University of Virginia Library

Brickwork at the Rotunda

In March, Thorn & Chamberlain resumed brickwork at the Rotunda, where a sizeable
amount of brickwork apparently remained to be completed, in the early spring.[684] On 13
April, Jefferson's eighty-second birthday, Brockenbrough wrote to John Hartwell Cocke to
complain about two slaves that Cocke had sent from Bremo to the university to help in the
brickmaking.[685] The young men, Brockenbrough said, "are so small—I fear they will not
be able to stand the work of the season—My intention is only to work one table—the
Moulder whom I have employed is an Irishman and will work by the Thousand,
consequently will be (every day) a great days work (say three thousand bricks per day) I
shall keep the boys for a few days on trial (to day they are much fatigued with the walk of
yesterday—I wish very much tho' that you will send me two larger boys say Frank and
another of the largest size we had of you before . . . It is probable Capt Perry will take the
two boys if you wish, and will send me two other I will hire them to him."[686] When
drafting a year-end report that reviewed the expenses of maintaining the institution's fifteen-
member hired labor force and overseer for one year, the proctor estimated that in 1825 the
laborers had made between 800,000 and 900,000 bricks for the Rotunda, "in addition to the
other labour we have performed."[687]