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the whole of the pavilions and dormitories to be united by a colonnade in front
of the height of the lower story of the pavilions, under which they may go dry
from school to school. the colonnade will be of square brick pilasters (at first)
with a Tuscan entablature. now what we wish is that these pavilions as they will
show themselves above the dormitories, should be models of taste & good
architecture, & of a variety of appearance, no two alike, so as to serve as
specimens for the Architectural Lectures. will you set your imagination to work
& sketch some designs for us, no matter how loosely with the pen, without the
trouble of referring to scale or rule; for we want nothing but the outline of the
architecture, as the internal must be arranged according to local convenience. a
few sketches, such as need not take you a moment, will greatly oblige us. the
visitors of the college are President Monroe, mr Madison, 3 others whom you
do not know & myself. we have to struggle against two important wants,
money, and men for professors capable of fulfilling our views. they may come
in time for all Europe seems to be breaking up. in the mean time help us
to provide snug and handsome Lodges for them.[42]

I have drawn only two specimens of the orders. You wish the Halls or Pavilions
to contain the different Orders of Architecture, that they might serve hereafter
as models.—I admire every thing that would tend to give chaste Ideas of
elegance & grandeur. Accustomed to pure Architecture, the mind would relish
in time no other, & therefore the more pure the better.—I have drawn a Pavilion
for the Centre, with Corinthian Columns, & a Pediment. I would advise only the
three orders: for I consider the Composite as only a mixture of the Corinthian &
Ionic; & the Tuscan as only a very clumsy Doric.—Your general Arrangement I
admire, but would take the liberty of advising that the two buildings next the
angles be joined together, & be placed in the angles.

They would, of course, be in the ancient Ionic, that beautiful and chaste
order.—I thought it necessary to draw it, because you have only to connect the
sketches already given, into the Ionic, to have the effect.—I would only have
one Pediment, and that in the center. If at any time it would be thought
necessary to extend these Buildings, they may very easily have additions at
each side, without extending the Colonnade, and the Entablature would serve as
a back ground or base to the projecting central parts of each.—It is of great
importance in Buildings, the extent of which must be foreseen, to provide for
such additions as may correspond, & finally tend rather to beautify and perfect,
than to disfigure or deform the whole: and this plan of yours I think admirably
calculated for almost indefinite extension.—The Entablature of the Doric
Pavilion may be enriched and that to the Dormitories may be plain. I have
drawn Columns in front of the Dormitories, & also square Pillars, but the
Columns are not only handsomer but cheaper, being also more easily built, and
less subject to accidental as well as wilful injury.—I have omitted the plinths, as
they not only tend to shorten the Columns but increase the expense, interrupt
the walk, and add not much to the beauty.—I would make the Dormitories with
Shed roofs, that should commence at the top of the parapet. this would carry all
the water to the outside, which would take away all appearance of a roof, &
thereby add greatly to the beauty of the Buildg. I advise that it be built of Brick
in the roughest manner, & plastered over in imitation of freestone. Columns can
be made in this way most beautifully, as I have seen them done at Mr. Lewis's,
near Mount Vernon, where they have stood above 12 years, & I did not find a
single crack or fissure. The Bricks are made expressly for columnar work, and
where they were to be plastered, the Brick-work was perfectly saturated with
water which prevented the plaster from drying too rapidly.—The mortar was
not laid on fresh. It was composed of two thirds sharp well washed fine white
sand, & one third well slaked lime. I would mix these with Smith's Forge-water.
I would also dissolve some vitrial of Iron in the water for the ashlar Plaister not
only to increase the binding quality of the mortar, but also to give a fine yellow
colour—which on Experiment you will find beautiful and cheap.—All the
plaistering should be tinctured in the same manner for the plain ashlar work, or
yellow sand may be used with the lime, or yellow ochre which will give the
same appearance; and the Columns and Entablature being white will produce a
beautiful and delicate contrast.—I prefer a pale yellow to white for the general
ground Colour of a building, as it assimilates beautifully with the Trees, and
general Tint of nature; while white looks cold & glaring, and destroys the
keeping.—The Caps & Bases of the Columns ought to be of freestone; or they
may be of artificial stone. This is to be had very cheap from Coade's
Manufactory, in the Borough of London; or they may be made of pipe clay,
with a little fine white sand, & a solution of alkaline salt, which will give a neat,
but fine [Surface], when well burnt in a Potter's Kiln. I have tried this, & made
very good artificial Stone.—By this mode the Caps of the Columns may be
made as durable as Stone, and cheaper than wood.—Pateras Modillions &c may
be made in the same manner, if thought necessary hereafter, to enrich any
particular part.—I admire the general disposition and plan of this Establishment
and, to obtain in perfection what is wanted, I would advise that the Site be
chosen in the woods, and clear out whatever is not wanted, clumping the most
beautiful and thriving of the forest Trees, handsome Groves, and leaving
straggling ones occasionally, by wch Nature may be so artfully imitated, as to
produce a perfect Picture and above all things let such a place be selected as
though it be a high & healthy Table Ground, will afford by a Tube from a higher
Source a grand Fountain in the centre of the College Square.—This will be not
only highly ornamental, but it will supply Water in case of Fire.—If a rivulet
could also be brought near, by digging a Conduit, it might furnish a large basin
or Pond, which could be made of any required depth & size. This would do for
the Students to swim and dive in, during Summer, and to skait on during
Winter. There ought also to be a botanic Garden, as well as a culinary
one.—There ought to be extra Grounds for the great Exercises, such as running,
riding, Archery, shooting with Pistols, rifles, Cannons, the military Exercises on
horseback & foot.—In the Roman Catholic Academy, in George Town, Ga.,
they have erected a Ball Alley, but I would allow no Child's play. Let all the
Exercises be such as would tend to make great and useful men, and the military
Exercises, fencing with the broad and small sword, boxing with mufflers,
playing the single Stick, jumping, wrestling, throwing the Javelin and whatever
tends to render men most athletic, at the same time that it tends to perfect them
in what may eventually be of use, ought only to be permitted as sports in their
leisure hours. Thus would I make men of active Bodies, as well as of
extraordinary Minds.—[44]