capitol, after the labor and expense of “pulling down, carting & wheeling away” lumber, stone, brick, earth, and rubbish, work has commenced on digging out the foundation and building piers, six of which have now been carried to the surface; Lenthall states that “As you require my Opinion whether it is best to carry on the Outside walls to the greatest height” or to “push on the inside with force the remainder of the season,” he must write candidly that although work on the exterior walls is “most agreeable in making a shew,” it would be best to push forward on the interior, allowing time for the exterior stone and mortar to set properly; Lenthall, who signs the letter as “for BH Latrobe,” defers to the president as best judge (RC in DLC).

At some time, TJ added notes to a letter of 14 June from George Blagden (Blagdin) to Lenthall containing Blagden’s estimate of the cost of a Tuscan column, which was $17.50 for the stone and $25 for workmanship. Comparing the cost to that of the Doric design he preferred, the president wrote, “such a column, including it’s base and capital measures about 34. square feet superficially. which is 73½ cents a square foot. one of my Doric columns measures 99.5 sq. f. it’s workmanship at that rate is 73. D” (RC in DLC; endorsed by TJ (smudged): “[. . .]iding Price of plain Stone columns at Washington”).

1Preceding 11 words interlined.

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