University of Virginia Library

Partnership Established

In late September the Lynchburg bricklayer Matthew Brown notified Proctor Nelson
Barksdale that Charlottesville carpenter John M. Perry had joined him as an "equal partner
in the Brickwork I have already done and also all that will be done by me this present
year."[131] Perry apparently handled both the labor and the financial aspects of the
partnership, for in December Brown wrote to Barksdale again to assure the proctor that
Perry "is fully authorised to Conclude the Settlement with you for the Brick workd done by
me this year at the Central Colage."[132] When making a proposal for brickmaking the
following spring, Perry claimed that the brickwork for the Corinthian pavilion "which tho
undertaken by M. Brown was actually executed by me."[133]

John Perry was involved in more than brickmaking during this period. The talented and
active carpenter continued to work on the pavilion he had managed to weasel a contract for
when he sold the land to the college, and he had the foresight and means to purchase a
sawmill on Ivy Creek in the fall of 1818 and thus began hauling lumber to the college for
other contractors beginning in September. That piece of minor good luck apparently helped
expedite the work across the grounds, for Perry's account with James Dinsmore, who was
building "Pavillion No 2 West," shows that he steadily provided Dinsmore with scantling for
his building, even during the slow winter months.[134] Perry proved to be the most
enterprising contractor in the area and ultimately profited more from the building of the
Academical Village than any other undertaker at the university.