From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Appleton, 10 March 1805
To Thomas Appleton
Washington Mar. 10. 05.
Sir
Your favor of Dec. 24. is recieved. Mr. Latrobe superintendant of the public buildings having occasion for a good carver in stone, I have recommended him to mr Mazzei whose acquaintance in Florence will enable him to procure one who may suit us; and I have undertaken to assure mr Latrobe that if he will make the necessary arrangements for money paiments respecting the workman, with you, & for sending him on, you will be so good as to see to that, leaving to mr Mazzei no other trouble than that of selecting & agreeing with the workman. will you be so good as to assist mr Latrobe herein according to his desires & further to contrive the inclosed letter to mr Mazzei so as that he may not be burthened with postage if possible. the newspapers it contains would occasion that to be high. Accept my salutations & respects.
Th: Jefferson
PoC (DLC); at foot of text: “Mr. Thomas Appleton”; endorsed by TJ. Enclosure: TJ to Philip Mazzei, 10 Mch. Enclosed in TJ to Benjamin H. Latrobe, 10 Mch.
On 6 Mch., Latrobe wrote to Philip Mazzei on TJ’s directive, to request Mazzei’s assistance in engaging “a good Sculptor of Architectural decorations” for the public buildings of Washington, especially the Capitol. Latrobe informed him of the dimensions and materials for the project as well as the anticipated wages and the desired personal characteristics of the sculptor. He also asked Mazzei to inquire about Antonio Canova’s interest in sculpting a seated figure of Liberty for the House of Representatives chamber (Margherita Marchione, ed., Philip Mazzei: Selected Writings and Correspondence, 3 vols. [Prato, Italy, 1983], 3:372-4).