January 1, 1835.
Memorandum of agreement made and concluded upon this first day of January, 1835, between Joseph Reiff and William C. Hume of the one part and Andrew Jackson, Jr., of the other part, all of the County of Davidson and State of Tennessee.
Article 1st. The said Reiff and Hume, (carpenters), have undertaken to rebuild the Hermitage house and east wing of said house, to do all the carpenters’ work of said house, and to find and furnish all the lumber, plank, scantling, and nails, brads, sprigs, hinges, bolts and in fact everything required to rebuild the same, except the glass, locks and copper. The lumber, flooring, etc., etc., to be done of the best quality and all well seasoned. The carpenters’ work to be done in the best and most approved and workmanlike manner, for which the said Andrew Jackson, Jr., agrees to pay the said Reiff and Hume in cash the sum of $3,950, as the work progresses.
Article 2nd. The house to be rebuilt in the same order that it was before, with four rooms and passage below and four rooms and passage above. The garret rooms and the stairs from the garret to the walk on the top of the house to be finished in a plain way. The walk on the house to be the same mentioned in the plan and finished with a neat and appropriate banister or railing. The joists in all the different rooms to be bridged.
Article 3rd. Here follows an estimate of work and cost, and in case any of it should not be done or should be abandoned a deduction is to be made from the aforesaid sum of $3,800:
Bill of Carpenter’s Work 2 cellar doors and frames, at $3 each $ 6.00 40 lintels for doors and windows at 25c 10.00 Framing 76 sqr joists at 75c per square 57.00 830 feet of washboards at 11c per foot 85.00 53½ sqr of poplar flooring at $2.50 per square 133.75 8 chimney pieces at $10 each 80.00 13 doors, cased with pilasters, at $12 156.00 2 large folding doors, 10 or 12 feet, at $30 60.00 2 front doors at $30 60.00 8 windows, recessed pilasters to casing, at $10 80.00 9 ” not recessed, at $6 54.00 17 double boxed window frames at $4.50 76.50 17 pair of Venetian shutters at $6 102.00 408 lights of sash, 10×14 glass, at 10c 40.80 4 garret windows complete at $8 32.00 32 sqr of framing, sheeting and shingling at $2.50 80.00 128 feet of cornice, at $1 128.00 50 feet of verge boards, 12½c 6.25 Framing and laying open floor and ceiling and hand-rail and balustrading walk on house, 60×12 or 14 feet 140.00 Trap door, steps in garret and skylight 15.00 1 circular staircase, two stories high 260.00 1 private staircase 30.00 4 presses at $12 48.00 First story of front porch with 6 columns, etc. 256.00 Second ” ” ” 75.00 One back portico 40.00 Work on Wing Framing 22 sqr of joists at 75c 16.50 ” 15 sqr of shingling at $2.50 37.50 Laying 10 sqr of poplar flooring at $2.50 25.00 180 feet of washboard at 10c 18.00 2 chimney pieces at $10 20.00 3 doors cased with pilasters at $12 36.00 4 18-light windows with shutters at $16.50 66.00 1 Venetian window 16.00 100 feet of cornice at 50c 50.00 $2,396.30 Add one-fourth for boarding 599.07 $2,995.37 See estimate of lumber 804.63 $3,800.00 Add for pulleys, weights, cord, hinges and screws 150.00 $3,950.00 Article 4th. The main stairs to be circular, or geometrical, the work to be done in the best and most approved style. A private staircase from the room below called the steward’s room to the chambers above, a folding door in the rooms north as you enter the passage below, a door from the room to the President’s office, with a small passage spoken of by the said Andrew not yet determined on. The front and back porch to be finished as before, the columns of the former to be fluted and the cornice and so forth to correspond with the estimate annexed. The east wing, office, steward’s room and passage to the garden to be finished on the former plan. The said Andrew furnishing locks for the building, using such of the old ones as will answer for the upper story and furnishing new ones for the lower, Reiff and Hume putting on all the locks.
Article 5th. The said Reiff and Hume agree to take and put into the second story any of the old work saved that may be thought to serve to answer and pay the value of the same. They also agree to take all the lumber, plank, etc., that the said Andrew has now on hand as cash paid in part of his contract.
Article 6th. It is hereby understood that the said Reiff and Hume bind themselves to make a complete finish of the carpenters’ work of the said building, pay all expenses of turning, using cedar timber where it is necessary, the contract to be fulfilled agreeable to the plan given, and to the express understanding made and agreed upon in the presence of Col. Love and Robert Armstrong.
Article 7th. The dimensions of the rooms, the size of the windows, and a minute description of work to be done is not mentioned in this article, but it is understood by the parties in the presence of the above named gentlemen.
Article 8th. It is agreed upon that when the lumber, plank, etc., is delivered the said Andrew will furnish the money to pay for the same and will continue to make payment as the work progresses.
Article 9th. The said Reiff and Hume are to purchase the lumber and commence the work immediately, and further agree that the carpenters’ work shall be so forwarded as to let the plasterers in to commence their job by the first or middle of September next, so that the house can be completely finished by 25 December, 1835.
As no contract has been made for the painting, the said Andrew will have the priming done as fast as the work goes on.
It is understood that there is to be the same number of large fluted columns in front as formerly if thought necessary, and it is further understood that the said Reiff and Hume will do all and everything in relation to the carpenters’ work of said building as though every item had been separately specified, making a complete finish of the carpenters’ and joiners’ work of said building, finding everything except the articles of locks and glass heretofore mentioned.
In witness we have hereunto set our hands and seals this 1st of January, 1835.
