Alexander Garrett to Arthur S. Brockenbrough
| Dear Sir | Charlottesville 12th May 1819 |
Your favors of the 8th & 10th instant are recieved. I have drawn copies of the Notice enclosed me and put them up in this place agreeably to your request. and will recieve any proposals which may be offered and inclose to you,Genl Cocke was with me yesterday, him and Mr Jefferson have determined to decline building the hotel as first contemplated and in lieu thereof build, pavilions and Dormitories, on the opposite side of the lawn, that is to say directly opposite those already built, this arose from the difference of opinion between them relative to the plan of the hotel.
Since you left this some of the Merchants here expressed some dissatisfaction at Mr. Leitchs haveing the exclusive previlage of furnishing the University with the Iron mongary &c upon which I named such dissatisfaction to Genl Cocke & to Mr. Leitch and proposed in lieu thereof that the merchants should put in proposals for this privelege and from them you might select the one most advantagious to the institution, this plan was approved by Genl Cocke & assented to by Mr Leitch, who will very soon write to you on the subject encloseing his proposal. Mr Winn is now in Richmond and I presume will hand in to you his proposal, this plan is adopted to avoid makeing any enemies to the institution but with no expectation on my part that either of their proposals will be accepted by you as I have no doubt but that you will be able to do much better for the institution, by contracting in Richmond,I have spoken to Dinsmore to lay off the ground for the buildings agreeable to the above mentioned change. he has promised to do for you. otherwise it would be necessary for you to return here very soon, as the hands now engaged diging out the foundation for the 2. buildings on the West of the lawn, would be idle after those are compleated, I think you had best write to Dinsmore Oldham & Perry on the subject, I shall see Mr Jefferson today when I will present your letter to him and assertain his idea relative to the proposed plan for the gutters &c
P.S. I had like to have forgotten to inform you that Genl Cocke requested me to inform you that the change taken place makes it necessary that you should come by his house when you come up as well as other considerations of importance, he begs you will be sure to come by his house & see him. I think you had best write to him relative to the stone mason, I did not recieve your last letter untill he had left this and there is no direct mail from this to him,