University of Virginia Library

Ware in Trouble

The first contractor fortunate enough to secure a contract from among the many proffers,
Philadelphia carpenter Richard Ware, caused a minor crisis at the university. Jefferson wrote
Ware on 9 April to inform him that the university would accept his contract on the condition
that Ware engage Philadelphia brickmakers and bricklayers to do the brickwork for his
buildings, Pavilion V, Hotels A and B, and 23 dormitories (all on the east side of the square,
requiring an estimated 578,530 bricks). Promising work for the next year and a
"considerable time afterwards," Jefferson also offered dormitories for lodgings for the
master workmen and their cellars for the under workmen.[236] Ware considered the wages
liberal and sent word to Jefferson via Thomas Cooper that he wanted to accept the terms but
that the area brickmakers were already engaged in their summer work. One Cribbs, a
"conceited old man a Brickmaker, who appears to have acquired wealth in the pursuit,"
accompanied Ware's messenger (a Quaker named James) to Cooper. Cribbs advised burning
the bricks in a kiln rather than in clamps in order to improve their quality and to temper the
clay by the treading of oxen. As for Ware himself, it was said that he was absent from
Philadelphia taking the "benefit of the Insolvent Law in Delaware State."[237]

Ware wrote Jefferson a couple days later, however, informing him that he had found
bricklayers but that "geting A Brickmaker has detaind me . . . here Bricklayers & makers are
two distinct business & to get bricks made is the Onley difficulty in the way." Ware,
"afinishing a small job out of town" while at the same time "prepairing my tools," promised
to write back in about ten days.[238] Thus Jefferson relied on Ware to bring a crew of
carpenters and bricklayers from Philadelphia. By mid-May, however, Jefferson had received
word that Ware's embarrassing circumstances caused him to be arrested and jailed when it
became known that he was heading for Virginia. "what are we to do?" Jefferson asked the
new proctor, "in the first place keep this a profound secret until we can substitute contracts
to supply his place." The "two young men" who executed Pavilion II, brothers who were
journeymen of Matthew Brown, could aid Curtis Carter, Jefferson suggested, and Cooper
could "send us on housejoiners from Philadelphia . . . lest we should seem really to have
been jockeying our own workmen. before too that this thing be known you should have
written articles signed by all your workmen, for they will endeavor to fly the way when they
suspect that the Philadelphia competition is withdrawn.[239]

As it turned out, however, Jefferson's scare was for naught, for Ware, freed
from jail, arrived at Monticello less than two weeks later. He assured Jefferson
that he had "the most steady, faithful & skilful" workmen ready to sail from
Philadelphia to Richmond as soon as they heard from Ware. Jefferson then had to
turn around and write back to the proctor with a request to halt any efforts set
in motion to replace Ware as a contractor.[240] Informed by Ware that all
Philadelphia bricklayers "are regular stonemasons and always do the stone
foundations for themselves," Jefferson declared he was "really anxious to have
these people employed from the knolege I have of their superior activity over
those we are used." And, he added, "I shall expect your answer with
anxiety."[241]