University of Virginia Library

Thomas Jefferson to Charles Yancey

Your favor of the 4th. is just recieved. mr Brooke's price of 6. D 30 the square for laying on
the tin of a roof, is exorbitant. it may be done, as well as he can do it for 1. Dollar the
square. we went on at the University giving him that price until ¾ of the houses were
covered. we were led to it from a belief that it could not be done without the very expensive
& complicated machine which he used to bend the tin, which he told us was a patent
machine, costing 40. D. and not to be had in the US. at that stage of our business I got him
to come and cover a small house for me. seeing his machine at work, and how simple the
object was, I saw that the same effect could be produced by two boards hinged together. I
had this done accordingly, and it did the work as neatly & something quicker than his 40. D.
machine, while this could be made for 50. cents. we then ceased employing mr Brokes, and
set a common negro man to work with our board machine, & he has covered all the
remaining houses as neatly and securely as those done before. any person will learn to do it
in a day as well as in a year, and when you are ready, mr Brockenbrough will spare you this
man for a week or so, to shew any body you please how to do it: you will have to get your
tin from Richmond at 13. D. a box. a box does a square & a half, and a handy man will lay a
square a day. your building exclusive of the wings will require nearly 30. boxes.[871] the tin
for a square, costs 8. D 67 C & the putting it on about 1. D. say 10. D. a square, instead of
15. D. mr Brooke's price. this is exactly what is asked here for heart-pine shingling. the tin
requires that the sheeting be jointed, and the surface entirely smooth & even.

You should take care that the roofs of your wings do not rise so high as the bottom of your
entablature. indeed this cannot be necessary, for if the rooms be 16. f. square and 12 f. pitch,
the roof, if of pediment pitch, will be only 4. f. high, making 16. f from the floor, whereas
the bottom of the entablature of the main building is 20. f. from the floor. but if you put flat
& guttured roofs on them (as our dormitories have) they are but 2 f high. I recommend this
strongly, because they will be vastly handsomer & much cheaper than the common roof.
they need no rafters, no tin covering, and the gutturs are better of wood than of tin or any
other metal. the manner of making them may be seen at the University or a[t] this place. I
heard you were at our last court, and should have been much gratified had you taken your
quarters here. I would have gone to the University with you, & pointed out the particulars
which you should attend to in your building. should you pay another visit to the
neighborhood I shall hope you will do me the favor to call. Accept the assurance of my
sincere esteem and respect

Th: Jefferson

ALS (polygraph copy), DLC:TJ, 2p, with TJ docket "Yancey Charles. July 12. 22." The
copying machine failed to copy the material in angle brackets.