Jefferson's View of the Progress
As the summer waned, Jefferson, in a letter to the proctor written at Poplar Forest, took
stock of where the building process stood. The west side of the lawn, it could be said, was
shaping up fine. The brick work for Pavilion I would be finished in days, and the skillful
hands of James Oldham could be counted on to fulfill his agreement for its wooden work.
Pavilion II was "done with." Dinsmore & Perry, united together (with Matthew Brown), had
engaged for the brick and wood work of Pavilion III. "No. 4. done with and No. 5. not
engaged." The hotels and dormitories on the back street, originally intended for the
Philadelphia workmen, would not be built this year because of the superintendence
committee's spring disagreement. But the Philadelphians, led by Richard Ware, were busy at
work building three pavilions on the east lawn and Jefferson had not wavered in his wish
that "this whole range may be executed by them." The dormitories no. 1 to 10 were reserved
for Carter & Phillips, which had nearly completed the first four, and the last six, sandwiched
in between Pavilions II and III, could be started whenever the brickmason's wanted. They
would require 60 or 70,000 bricks, and after that, "according to circumstances," Carter &
Phillips could have either Pavilion V on the west lawn or one of the remaining two on the
east side.[351]
[351]
351. TJ to Brockenbrough, 1 September 1819, ViU:PP.
