Being oppressed with
time, and finding myself snug at my old Commissary Office,1 I am
forced to bore you again. In the belief that you may deem it wise and prudent
to call the supervisors together to organize under the new law and to transact
other business I will send you with this a diagram of the mode in which I
recommend the improvements to be made. Also a drawing of one style of house,
which would work in all our brick, be comfortable and within our estimates. On
the whole I advise the use of brick as far as the front buildings are
concerned: First to use up stock on hand – to obviate the necessity of buying
that much weather boarding, and by using slate a couple of feet above ground it
will with good projecting roofs and porches make the walls dry enough. In that
case porches all round.
I also left with
Christy a rough draft of a good looking house which is larger than this but
designed to be wholly of wood. On further reflection I think we had better use
the brick. By so doing and by getting Dr. Carson's mill we could save a big
item in building and lay it out in the embellishment of ground. On this point I
might enlarge a little – where a little vine creeps by the window side, look
for virtue and not vice — where a taste for beauty and fine scenery is
inculcated, look for the qualities that adorn society and give stability to a
state. I would thus at the Seminary attach much importance to embellishment.
Not costly gravelled walks, and artificially trimmed trees, but a general care
of the natural features, with enough art to set it off. Our military movements
being on right angles, force us to rectangular fences, and road, but
subordinate to them may in time be planted walks and paths to suit the shape of
the ground. I am satisfied the general group will be most striking by arranging
all in lines of parallelism with the main building and each having some part
finished of the Tudor style of battlement, so as on its face to connect itself
with the center of the picture. Those general ideas of style explain why I have
placed the two contemplated professors' houses symmetrically with the Seminary
and it so happens that each falls on high commanding sites. It may be that
Professor Vallas would have his a little further back, but I would have it so.
This is a matter of much importance and should be well studied by the Board and
acted on independently of me, Vallas or anybody else. Only let the decision be
made, so that when I return we may go to work.
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1 Where he was stationed from 1852 to 1853. –
ED.
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