JEFFERSON, Thomas (1743-1826). Autograph letter signed ("Th: Jefferson"), to George W. Spooner. Monticello, 14 November 1819.

1p, approx. 7 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. (toning, separation along center vertical fold, small loss near vertical crease at bottom center though portion is retained with lot). A polygraph copy, written on the reverse of a reused address cover from the Department of State. Docketed verso in Jefferson's hand "Spooner Geo. W. Nov. 14.19."

Jefferson writes to Spooner regarding a dispute related to construction on pavilion No. V at the University of Virginia, stating in part: "I am really sorry for the disappointment you experienced in the work of pavilion No. V, but it a case which attaches blame to nobody." Jefferson then continues with an explanation of the course of events through which Mr. Nelson and Mr. Brockenbrough were selected as contractors for their respective pavilions. Jefferson concludes by saying, "Nelson therefore as having the prior and legal contract, was established to the whole of the work, and whatever part he ceded to you is so much given up from his own right, altho' no new contracts can as yet be made for the other pavilions and hotels. I expressed my hope to Mr. Brockenbrough, that in the accessories to the buildings already done, he might find something for you. truth [sic] and justice oblige me to state these facts as insurmountable obstacles to your wishes, and to conclude with assurance of my respect."

Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819 and was the principal designer of its buildings. That same year, Virginia, as well as much of the rest of the country, was struggling through a depression. Land and crop prices had plummeted, and work for both skilled and unskilled labor was difficult to find. The University of Virginia promised to be the biggest and longest going building project anywhere in the region, so competition amongst potential contractors was intense. The letter offered here resolved a conflict between George W. Spooner (d. 1865) and John Neilson (spelled "Nelson" by Jefferson), two of the craftsmen who were competing for work on the pavilions. Though Wilson was not granted the right to build pavilion V (later renumbered Pavilion IX), he would go on to enjoy a long association with the University of Virginia serving as acting proctor, 1845-46, and supervising an addition to the Rotunda in 1853.

Provenance: Only one published version of this letter exists, in Thomas Jefferson Correspondence printed from the Originals in the Collections of William K. Bixby, edited by Worthington C. Ford [1916]. According to the managing editor of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, Mr. Bixby began giving away portions and sometimes single documents from his collection to institutions and individuals not long after Ford’s volume was published.

Freeman's | Hindman gratefully acknowledges the Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series for providing additional provenance and context for this letter.
This lot is located in Cincinnati.