Originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, Peter Lenox (1771-1832) was among the carpenters who helped construct the President’s House under Benjamin Henry Latrobe. TJ later commissioned him as construction foreman on several projects, including the building of a custom frame for holding the Mammoth Cheese. After the War of 1812, Lenox became clerk of works, first at the executive mansion and then, in 1817, at the Capitol. He owned a successful lumber business in Washington, invested in local real estate, and served frequently on the town council (Glenn Brown, History of the United States Capitol, 2 vols. [Washington, D.C., 1900], 1:96-7; Allen C. Clark, “Walter Lenox, the Thirteenth Mayor of the City of Washington,” RCHS description begins Records of the Columbia Historical Society, 1895-1989 description ends , 20 [1917], 167-8; RS description begins J. Jefferson Looney and others, eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, Princeton, 2004- , 13 vols. description ends , 5:178-9n).

Several undated documents in TJ’s hand relate to venetian blinds for rooms at Monticello. Perhaps at an earlier stage of the house’s renovation, TJ listed 21 blinds on hand that he had obtained from Paris, New York, and Philadelphia. Eight additional blinds were needed at that point for the entrance hall and south end of the house. TJ later added to that document some dimensions for blinds intended for the porticos (“Monticello: Remodelling Notes, [begun 1796],” in MHi; Nichols, Architectural Drawings description begins Frederick Doveton Nichols, Thomas Jefferson’s Architectural Drawings, Compiled and with Commentary and a Check List, Charlottesville, 1978 description ends , No. 149b). A copy of plans and sketches for 16 blinds that were to be hinged together in pairs, similar to the order of 5 Oct. listed above, was delivered to “mr Lenox” and indicated that Lenox had charged $25.30 for 76⅔ feet of blinds, with an additional $3.19 for painting (MS in MHi; Nichols, Architectural Drawings description begins Frederick Doveton Nichols, Thomas Jefferson’s Architectural Drawings, Compiled and with Commentary and a Check List, Charlottesville, 1978 description ends , No. 147q).