1From George Washington to the District of Columbia Commissioners, 27 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
When Mr Blagden came here yesterday with your favor of the 25 inst., and the plans, specifications &c. of my houses, I was out on my usual ride about my farms, and when I returned home I found Company, which prevented my answering your letter by him. The sketch of an agreement enclosed in your letter comports fully with my ideas. I have made one or two triffling alterations in it in...
2From George Washington to the District of Columbia Commissioners, 22 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 18th instt, enclosing a letter from Mr Blagdin of the same date, came duly to hand; and although I am perfectly satisfied that by doing the Carpenters & Joiners work with my own People, by a correct Bill of the materials required, & obtained from a reputable Mill on the Eastern Shore to suit the buildings, that I could save a thousand dollars under that head alone—yet, to...
3From George Washington to the District of Columbia Commissioners, 17 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 15th, enclosing Mr Blagdens statement, relative to my proposed buildings, did not reach my hands until last night. He has not accompanied this Statement with Specific prices; nor has it altered my opinion of the unreasonableness of the former estimates of some of its parts. But being desirous of closing the matter with Mr Blagden some way, or other, I make him the following...
4From George Washington to the District of Columbia Commissioners, 4 October 1798 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor to receive your letter of the 3d instt, last Night. Mr Blagdens estimate of the cost of the houses I had proposed to build, far exceeds any aggregate Sum I had contemplated; or think I could command; unless more punctuality was to be found in the fulfilment of Contracts than is, I believe, experienced by any one. Eight, or at most $10,000, was the extent of my calculation. The...
5From George Washington to the District of Columbia Commissioners, 28 September 1798 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of yesterday’s date is received. and enclosed are checks on the Bank of Alexandria for $428.40 amount of payment for the lot had of Mr D. Carroll, which you will please to deliver when the Conveyance is received; and $178.57 being the third of $535.70 to be paid for lot No. 16 in square 634 purchased from you. I feel very much obliged by the trouble you have taken in this business;...
6From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 3 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
Three things relative to the City of Washington call for my decision, and this is the last day I have Powers to give any. The first respects the dispute with Mr Law, touching the conveyances of Lotts; the second, to my approbation of the Plans for the Executive Offices; and the third, to the Instrument you transmitted to me in your letter of the 31st of January. With regard to the first,...
7From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 27 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
As the curtain is about to close on the political scenes of my life; and consequently to terminate the agency I have had in the affairs of the Federal City; I will, as far as a very hurried situation will permit, take notice of such parts of your several letters as remain undecided on. Having already informed you, that a Bill is pending in Congress for incorporating the Commissioners of the...
8From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 20 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Reasons which I have frequently assigned, have prevented me from acknowledging sooner, the receipt of your letter of the 3d instant; relatively to the memorial of Mr Davidson. Indeed I have so often expressed my unwillingness to depart from the engraved plan in every instance where it could be avoided, that I had hoped no repetition of this sort would have been made to you, by any of the...
9From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 17 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
In looking over the press copy of the letter I wrote you by the Post of Wednesday last, which was penned in great haste, to be in time for the Mail; I perceive some ambiguity in the expression of my sentiment respecting the building designated for the President of the U. States; and therefore these lines are given in explanation. It was not, nor is it my intention, that the work on that house...
10From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 15 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Several of your letters have been received within these few days; and notwithstanding the accumulation of business, consequent of the near epoch for my quitting the chair of government, the receipt of them should not have remained so long unacknowledged had I not placed such as related to the Power of Attorney, and to some disputed points, into the hands of the Law Officer of the United States...