Joseph Reiff William C. Hume
| Bill of Carpenter’s Work | |
|---|---|
| 2 cellar doors and frames, at $3 each | $ 6.00 |
| 40 lintels for doors and windows at 25c | 10.00 |
| Framing 76 sqr joists at 75c per square | 57.00 |
| 830 feet of washboards at 11c per foot | 85.00 |
| 53½ sqr of poplar flooring at $2.50 per square | 133.75 |
| 8 chimney pieces at $10 each | 80.00 |
| 13 doors, cased with pilasters, at $12 | 156.00 |
| 2 large folding doors, 10 or 12 feet, at $30 | 60.00 |
| 2 front doors at $30 | 60.00 |
| 8 windows, recessed pilasters to casing, at $10 | 80.00 |
| 9 ” not recessed, at $6 | 54.00 |
| 17 double boxed window frames at $4.50 | 76.50 |
| 17 pair of Venetian shutters at $6 | 102.00 |
| 408 lights of sash, 10×14 glass, at 10c | 40.80 |
| 4 garret windows complete at $8 | 32.00 |
| 32 sqr of framing, sheeting and shingling at $2.50 | 80.00 |
| 128 feet of cornice, at $1 | 128.00 |
| 50 feet of verge boards, 12½c | 6.25 |
| Framing and laying open floor and ceiling and hand-rail and balustrading walk on house, 60×12 or 14 feet | 140.00 |
| Trap door, steps in garret and skylight | 15.00 |
| 1 circular staircase, two stories high | 260.00 |
| 1 private staircase | 30.00 |
| 4 presses at $12 | 48.00 |
| First story of front porch with 6 columns, etc. | 256.00 |
| Second ” ” ” | 75.00 |
| One back portico | 40.00 |
| Work on Wing | |
| Framing 22 sqr of joists at 75c | 16.50 |
| ” 15 sqr of shingling at $2.50 | 37.50 |
| Laying 10 sqr of poplar flooring at $2.50 | 25.00 |
| 180 feet of washboard at 10c | 18.00 |
| 2 chimney pieces at $10 | 20.00 |
| 3 doors cased with pilasters at $12 | 36.00 |
| 4 18-light windows with shutters at $16.50 | 66.00 |
| 1 Venetian window | 16.00 |
| 100 feet of cornice at 50c | 50.00 |
| $2,396.30 | |
| Add one-fourth for boarding | 599.07 |
| $2,995.37 | |
| See estimate of lumber | 804.63 |
| $3,800.00 | |
| Add for pulleys, weights, cord, hinges and screws | 150.00 |
| $3,950.00 | |
Uncle Alfred, who served Old Hickory during his lifetime and now sleeps near his side in the Hermitage garden.
Sunday morning at the Hermitage Church in the early forties. General Jackson has just dismounted from his saddlehorse tied to the tree in the right foreground, which tree is still standing. (From an old print.)
The work was got under way at once, but the building was not declared completed until the summer of 1836—more than eighteen months after the reconstruction was started. “Hands can not be got,” Colonel Armstrong wrote Jackson during the summer of 1835, “still we are doing the best we can.” It was the era of inflation and easy money, and labor was scarce. So the work dragged along; and, as is not unusual in building operations, the cost of the finished job considerably exceeded the original estimate. Colonel Armstrong in his first letter expressed the opinion that the work could be done for $2,000 or $2,500; in a later letter he said “$2,500 or $3,000 will complete the whole work”; the contract with Reiff and Hume was at a figure of $3,950; and when the final settlement was made the total was $5,125—not including $900 for plastering and $400 for painting. To add to the General’s troubles at this time came a calamitous failure of the cotton crop and he wrote sadly to Andrew about the necessity for economizing. “Unless the farm produces enough to pay its own expenses, my means here will be fully exhausted in paying for the finishing of the house and restoring to it the furniture destroyed.”
There were a few minor changes in the plans as the work progressed including one suggested by Major William B. Lewis, Jackson’s closest political friend, who expressed the view that “the stories of the house should be made higher.” Colonel Armstrong wrote: “I think it would be an improvement and add very much to the appearance of the house.” On this subject General Jackson wrote to Andrew: “I would be satisfied to see it restored to what it was before it burnt, but as I know I shall not be long on earth to enjoy its comforts in retirement, I enclose his letter on this point to you that you may exercise your own discretion.” Major Lewis carried his point; the stories were made higher. Also during the course of the work, at the suggestion of the helpful Major, some changes were made in the size and arrangement of the windows. The new windows, he wrote Jackson, “are of very pretty size and proportions, and will look much better than the old ones.” He added that in his opinion the house as rebuilt would be a great improvement over the old one, both in interior arrangement and exterior appearance.
At last, on August 2, 1836, Colonel Armstrong rendered to General Jackson a final statement of the expense of rebuilding:
Estimate of bills of the Hermitage House, with the amount paid and balances due 1 June:
For amount of Reiff and Hume bill per agreement contract $3,950 For extra work done upon change of plan 239 For work done on west wing and new kitchen, finding everything 186 For the full-length two-story porch added, finding everything 750 $5,125 To cash paid Reiff and Hume at sundry times $2,285 ditto paid 25 April 1,000 ditto paid by A Jackson in work 513 ditto paid June 24 500 $4,298 $ 827 For Amt bill Higgins plastering $900 To cash paid Higgins in part $500 ditto ditto June 24 225 725 175 For Amt bill of painting, paints, oils, etc. $400 To cash paid Horn and Wells (Horn 100) $188 do paid Horn 50 do paid Wells 25 263 137 Do paid Horn 2nd of August 1836 pd by A. J. jr. 85 $ 52