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Date
11-8-1894
Personal Name Recipient
Allison, James W., 1833-1898
Description
Letter from Percy Griffin to James W. Allison discussing the conflict between the architects.
Transcription
8 Nov. ‘94. Dear Mr. Allison— I have just received your letter of Nov. 7th, and trust that you thoroughly understand that I appreciate and regret the uncomfortable position you are placed in— and I feel this morning that on your, account I should like to drop the whole question so that there might be one less to bother you— but I do not think it would be in justice to me. When I went to England I did not surrender the work to Mr. Randall and had I imagined that such a state of things would occur, I should have remained at home— We were to divide the work, he taking what he brought into the office— I doing the same— In reference to the letter announcing the "removal of the office", this was written without my knowledge and had I known of it I should have objected most emphatically— The firm has been dissolved, I am glad to say, and neither he nor I have a right to say that the office has been removed from, or that it remains at 48 Exchange Place— This has, been done without my knowledge— I had told him that I wished to go over the drawings &c. in the office, just so soon as he was at liberty from the work of making the arrangements for his new office, and because I waited for his convenience, I found that while I was out of the office, and without mentioning it to me, he had sent all your plans to his office and was then ready to discuss what were left— May I say that it never would have occurred to me to lock up or take away a set of drawings so that they might remain with me— and on the other hand I did not expect it to happen on his part. I did not wish to mention these things for it is as unpleasant to say them as to have them happen— however I am glad you wish to have it explained— I should not have suggested your leaving the finishing of your house with me, had it come into the office thro. Mr. Randall no matter how often I had been to Richmond or how often I had seen you, and you would have been looked upon as his client. The draughtsman who has remained with me has done more work on your house than the one who has gone— and if you wish me to finish the building it shall have every attention of the office— I much prefer to have you, decide this question, rather than have it left to a referee, or given to a third person to do the work. Will you kindly send your reply to me and it will receive every consideration for your wishes— Believe me always, my dear sir— Very sincerely yours Percy Griffin 8 Nov 94. James W. Allison Esqr. Richmond— [ALS, Percy Griffin to James W. Allison, November 8, 1894, on letterhead: Griffin & Randall Architects, 48 Exchange Place New York] [edited by MRM]
Personal Name Subject
Griffin, Percy -- Correspondence; Allison, James W., 1833-1898 -- Correspondence
Corporate Name Subject
Griffin & Randall -- Reorganization
Topical Subject
Architecture, Domestic -- Virginia -- Richmond; Architects and builders -- New York (State) -- New York; Architectural offices -- New York (State) -- New York; Architecture, Domestic -- Designs and plans; Corporate reorganizations; Project management
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
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 Percy Griffin to James W. Allison, 1894 November 8, James W. Allison papers, M 1, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University.
File Name
pre066.pdf