1From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 8 July 1796 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found : to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 8 July 1796. The commissioners wrote GW on 12 July : “We had the honor of your two Letters, first and eighth Inst.”
2From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 18 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
More than once, the Spanish Minister expressed, with pleasing solicitude, the intentions of his Government to erect in the Federal City a suitable Building for the accommodation of its Representative, near the Government of the United States; provided a convenient & agreeable Site could be obtained for the purpose. I always answered that this measure would be very pleasing & agreeable to me; &...
3From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 13 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
This letter will be put into your hands by Mr Lear, who is well known to one, or more of you. He has it in contemplation to make (in conjunction with others) a considerable Mercantile establishment in the Federal City; if he should be able to obtain such a site therein, and upon such terms, as will answer his, and the views of his associates. What these are he can best explain to you; and you...
4From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 18 September 1795 (Washington Papers)
The copy of the Letter which you wrote to the Secretary of State on the 21st ulto, enclosing regulations relative to the wharves and buildings in the federal City, came to my hands yesterday. If the proprietors of water-lots will be satisfied with the rules therein established for the extension of wharves & buildings thereon, the regulations will meet my entire approbation; and of their ideas...
5From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 21 November 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 11th Instant has been duly received. The altered One to Messrs Wilhem, and Jan Willink has been forwarded to its address, and the former is herewith returned. Your application to the Bank of the United States for the loan of money, having failed (as I presume the Secretary of the Treasury has informed you, and as I had always supposed would be the case) I have executed the...
6From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 27 December 1791 (Washington Papers)
When I proposed the alternatives contained in my letter of the 28th Ulto to Mr Carroll of Duddington it was done on the ground of accomodation; & under full persuation that, as the house of that Gentleman had been begun before the land was ceded, and had progressed between that and the ultimate decision on the lines of the Street which embraces part of it, no doubt would arise with respect to...
7From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 29 September 1792 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 1st instant from George Town came duly to hand. The delay in acknowledging the receipt of it, has proceeded from a belief that if the orders were transmitted before the sale of lots (appointed to be holden on the 8th of next month) they would get to your hands in time. Enclosed is an order from the President of the United States authorising the above Sale—and an another for...
8From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 23 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have subscribed to the alteration in the seventh article of the "Terms & conditions declared on the 17th day of October 1791 for regulating the materials and manner of the buildings and improvements on the lots in the City of Washington" and now enclose it to you. I wish, however, you had declared that so much of the stone walls, on which the railing in the street is to be placed, as shall...
9From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 2 April 1793 (Washington Papers)
I approve of the Plan of Doctr Thornton for a Capitol to be erected in the City of Washington. LB , DNA : RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Proceedings. GW received William Thornton’s partial plan of the Capitol in January, and the architect submitted his final design on 1 Mar. ( GW to D.C. Commissioners, 31 Jan. [second letter] , 3 Mar. [first letter] , to...
10From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 1 December 1791 (Washington Papers)
I receive with real mortification the account of the demolition of Mr Carrolls house by Major L’Enfant, against his consent, and without authority from yourselves or any other person: for you have done me but justice in ass⟨erting that⟩ he had no such authority from me. My letter of the 28th Ulto to Mr Carroll of Duddington will prove this. I now enclose you the copy of one to Majr L’Enfant,...
11From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 1 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your two letters, dated the 29th Ulto, have been received. The enclosures for the several Printers, to whom they are directed, are franked; and will go with this, and other letters to the Post Office this afternoon. I do not think it would be amiss to add Hartford, in Connecticut (a paper of extensive circulation altho’ I do not recollect the name of the Editor of it) and some Gazette in North...
12From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 27 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
The Post of yesterday brought me your favor of the 23d instant. I am obliged to you for the early attention which you have given to the request contained in my letter of the 11th preceeding, and I am perfectly well satisfied with the price which you have affixed on the lot, I have obtained. If it be necessary for me to decide at this moment, whether I will avail myself of the offer you have...
13From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 24 March 1795 (Washington Papers)
As I may have appear’d somewhat indecisive respecting square No. 21 in the federal city, I should not be surprised if you are at a loss to understand my meaning, in that particular. The Commissioners on my application, agreed to let me have—first a quarter—then half—and finally the whole of that square. My mind settled on the last; but not being able (from the accident I met with) when I was...
14From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 1 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
Your Letter of the 3d of last Month came to me by the Post of yesterday with the George Town mark of the 27th of November. What caused such delay in forwarding it, you better than I, can explain. For the reason mentioned therein it is to be regretted. I shall not lose a Post in transmitting the enclosed Order (to you) and wish it may be in time to produce the desired effect at the Treasury of...
15From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, September 1795 (Washington Papers)
At this place, yesterday afternoon, I received the letter herewith enclosed from Mr Morris, in answer to one I wrote him; as much of a private as an official nature. It is for your information only I send it, to avoid a lengthy detail of its contents: to give which I have not time at present. When you have read it, be so good as to return it to Gentlemen Your Obedt Hble Servant ALS...
