The familiar account of Jefferson's later
connection with the building of the Vir-
ginia Capitol is the one given in his Mem-
oir, set down in 1821:

   "I was written to in 1785 (being then in Paris) by
directors appointed to superintend the building of a
Capitol at Richmond, to advise them as to a plan, and
to add to it one of a Prison. Thinking it a favorable
opportunity of introducing into the State an ex-
ample of architecture in the classic style of antiq-
uity, and the Maison quarrée of Nismes, an ancient
Roman temple, being considered as the most perfect
model existing of what may be called cubic archi-
tecture, I applied to M. Clerissault, who had pub-
lished drawings of the Antiquities of Nismes, to have
me a model of the building made in stucco, only
changing the order from Corinthian to Ionic, on

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account of the difficulty of the Corinthian capitals.
I yielded, with reluctance, to the taste of Clerissault,
in his preference of the modern capital of Scamozzi
to the more noble capital of antiquity. This was
executed by the artist whom Choiseul Gouffier had
carried with him to Constantinople, and employed,
while ambassador there, in making those beautiful
models of the remains of Grecian architecture which
are to be seen at Paris. To adapt the exterior to our
use, I drew a plan of the interior, with the apart-
ments necessary for legislative, executive and judi-
ciary purposes; and accommodated in their size and
distribution to the form and dimensions of the
building. These were forwarded to the directors, in
1786, and were carried into execution, with some
variations, not for the better, the most important
of which, however, admit of future correction."¹⁸

   Among the letters which Jefferson wrote,
urging delay until the plans should arrive
from abroad, are several passages of which
the tenor might be expected to give a hint
on his own part in their preparation. They
have the advantage over the memoir in
having been written at the time the events
occurred. On September 1, 1785, Jefferson
says, in a letter to Madison:

   "I have received an application from the Directors
of public buildings to procure them a plan for their
capitol. I shall send them a plan taken from the
best morsel of ancient architecture now remaining.
It has obtained the approbation of fifteen or sixteen
centuries, and is, therefore, preferable to any design
which might be newly contrived. It will give more
room, be more convenient and cost less than the
plan they sent me. Pray encourage them to wait
for it and execute it. It will be superior in beauty to
anything in America, and not inferior to anything
in the world."¹⁹

   On September 20, he wrote to Madison
again:

   "... I received this summer a letter from
messrs. Buchanan and Hay, as Directors of the
public buildings, desiring that I would have drawn
for them plans of sundry public buildings, and, in
the first place, of a capitol. They fixed, for their
receiving this plan, a day which was within about
six weeks of that on which their letter came to my
hand. I engaged an architect of capital abilities in
this business. Much time was requisite, after the ex-

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ternal form was agreed on, to make the internal dis-
tribution convenient for the three branches of gov-
ernment. This time was much lengthened by my
avocations to other objects, which I had no right
to neglect. The plan, however, was settled. The
gentlemen had sent me the one which they had
thought of. The one agreed on here, is more con-
venient, more beautiful, gives more room, and will
not cost more than two-thirds what that would.

   "We took for our model what is called the Mai-
son quarrée of Nismes, one of the most beautiful, if
not the most beautiful and precious morsel of archi-
tecture left us by antiquity. It was built by Caius
and Lucius Caesar, and repaired by Louis XV, and
has the suffrage of all the judges of architecture who
have seen it as yielding to no one of the beautiful
monuments of Greece, Rome, Palmyra and Balbec,
which late travelers have communicated to us. It
is very simple, but is noble beyond expression, and
would have done honor to any country, as present-
ing to travelers a specimen of taste in our infancy,
promising much for our maturer age.

   "I have been much mortified with information
I received two days ago from Virginia that the first
brick of the Capitol would be laid within a few days.
But surely the delay of this piece of a summer
would have been repaired by the savings in the plan
preparing here, were we to value its other supe-
riorities as nothing. But how is taste in this beautiful
art to be formed in our countrymen unless we avail
ourselves of every occasion when public buildings
are to be erected, of presenting to them models for
their study and imitation? Pray try if you can affect
the stopping of this work. I have written also to
E. R.²⁰ on this subject. The loss will be only of the
laying of the bricks already laid, or a part of them.
The bricks themselves will do again for the interior
walls, and one side wall and one end wall may re-
main, as they will answer equally well for our plan.
This loss is not to be weighed against the saving of
money which will arise, against the comfort of lay-
ing out the public money for something honorable,
the satisfaction of seeing an object and proof of na-
tional good taste, and the regret and mortification of
erecting a monument to our barbarism, which will
be loathed with execrations as long as it shall endure.
The plans are in good forwardness, and I hope will
be ready within three of four weeks. They could not
be stopped now, but on paying their whole price,
which will be considerable. If the undertakers are
afraid to undo what they have done encourage them
to do it by a recommendation of the Assembly.

   "You see I am an enthusiast in the subject of the
arts. But it is an enthusiasm of which I am not
ashamed, as its object is to improve the taste of my
countrymen, to increase their reputation, to recon-

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cile to them the respect of the world, and procure
them its praise."²¹

   The letter of the same date of Edmund
Randolph contains a similar passage, with
some omissions and slight changes of
wording. In all of these statements, it will
be seen, Jefferson says nothing unequivocal
of any personal responsibility for the de-
sign, but writes, "I engaged an architect of
capital abilities in this business," and em-
phasizes the merit of the model selected.

