Mount Vernon maintenance
On 25 Feb 1760 George Washington paid a William Triplett for brick work, mainly chimney maintenance. GW planned to have two little buildings to the west and front of the big house of Mount Vernon. But in 1758 John Patterson who also did a lot of work on Mt Vernon, said Triplett did not have the power to accomplish building those 2 little buildings. Founders Online Footnote shows archaeological evidence of those 2 little buildings having been built eventually and they were built to the west and front of the big house. Why they were taken down later, we are not sure.
Below is the GW's ledger and an Aug 1758 letter from John Patterson explaining some of the issues of repairing Mt Vernon.
The ledger for 25 Feb 1760 shows this payment to William Triplett.
25— | By Cash paid Mr Wm Triplet for Brick Work5 | 50. 0.0 |
Founders online Footnote 5.
This was in payment for the work William Triplett did on GW’s house at Mount Vernon.
See especially John Patterson to GW, 13 Aug. 1758, n.2.
GW records in his diary on 27 Mar. 1760 a new agreement with Triplett to build “the two houses in the Front of my House” and several walls (Diaries, 1:258).
Source of ledger
From John Patterson
Alexandria August the 13th 1758
Honourable Sr
I have got the outside of the House finishd, the Closets excepted, & that by not having plank; which Mr Balendine has got a bill for, but having no dependance on his word, shall strive if posible to finish the inside, according to expectation (in case hands can be got) I have tryd my friends in raising & kivering, the House but those men cannot be prevaild upon to asist me longer, having business of there own to be done. Having consulted Col. [George William] Fairfax concerning the old floors up Stairs, pasage floor also; informs me, he would write & have your answer; its just the Nail holes of the latter, looks but indiffirent; but the Joynts makes amends for that; & in me would be base to take it up, when I am confident, its not in my power to lay a better one, the Stuff of it being dry, & when playnd over will have much a better look. As to the former floors Col. [George William]Fairfax will write his opinion of them.1
I Likwise consulted Mr Triplet of the Plan, he says its not in his power to do it, this year, as there is Bricks to be made, & as to the other jobs he can compleat.2
In regard to pleacing the Stairs up to the Garret, I do not intend to adapt them in the Room mentiond, in the last Letter, but opposite to the head of the old Stair Caise, takeing them off from the store room that was; & shall advise with Col. Fairfax in this point, as in every other article.3
I hope to give your Hon. a greater sadisfaction by my actions then words, & shall allways remain with the greatest respect; Your Honours Most obligd, Most Hble & Obedient Servt
John Patterson
ALS, DLC:GW.
Founders Online footnotes
John Patterson was in charge of the extensive alterations being made in the house at Mount Vernon. See Patterson to GW, 17 June 1758.
1. The correspondence about replacing some of the flooring at Mount Vernon is discussed in George William Fairfax to GW, 5 Aug., n.1. Fairfax, GW’s neighbor and friend, kept an eye on the work being done on the house.
2. The “Plan” was perhaps something devised by GW for Patterson’s guidance. In his letter of 2 Sept. Patterson makes it clear that what was not in William Triplett’s “power to do” this year was to build two small structures, or “Houses,” and a “yard wall” near the main house.
Archaeological evidence indicates that the two little houses were built near the west front of the big house. The “other jobs” were brickwork to be done on the foundation and chimney and the plastering inside the house itself.
3. In the only other letter from him that has been found, dated 17 June 1758, Patterson does not mention the stairs to the garret; but see George William Fairfax to GW, 1 September.
Source of letter
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Compiled by Jim Moyer 2/18/2024
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[Diary entry: 19 February 1760]
Tuesday Feby. 19th.
Went to Court, and Administerd upon Nations Effects. Got Mr. Smiths Lease to me recorded and Mr. Johnston not having Darrels Deeds ready I was obligd to get the acknowledging of them postpond.
Recd. a Letter from my Brothr. Austin by Mr. Lane & answerd it.
Fine moderate day with a brisk Southerly Wind which brought up the Vessell with my Corn.
Mike and Tom began sawing in the Pit some considerable time after Sun rise and Cut 122 feet of Oak Scantling.
Founders Online Footnotes
GW’s first expansion of the Mount Vernon property occurred in Dec. 1757, when he bought two pieces of land on the plantation’s northern boundary from Sampson Darrell (d. 1777) of Fairfax County: a tract of 200 acres on Dogue Run and an adjoining tract of 300 acres on Little Hunting Creek. The total price of these two tracts was £350, which GW paid with £260 in cash and a bond for £90 due in two years, and in return he received Darrell’s bond guaranteeing him title to the land (General Ledger A, folio 49; bond of Darrell to GW, 20 Dec. 1757, ViMtvL). But the official deeds were not immediately signed and recorded in court because the property was held under right of dower by Darrell’s mother, Ann, for her lifetime; only after her death would it revert to Darrell as a surviving son. Thus, although GW owned Darrell’s rights to the land, he could not obtain the deeds until Ann died or rented the land to him. GW did not have to await her death, because on 20 Sept. 1759 he signed a lease with her and her present husband, Thomas Smith (d. 1764) of Fairfax County, agreeing thereby to pay them 1,000 pounds of tobacco and cask a year until Ann died (lease of Thomas and Ann Smith to GW, 20 Sept. 1759, PHi: Gratz Collection; General Ledger A, folio 111). Having recorded the lease on this day, GW was eager to get and record Darrell’s deeds, but he was obliged to wait for the May court session (deeds of Darrell to GW, 19–20 May 1760, Fairfax County Deeds, Book D–1, 681–92, Vi Microfilm).
Augustine Washington (1720–1762), half brother of GW by his father’s first wife, Jane Butler, married Anne Aylett (d. 1773) and lived at Pope’s Creek in Westmoreland County. GW usually called him “Austin.” Mr. Lane was probably one of the three sons of William Lane (1690–1760) of Nomini Forest, Westmoreland County: James Lane (d. 1777), William Carr Lane (d. 1770), and Joseph Lane (d. 1796).
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[Diary entry: 28 February 1760]
Thursday Feby. 28th. Measurd the Fields by the Quarter & Garden as the Fences was intended to be run and found Six Acres in the former & Nine in the Latter.
Also run the Round the Fields in the Lower pasture according as the dividing Fence is to go but the Compass being bad or some mistake happening I coud not close the plot with any exactness.
Finished Grubbing the Field by the Garden.
Between Sul [sun] setting & Dark, came Mr. Ramsay, Mr. Piper, Captn. Stanly & Captn. Littledale.
Warm, & little or no wind the first part of the Day. Towards Night it clouded and the Wind getting No. Easterly it begn. raining & grew colder.
Bought 3000 Shingles a 22/6 of [ ] Newbold also wood ware, & Bees Wax.
close the plot: In running the lines of this survey, GW did not return to his exact beginning point as he should have, and thus a gap was left in the boundaries of the plot.
Harry Piper (d. 1780), a merchant of Alexandria, was a factor for John Dixon & Isaac Littledale, of Whitehaven, Eng. Captain Stanley may have been Capt. Edward Stanley, who sailed in the tobacco trade for Peter How & Co., also of Whitehaven (P.R.O., C.O.5/1447, f. 66).
GW paid Purnell Newbold a total of £5 4s. 7½d. Maryland currency for his goods (General Ledger A, folio 89).
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