To George Washington from John Rawlins, 15 November 1785
From John Rawlins
Baltimore Novr 15th 1785
Honner’d Sir
I am exceedingly sorry I have Dissopinted you so Long, of the Drawing and Estemate for your Room—its bein sickness and other Circumstances in my family that’s prevented it—to Ornaments in Ceiling, Cove, Cornice, & moulding at top of cove, with pannels on the walls plaine—my Lowest termes I can posibley, finish it for his £168 pounds this Currency, you finding my people and paying Travleing Charges 1—and remaine Honner’d Sir Yr Most Obdt Hble Svt,
John Rawlins
N.B. the Ornaments to Ceiling as pr Drawing you saw.
ALS, NjMoHP.
1. GW wrote the stucco worker John Rawlins on 29 Aug. giving him a description of his New Room at Mount Vernon and inviting Rawlins to give an estimate of what he would charge to complete it. Rawlins came to Mount Vernon in mid-September to view the room. Although GW objected to Rawlins’s estimate of the costs, he accepted his terms and entered an agreement with him on 25 Feb. 1786. See GW to Rawlins, 30 Nov. 1785, GW to Tench Tilghman, 29 Aug., 14 Sept., 30 Nov. 1785, 7 Jan., 22 Feb., 10 Mar. 1786, Tench Tilghman to GW, 31 Aug., 10, 18 Nov., 13 Dec. 1785, 16 Jan., 1 Mar. 1786, and , 4:291–92.