   One other published document bears on
the question of authorship -- the "Account
of the Capitol of Virginia" published
among Jefferson's miscellaneous papers.
As numerous references to it will be
necessary, it may be reprinted here in full:

   "The Capitol in the city of Richmond in Virginia
is on the model of the temples of Erectheus at Athens,
of Balbec and of the Maison quarrée of Nismes, all
of which are nearly of the same form and proportions,
and are considered as the most perfect examples
of Cubic architecture as the Pantheon of Rome
is of the Spherical. Their dimensions not being
sufficient for the purposes of the Capitol, they were
enlarged, but their proportions rigorously preserved.
The Capitol is of brick, one hundred and thirty-
four feet long, seventy feet wide, and forty-five feet
high, exclusive of the basement. Twenty-eight feet
of its length is occupied by a portico of the whole
breadth of the house, shewing six columns in front,
and two inter-colonnations in flank. It is of a single
order, which is Ionic; its columns four feet two inches
diameter, and the entablature running round the
whole building. The Portico is crowned by a Pedi-
ment, the height of which is two-ninths of its span.

   "Within the body of the building, which is one
hundred and six feet long, are two tiers of rooms
twenty-one feet high each. In the lower, at one end,
is the room in which the Supreme Court sits, thirty
by sixty-four feet, with a vestibule fourteen feet by
twenty-two feet, and an office for their clerk, four-
teen feet by thirteen feet. In the other end is the
room for the House of Delegates, thirty feet by
sixty-four feet, with a lobby fourteen feet by thirty-
six feet. In the middle is a room thirty-six feet
square, of the whole height of the building, and
receiving its light from above. In the center of this
room is a marble statue of General Washington,
made at Paris by Houdon, who came over to Vir-
ginia for the express purpose of taking his form...
A peristyle of columns in the same room, six feet

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from the wall, and twenty-two and a half feet high
with their entablature, support a corridor above,
serving as a communication for all the upper apart-
ments, the stairs landing in it. In the upper tier is
a Senate chamber thirty feet square, an office for
their clerk, five rooms for committees and juries, an
office for the clerk of the House of Delegates, a
chamber for the Governor and Council, and a room
for their clerk. In the basement of the building are
the Land office, Auditor's office and Treasury.

   "The drawings of the façade and other eleva-
tions were done by Clerissault, one of the most
correct Architects of France, and author of the
Antiquities of Nismes, among which was the Maison
quarée. The model in stucco was made under his
direction, by an Artist who had been employed
many years in Greece, by the Count de Choiseul,
ambassador of France at Constantinople, in making
models of the most celebrated remains of ancient
architecture in that country."²²

   The purpose and circumstances of com-
position of this document, which would
determine the weight to be accorded its
statements, have been hitherto unknown.
These points are cleared up, however, and
fresh light is thrown on the main question
by an exchange of letters, preserved in
manuscript, between Jefferson and G.
Douglas, a bookseller and publisher, of
Petersburg, Virginia. On October 15, 1800,
Douglas, writing Jefferson concerning a
proposed republication of Douglas' " Reg-
ister" for 1800, says:

   "...to render it more acceptable to the
people of Virginia, I propose to have a frontispiece
to it representing a view of the Capitol in Richmond,
the plate of which is now actually engraved in
Philadelphia....

   "When in Richmond for the purpose of having
the drawing taken, I endeavour'd, but in vain, to
find some person who could give me an account of
the building -- the intention of this letter, therefore,
is to request (having been informed, that you, Sir,
were the original & principal mover in having the
building undertaken and executed) that you will
have the goodness to give me a short account of it --
such as, from what original the design is taken, from
Greece or Italy, of what order, the drawer or build-
er's names, when the work was commenced and when
finished, & the expence, with some account of the
inside apartments, &c...."²³

   Jefferson replied from Washington,
December 21, 1800:

   "Your letter of Oct. 15 came to my hands on the
3d of November when I was so engaged in prepar-
ations and arrangements for my departure to this
place that I was only able to put up some notes on
the subject of the Capitol that I had made when I
gave the plan of it to Monr. Clerissault. these have
enabled me to make out the enclosed account of it.
whether the execution conformed to the original
plan I do not know. still less can I say anything of
the expence: but that I presume might be obtained
from Mr. William Hay who was one of the Directors
and principally attended to it."²⁴

   The description enclosed is substantially
identical with the published version, differ-
ing only in a few minor points of phrasing.
The importance of Jefferson's accompany-
ing letter lies partly in its explanation that
the account applies to the original plan and
not necessarily to the building as executed,
but especially in its statement that the
account was compiled from notes made
when the plan was given to Clérisseau. If
so, the fullness of the description and dimen-
sions would suggest that the design had
already been carried to an advanced state
by Jefferson himself.

   Superior to all these letters in interest is
the unpublished series between Jefferson
and the Directors of Public Buildings of
Virginia. It is given at length, with
omission only of the parts referring to the
proposed prison, which are reserved for
subsequent treatment elsewhere.

   The correspondence may be prefaced by
a letter to Jefferson from William Short,
afterward Jefferson's secretary in Paris,
and a sharer of his interest in architecture: