Davis, Alexander Jackson, 1803-1892
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Belmead, Va.
Residence of Philip St. Geo. Coske, Esq.
N.Y.
Monday, March 4, '50
My dear Sir:
I have been so overwhelmed with business that I could not tell when I might visit
Chapel
Hill, and therefore contented myself by writing to Gov.
Morehead
begging to put off the visit to
Raleigh until April or thereabout,
trusting that you would learn of him as to the probable time of my visit. I have
had but this one day to devote to your new building, since seeing Mr.
Mickle
, and tomorrow he is to leave.
I have prepared this day the drawings I now send and they seem to me to be all
you will want to enable you to go on with the mason's work, and in the mean
time, (or perhaps time enough when I visit the south) I can explain and makeout such other
details, as the carpenter may require.
It seems to me that it will be doing your town a
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wrong, to copy any building that you may have already in it; besides the
church is
too grave and
simple to express the purpose of an assembly room. I have therefore made a
front,
still similar to the church but lighter in the
details with a Corinthian column, and richer cornice (from an example at
Athens).
The height is the same in both, but the cornice does not project so much in the
latter, and there might be four columns instead of two, and not
more than 4 ft or 4 ft. 7 inches apart. This would
leave a free space for passage and you may judge if the front would be more
elegant, or express the "Library and Assembly Room." This room
is small enough already; so is the portico; and therefore if you would enlarge
the front anti-rooms beyond 7 ft. of — add as much more to the length
of the building as you please. Or if 4 columns be decided,
fill the corner by extending the 7 ft. room into it, as shewn by the
flap — returning to the two columns, but adding
illegible
in place of the two
outer columns.
I keep a sketch of the plan, and as you may decide upon the leading parts write
me if you require other details or explanations.
The floor
of great room will require a wall in cellar under the middle of same
for support.
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The ceiling I make nearly flat, shewing
the principal trusses of roof running across
furred
to and
plastered, the part below is in two
inclined planes thus: A. B.
This is the cheapest mode of breaking up the flat surface of ceiling, and would
be more in pure
Greek style than the arch. I think we must give up
the arch on account of expense and want of height in side walls, and so of the
sky light, which will not be wanted either for light or ventilation.