To George Washington from the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 6 February 1797
From the Commissioners for the District of Columbia
Washington 6th February 1797
Sir,
Your Letter of the 29th Ulto did not reach the City till late on friday evening,1 of course, it could not receive an earlier attention—We hope with you that the Spring will be early and exertions shall not be wanting, on our part, to forward the public buildings—Our own Ideas with respect to the mode of carrying them on, we expressed loosely in our Letter of 31st Ulto. when we say, “we think it adviseable to lay the foundations of them (the executive buildings) this Season; and when the President’s house is so far advanced as to be covered in and placed in a State of safety, to push forward the other buildings, as they will be wanted, before the removal of Congress.”2 We had no intention, in the mean time, to slacken our exertions in forwarding the Capitol, and meant to include it under the general expression, the other buildings—The Capitol, this year, as it has been the two preceding Years, would have been the primary object of our attention;3 but as we know it to be the wish of Some, that all other operations should cease, ’till the Capitol is finished,4 and as your Letter manifests a great solicitude for the completion of that building, we think it important to know whether you entertain the same sentiment, as we are about procuring the materials necessary to cover in the President’s house during the ensuing Summer[.]5 Our opinion is, that preparing the Capitol for the reception of Congress, and the executive buildings for the reception of the respective Departments, are equally necessary; and if a distinction in point of time, must be made, that the executive buildings ought to have the preference of some months, because the papers must be on the spot before the removal of Congress,6 and they cannot be removed in a day; if, indeed, there were a certainty that the private buildings, which, by contract, ought to be erected, temporary accommodations might be procured for the executive Offices7—The President’s house is not so necessary—There are houses already built, in which a President may live for a time, but we thought it ought to be covered in, the work upon it might then cease, and Hoban, (who, we presume, it is not intended to discharge) might superintend the executive buildings8—We think it our duty, thus to state our opinion, and having done so, will chearfully pursue any other mode of proceeding which the executive may direct9—We are, &c.,
G. Scott
W. Thornton
A. White
LB, DNA: RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Letters Sent.
1. The previous Friday was 3 February. In their book of proceedings for 4 Feb., the commissioners recorded the receipt of GW’s letter to them of 29 Jan. and its enclosures (DNA: RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Proceedings, 1791–1802).
2. The commissioners quoted almost word for word the passage from their letter to GW of 31 January. For plans for the executive buildings and work on the President’s House, see notes 2, 3, and 4 to that document.
3. In the last half of 1797, the commissioners spent over $28,000 on construction work on the U.S. Capitol. Construction in 1797 included ongoing brickwork and stonework on the Capitol walls, and the laying of flooring in several rooms (see , 456).
4. GW and Daniel Carroll of Duddington were among those who prioritized completion of the Capitol over other buildings (see Carroll to GW, this date; see also George Walker to GW, 24 Jan.).
5. In a letter of 1 Feb. to James Young, a Portsmouth, Va., merchant, the commissioners had written that they were “desirous of purchasing about One hundred thousand of the best two feet green cypress Shingles; they are intended for the President’s house, and ought to be substantial.” The commissioners asked Young about the possibility of procuring the shingles at Norfolk, Va., or Portsmouth, and requested that he advise them of prices. They asked that the shingles be delivered to the Federal City “in May or June” (DNA: RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Letters Sent). Young replied from Portsmouth on 8 Feb.: “The quantity of Green Cypress Shingles that you want for the Presidents house, can be procured in the Neighbourhood of this place, & can be delivered at the City of Washington on or before the Month of June.” The shingles would be four to five inches “Broad” and three-fourths “of an Inch thick,” and would cost no less than $15 per thousand (DNA, RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Letters Received, 1791–1802). The commissioners replied to Young from Washington, D.C., on 20 Feb. that they were unable to pay the estimated price, adding that they had “hitherto not given more than half the sum” (DNA: RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Letters Sent). Instead of completing the transaction with Young, the commissioners wrote George Corbin of the Eastern Shore of Maryland on 21 Feb., stating that they required 5,000 feet of “two Inch plank,” and 100,000 “best two feet green cypress Shingles; to be got of the best wood … of real good quality.” As for the price, the commissioners preferred to pay $7 “per thousand,” but were willing to “go as far as $8,” for those articles meeting their quality requirements and specifications. The commissioners requested delivery of the plank in April, and the shingles in May or June. On 2 March, the commissioners informed the Norfolk mercantile firm Conway Whittle & Co. that they had agreed “to give to Mr Caleb Boush, the price he asks, vizt, (delivered at Norfolk)” 100,000 “two feet Shingles … at forty shillings per thousand,” Virginia currency, “delivered in all May” (both DNA: RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Letters Sent).
6. The transfer of Congress to Washington, D.C., was scheduled for December 1800.
7. Only the Treasury building was erected by the winter of 1800. Other cabinet officials were forced to rent properties in which to store records, furniture, and other government property. Rental properties included houses and a warehouse owned by Lear & Company. The War Department was initially housed in a three-story home leased from Joseph Hodgson (see , 1:350–51; see also , 557–58).
8. James Hoban, architect and superintendent of the U.S. Capitol, began to supervise the construction of the Treasury building in 1798 (see , 488).