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Date
3-21-1895
Personal Name Recipient
Allison, James W., 1833-1898
Description
Letter from Griffin & Randall to James W. Allison discussing specifications for the flooring.
Transcription
James W. Allison Esq. Richmond. Va. Dear Sir, Your's of the 20th at hand. Our copy of the specifications in regard to flooring for your house agrees with your own; "upper flooring to be 7/8" x 2 1/2" match[ed] straight grain Georgia pine scrubbed &c. Extension & 3rd floor 7/8" x 3"-4"." The wood "Georgia pine" was erased and "Selected Rock Maple" substituted by Mr. Griffin. Afterwards when the specifications were being revised by Mr. Randall, the latter was erased and "Va. pine" substituted. At the office of Stowe and Nuckols, when we were going over the various changes made in the specifications, the words "Va. pine" were erased and "Georgia pine" substituted. In our letter of July 20th '94 to Stowe & Nuckols, we say, "we have changed the floors back to hard pine [Georgia] of best quality in main house and of second quality in Extension and 3rd floor." We have no record of any change from that. It is our impression that we did agree verbally to using 3" flooring instead of 2 1/2", as specified; and furthermore second quality "Georgia" and first quality "Virginia" are about the same thing for all practical purposes; but an inferior grade of "Virginia" is very poor material and should of course be used nowhere in the house. They agreed to put down a first class floor when we changed the material from Rock Maple to Pine. As to the paint, I shall let you know about it as soon as I hear from the chemical co. that make it. It may be that the painter did not order the paint as specified. We have written Newman to send the hinges for Basement windows. According to the specifications. They are included in his contract. We regret exceedingly that you should be subjected to these unnecessary perplexities and we are doing all in our power to see matters right and to give you what you deserve to have. Your's truly, Griffin & Randall. [ALS, T. Henry Randall to James W. Allison, March 21, 1895, on letterhead: Griffin & Randall Architects [48 Exchange Place canceled] New York] [edited by TOC]
Personal Name Subject
Allison, James W., 1833-1898 -- Correspondence
Corporate Name Subject
Griffin & Randall -- Correspondence
Topical Subject
Architecture, Domestic -- Virginia -- Richmond; Architects and builders; Decoration and ornament, Architectural -- Virginia -- Richmond; Architecture -- Details; Flooring
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 Griffin & Randall to James W. Allison, 1895 March 21, James W. Allison papers, M 1, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University.
File Name
pre082.pdf