Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Thomas Jefferson to Richard Ware, 9 April 1819

To Richard Ware

Monticello Apr. 9. 19.

Sir

Having proceeded to the distribution of the work to be done for the University this season we accept of your offer to undertake a part, and we give up the discount of 15. per cent below the printed prices in Carey[’]s book, because we wish our workmen to recieve a reasonable living price for what they do and we believe the printed prices give that. but we accept on the condition that you can engage in Philadelphia brickmakers & bricklayers to do the brickwork of that part of which you will do the carpenters work. this will amount to between 5. and 600,000 bricks. for which, the undertakers finding every thing as mentioned in our advertisement, we will give 11. D 50 C per M for place bricks and 20.D. per M. for the oil stock bricks. these being the prices at which other parts of the work are undertaken, and it being our wish, if these be higher than the Philadelphia prices, that our undertakers should have living prices. there will be as much to do the next year. and much for a considerable time afterwards. for all other terms not herein specified I refer to our advertisement printed in the Philadelphia papers. the Dormitories already done will give lodgings for the master workmen. and their cellars for the under-workmen. you must be so good as to give me notice by letters as soon as you can of what we may depend upon, observing that all should be here as soon as possible & especially the brickmakers. indeed I wish that on the reciept of this you would immediately write me your expectations were it only to assure me of the reciept of this letter, as the advance of the season & quantity of work to be done leaves us no spare time. I salute you with respect.

Th: Jefferson

PoC (ViU: TJP); on verso of reused address cover to TJ; one word faint; mutilated at seal, with missing word rewritten by TJ; at foot of text: “Mr Richard Ware. 178. N. 4th Street Phila.”; endorsed by TJ. Enclosed in TJ to Thomas Cooper, 9 Apr. 1819.

At some point TJ provided Ware with a breakdown of the necessary brickwork for which he was to be responsible:

“23. Dormitories 345,000
 Hotel B. 74,575 419,575
 Hotel A. 58,955 478,530
 Pavilion V. about  100,000 578,530
578,530”
(FC in ViU: TJP; written entirely in TJ’s hand on a small scrap and attached to the above PoC with sealing wax; undated; at foot of text: “Richd Ware. 178. N. 4th Phila”). Pavilion V was later redesignated as Pavilion IX.

Index Entries

  • Barksdale, Nelson; Advertisement for Workmen for the University of Virginia search
  • books; of builders’ prices search
  • brickmaking; for University of Virginia search
  • building materials; bricks search
  • Carey, Mathew; publishesThe House Carpenters’ Book of Prices search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Advertisement for Workmen for the University of Virginia search
  • newspapers; advertisements in search
  • Philadelphia; builders’ prices in search
  • Philadelphia; newspapers in search
  • The House Carpenters’ Book of Prices, and Rules for measuring and valuing all their different kinds of work; published by M. Carey search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; brickmakers and brick-masons for search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; builders for search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; carpenters and joiners for search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; cellars search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; dormitory rooms search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; Hotel A search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; Hotel B search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; Pavilion IX search
  • Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; wages for workmen search
  • Ware, Richard; and builders for University of Virginia search
  • Ware, Richard; as carpenter for University of Virginia search
  • Ware, Richard; letter to search