16From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 17 January 1792 (Washington Papers)
I have duly received your favors of January 7th & 9th—am sensible of the expediency of the act of authority you have found it necessary to exercise over all the persons employed in the public works under your care, and fully approve of what you did. It has appeared, I think, that nothing less would draw their attention to a single source of authority and confine their operations to specified...
17From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 11 November 1796 (Washington Papers)
Enclosed is the Act with my signature, requesting Thomas Beall of George, and John M. Gantt to reconvey to the Commissioners of the Federal City all the lands within the same which had been vested in them, in trust. Yesterday the Secretary of the Treasury shewed me the copy of the letter he had written to you on Monday last, as also of the one he had addressed to the President & Board of...
18From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 29 July 1795 (Washington Papers)
On friday last I received your several dispatches with different signatures; and should have answered them by monday’s post; but Doctr Thornton promising to assign his reasons for the dissent he had given to the proposed regulations respecting wharves & water lots, I postponed giving any opinion thereon until I should receive these —which I did yesterday morning. Since which I have been so...
19From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 1 June 1794 (Washington Papers)
I had hopes, and at one time strong expectation, that Congress would have closed their Session before this; and that other matters would have permitted my proposed visit to Mount Vernon about the time of your meeting in the Federal City; which (by a letter from Mr Carroll), I understood was appointed to be on the 5th of this month. In this expectation I have been disappointed. Congress are...
20From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 9 September 1793 (Washington Papers)
I have duly received your Letter of Septm. 5th and in consequence thereof have Authorised Mr David Ross of Bladensburg & Colo. Robert Townsend Hooe of Alexandria to examine the accounts and Vouchers of the expenditure of the monies appropriated to your trust as Commissioners of the publick buildings of the Federal Territory & to certify to me the result. With esteem, I am Gent. your most Obt...
21From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 8 June 1792 (Washington Papers)
The bearer of this, Mr James Hoben, was strongly recommended to me by Colo. Laurens and sevral other Gentlemen of So. Carolinia when I was there last year, as a person who had made architecture his study, and was well qualified not only for planning or designing buildings, but to superintend the execution of them. He informs me that he intends to produce plans of the two buildings next month...
22From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 3 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
This will be handed to you by Doctor Thornton of this City, who goes forward to lay before you a plan which he has prepared for the Capitol proposed to be built in the federal City. Grandeur, Simplicity and Convenience appear to be so well combined in this plan of Doctor Thornton’s, that I have no doubt of its meeting with that approbation from you, which I have given it upon an attentive...
23From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 26 June 1796 (Washington Papers)
On thursday last I received your letter of the 22d instant, with its enclosures; and should have answered it by the Post of next day, but for many letters which I had to write by that Mail; which prevented my doing it till the succeeding one. Approving of the proposed Suspension (until the first Monday of the year 1800) of the first and third articles of the terms and conditions declared on...
24From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 10 June 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letters of the 31st Ulto and 3d Instant, came to hand by the same Mail, on tuesday last. The Duplicate of the Powers to Messrs Willink’s, have been handed over, for the purpose of transmission. Triplicates, signed by a full board may not be amiss. I will receive them however at the City. I am very glad to hear that you have re-commenced your operations on the public buildings: exceedingly...
25From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 13 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
I have received your letter of the first instant, enclosing certain communications to you from the Surveyors of the Federal City, dated the 29th & 31st of July—and have duly considered the alterations suggested in said Communications. With respect to the first alteration proposed vizt—“to stop S. Carolina Avenue, west of South Capitol, at the public appropriation”—I am perfectly of opinion...
26From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 30 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
As no Mail southward of Baltimore was received at the Post Office in this City on Saturday; and as you may not have understood by my letter of the 22d instt, that the duplicate of the Power of Attorney to Messrs Wilhem and Jan Willink was required to be forwarded through me , I address this to you, in order to remove the doubt if any there be; as copies of the other papers are ready, and only...
27From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 24 April 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 20th, with its enclosures, came duly to hand. The dispute between the Commissioners and Mr Johnson having got into a course of legal adjudication, it is unnecessary for me to express any sentiment thereon. I regret that it could not be settled without, because good rarely flow[s] from disputes—evil often. I expect to be in Georgetown on my return to Philadelphia on Monday...
28From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 27 November 1794 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed letter was put into my hands last night. The writer of it is a gentleman of character, & known I believe to some of you. Whether such a professional character as Mr Hatfield is described to be, is wanting for public purposes in the city, is with you to decide. I mean nothing more than to transmit the information wch the letter contains. In any event, the writer of, or the...
29From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 5 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
The bad weather (rather rain) on Monday, prevented my sending to the Post Office as usual, that afternoon, of course it retarded your receipt of the enclosed request of the Trustees. I will give the Several matters contained in your letters of the first instant due consideration, and inform you of the result as I pass through the City, on my return to Philadelphia, wch I expect will be on, or...
30From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 5 September 1793 (Washington Papers)
Mr Winstanley, a celebrated Landskip Painter, is disposed to take a view of the Federal City, or of the grounds in the vicinity of it. As you will be there about the time he may arrive, I take the liberty of giving him this letter of introduction to you. His designs are more extensive—and I have suggested the Great & little Falls; the passage of the River Potomac through the Blew Mountains—the...