Thomas Jefferson Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-02-02-0062

Reuben Perry to Thomas Jefferson, 23 December 1809

From Reuben Perry

Poplar Forrest Decr 23d 1809

Sir

I Received yours of the 9th nov. in which was inclosed Three pounds on acct of money advanced for nails for you also your directions to have the cellars Cleand out &c by Phill. but as he is to go away at Christmast he will not have the Chance to do it as Mr Richardson Cant Possibley git done by that time, he has had a good many Laths to get and it will be as much as he will git the Lathing done this week, I will attend to every thing here that Concerns the Building most Certainly

I am Sir your humble Sert

Reuben Perry

RC (ViW: TC-JP); at foot of text: “Mr Thomas Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received 25 Dec. 1809 and so recorded in SJL.

Reuben Perry, carpenter, worked at Monticello from 1799 to 1803. TJ employed him intermittently between 1809 and 1818 on a wide variety of projects, including the main house at Poplar Forest, a barn at Monticello, and a warehouse in Milton. Perry moved to North Carolina by 1820 and worked in 1835 on the United States Mint’s building in Charlotte (MB description begins James A. Bear Jr. and Lucia C. Stanton, eds., Jefferson’s Memorandum Books: Accounts, with Legal Records and Miscellany, 1767–1826, 1997, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Second Series description ends , 2:1000, 1098, 1304; TJ to Perry, 9 Aug., 2 Sept. 1812; Lay, Architecture description begins K. Edward Lay, The Architecture of Jefferson Country: Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia, 2000 description ends , 99, 309; The Statutes at Large and Treaties of the United States of America [1851–59], 9:749 [30th Cong., 2d sess., 8 Jan. 1849]).

TJ’s letter to Perry of the 9th nov., not found, is recorded in SJL and described in MB description begins James A. Bear Jr. and Lucia C. Stanton, eds., Jefferson’s Memorandum Books: Accounts, with Legal Records and Miscellany, 1767–1826, 1997, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Second Series description ends , 2:1250, as a letter of 9 Dec. 1809 enclosing $10.

Index Entries

  • Hubbard, Phill (TJ’s slave); works at Poplar Forest search
  • nails; purchased by TJ search
  • Perry, Reuben; identified search
  • Perry, Reuben; letters from search
  • Perry, Reuben; letters to accounted for search
  • Perry, Reuben; TJ’s carpenter search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); cellars at search
  • Richardson, John; works at Poplar Forest search