1From James Madison to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 24 July 1818 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favour of the 8th. inst: and am much less surprised at your finding occasion for friendly criticism on one passage in the paper to which you refer, than that you did not perceive the occasions for others there in. In bringing into view Robertson’s explanation of the Origin of the Greenlanders, the object which ought to have been more clearly conveyed was rather to lessen the...
2Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 19 May 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Apr. 14. is just now at hand. that of Mar. 7. had been recieved in due time, with the book of prices, for which I ought not to have been contented with internally thanking you, as I certainly and cordially did. but you have no conception of the drudgery of letter writing to which I am subjected, and which really renders life a burthen. writing too is become a slow & painful...
3Enclosure: William Thackara to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 22 December 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 27 ult was duly received and the only apology I can offer for the delay of this letter is that I have been useing every exertion in my power for to obtain the Book you wrote for but I am sorry to add without success as there is an express rule of the Carpenter’s Company that the book is not to be seen out of the pale of their Church Si r it was with no small emotion of surprise...
4Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 1 November 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I cannot promise that even this shall be the last trouble I shall give you on the subject of our Central college ; for indeed I have nobody else to appeal to. we have agreed to give to our Carpenters & housejoiners the prices stated in the Philadelphia Builder’s price book, with such a percent on them as the is habitually allowed there for the advance of prices since the date of that book. we...
5Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 12 October 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of the 6 th is recieved, and with it the beautiful set of drawings accompanying it. we are under great obligations to you for them, and having decided to build two more pavilions the ensuing season, we shall certainly take select their fronts from these. they will be Ionic and Corinthian. the Doric now erecting would resemble one of your’s but that the lower order is of arches, & the...
6Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, [25] August 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Our letters, crossing one another by the way, have produced some confusion. their dates are as follows, in the margin. your lres when rece d when answ d June 28. July 15. July 16 July 24 Aug. 2 Aug. 3. July 18 Aug. 7. Aug. 7. Aug. 12. Aug. 22. Aug. 24. I shall be glad to recieve your drawings; but not at this place, to which the mail is uncertain, and I shall be at Monticello
7Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 7 August 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote on the 3 d in answer to your’s of the 24 th July. that of the 28 th is delivered to me just as I am setting out for Bedford to be absent 6. weeks. after the date of mine to you on the subject of the Stone cutter, we had a meeting of our visitors who supposing you had full employment for all your hands desired me to write to Leghorn for a stone cutter, which I have done. the...
8Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 3 August 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of July 24. was recieved yesterday. you might well be led by my 1 st letter into error as to the disposition of our grounds & buildings. the general idea of an Academical village rather than of one large building w as formed by me, perhaps about 15. years ago, on being consulted by mr L. W. Tazewell then a member of our legislature, which was supposed to be then disposed to go into...
9Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 16 July 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
I found your favor of June 28. on my return hither from my other home , about 90 miles S.W. from hence and near Lynchburg , the mos t growing place in America . they have there the new method of moulding the stock brick in oil, and execute with it the most beautiful brick work, I have ever seen. I went there to try to get a workman skilled in it to come and build our first Academical pavilion,...
10Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 12 June 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
This letter is that of a friendly beggar. I will explain to you the case & then it’s object. we are commencing here the establishment of a College , and instead of building a magnificent house which would exhaust all our funds, we propose to lay of f a square of or rather 3. sides of a square about 7. or 800.f. wide, leaving it open at one end to be extended indefinitely. on the closed end,...