Letter from Griffin & Randall to James W. Allison, 1894 October 20

Authors

Griffin & Randall

Files

Date

10-20-1894

Personal Name Recipient

Allison, James W., 1833-1898

Description

Letter from Griffin & Randall to James W. Allison discussing specifications for staircases and floors.

Transcription

Griffin & Randall to James W. Allison, 1894 October 20Oct. 20th '94. James W. Allison Esq. City. Dear Sir, Your's of the 19th at hand. The question of reduction for the changes made in staircases was not mentioned among our list because it is our impression that in consideration [of canceled; next word interlined] for making the Main Staircase and the Stairs from 2nd to 3rd floors of ash and black walnut, instead of pine and maple, that the Back Stairs from 1st to 2nd floors would be changed to Va. pine like same to Basement. However we shall take up that matter again. In our copy of Specifications it is so stated. It was Mr. Randall who suggested the tin being carried around walls of Pantries &c. behind the base-board. It would not be put in until after the floors are layed and before the room is trimmed, so you could just as well decide then as now about it. We have just noticed that there are no floors specified or shown in the Basement in Passage, Laundry &c. Was this intentional? As a rule servants, as well as housekeepers, find great fault with cement floors in such cases. They are cold and disagreable under foot and hard to keep clean. It would be wiser probably to lay “sleepers” in the concrete and put down a floor. We have sent Stowe & Nuckols their list and hope to hear from them early next week. Your's Truly Griffin & Randall [ALS, Griffin & Randall to James W. Allison, on letterhead: T. Henry Randall Architect 48 Exchange Place New York. Envelope docketed: G. & R. Octr 20.1894 Stairs in extension 1st to 2nd floor to be of pine same as basement. Tin around walls of Pantries & behind base to go in before top floor is laid Recommending sleepers laid in Laundry in concrete for a floor.] [edited by MMB]

Personal Name Subject

Allison, James W., 1833-1898 -- Correspondence

Corporate Name Subject

Griffin & Randall -- Correspondence

Topical Subject

Architecture, Domestic -- Designs and plans; Architecture, Domestic -- Virginia -- Richmond; Architects and builders; Architecture -- Details; Staircases; Floors

Geographic Subject

Richmond (Va.) -- Historic houses, etc.; Richmond (Va.) -- Buildings, structures, etc.

City/Location

Richmond (Va)

Genre

letters (correspondence)

Local Genre

text; archives

Type

Still Image; Text

Digital Format

application/pdf

Language

eng

Rights Statement URL

https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Rights

This material is in the public domain in the United States and thus is free of any copyright restriction. Acknowledgement of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is requested.

Collection

Building VCU’s President's House

Source

Original letter: Letter from Griffin & Randall to James W. Allison, 1894 October 20, James W. Allison papers, M 1, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University.

File Name

pre041.pdf