John M. Perry
Agreement with Central College
[23 June 1817]
Articles of Agreement made and concluded this twenty third day of June one thousand eight
hundred and seventeen between Alexander Garrett as Proctor of the Central College in
Albemarle on the one part and John M. Perry on the other part Witness, First, that of a
Pavilion or Schoolhouse wing to be built for the said College on one of the lots of land
purchased for the sd. College of the said John M Perry, the body of which pavilion is to be
built of brick and to contain one room below and two above stairs with cellars & offices
below. the said John undertakes and hereby covenants to and with the said Proctor and his
successors in office, to do all the Carpenter's and House joiner's work of the said pavilion as
shall be prescribed to him, that he will provide all the meterials of wood and iron mongery
which shall be required, that the meterials shall be of sound and durable quality, the
Carpenters work shall be done solidly, neatly and well fitted, and the house joinery in the
best manner, and strictly according to such forms and orders of Architecture as the said
Proctor or his successors shall prescribe; that all the work necessary to be put up or in as the
brick layer proceeds, shall allways be ready by the time the brick layer is ready for it, and all
the residue to be done by him shall be compleated and put up within five months after the
brick layer shall have so far and the walls as that they shall be capable of recieveing it; and
the said John M Perry doth further agree and covenant, that if any part of the Carpenters
work or house joinery shall not be done in the most perfect good manner or not strictly
according to the forms and orders of Architecture which shall be prescribed to him as
aforesaid, the said Proctor or his successors shall have a right to have the same altered or
taken down and rebuilt according to the forms prescribed, by any person he shall employ at
the expence of the said John, and the parties to these presents further agree, that if any part
of the work shall be objected to as insufficient or incomformable to what is herein before
stipulated that its sufficiency or non conformity shall be finally decided on by three
competent persons one chosen by each party and the two persons chosen are hereby
empower'd to choose a third equally competent And the said John doth further agree that if
the work shall not be done at the respective times stipulated that the said Proctor or his
successors shall be free to have it done by such person as he shall employ at the expence of
the said John and be entitled to damages for all wrongful delay to be paid by the said John--
And the said Alexander, covenants in the name of the said College and on its behalf, that for
all meterials furnished by the said John the reasonable price they shall have cost him, or
which they shall be worth if furnished by himself, shall be paid him, and for all Carpenter's
work or house-joinery done, he shall be paid the prices which were paid by James Madison
late President of the United States to James Dinsmore for similar work done at Montplier,
which payments shall be made to him as follows towit Five hundred dollars in hand, five
hundred dollars more when the roof shall be raised, and the ballance when it shall be
compleated, In Witness whereof the parties hereto subscribe their names the day & year first
within written
In presence of Alex Garrett Proctor to Central College (seal)
Wm Wertenbaker John M. Perry (seal)
approved Th. Jefferson
DS, in Garrett's writing, ViU:TJ, 2p [1458] with Garrett note on the coversheet "No. 3
Agreement Perry with Central College." The document also contains Perry's first receipt for
payment: "Charlottesville 16th: September 1817 Recieved of Alexander Garrett late Proctor
to the Central College five hundred dollars it being the sum mentioned in this agreement as
the first payment for the building therein before named John M. Perry."
