HomeMy WebLinkAbout823 Contract for Ebenezer M. Smith to build Southeast schoolhouse, September 24, 1827Articles of agreement made on the 24 day of Sepr. 1827, by
and between Ebenezer M. Smith on the one part
and Benjamin Reed, Nathaniel Mulliken, William
Chandler, Phinehas Lawrence and Ambrose Morell,
in behalf of the town of Lexington, on the other part,
witnesseth, - That the said Ebenezer M. Smith
for the consideration hereafter mentioned, hath agreed and
doth hereby agree to furnish all the materials and to perform all
the labour necessary for building a schoolhouse
of the following description viz: Said Schoolhouse is to be
32 feet long and 26 feet wide, 8 feet high in the clear. The front is to be comprised
of the following pieces of timber; viz. 2 long outside sills 8 inches
square, 2 end sills, 8 inches square 4 inside cross sills 9
inches square - 2 plates 7 inches square 6 beams 8 inches
square - 4 posts 8 inches square to have 4 braces in each -
The roof must have a ridge of timber with 4 braces in the same
16 pair of joist rafters supported by suitable purline plates
The flooring joist to be not more than 20 inches from centre to centre -
The studs must be framed edgewise or with a shoulder on both sides -
None of the joist to be smaller than 4 by 3. Roof must run 9 feet & be
Shingled with good pine shingles laid less than 1/3 to the weather-joints
broken 1 inch at least and nailed as near the but as may be and have the
nails covered - 2 sides and one end of the house to be clapboarded with pine clapboards
and the other end to be shingled. The outside finished with an 8 inch coving
having a suitable Cornice and bead Moulding - There will be 8
windows of 20 lights each and 1 of 15 lights and 1 of 12 lights of 9 by 7 New
England Crown Gears[?] first thickness second quality - Sashes to be
1 1/4 inch thick and painted once before the glass is set - An outside
Door of 2 inch plank 4 pane butt & bead, Inside door 1 1/2 inch thick
4 pane butt & bead - hung with strong butt hinges strong handles
on each & a strong lock on the outside one, which must have one[?]
good coat of paint. The Entry will be partitioned from the School
room with plank tongued together & none of the plank more than
9 inches wide - Entry ceiled to the top on one side the window with
matched boards and as high as the window stool on the other side -
the remainder plaistered - A tight double floor laid over the whole
bottom - There must be 60 writing desks for schollars in pairs
3 rows on each side of the broad aisle - each pair 4 feet 2 in.
long - having an aisle of 16 inches between - the tops of the first
or front row 16 inches wide second row 17 inches wide - third
row 18 inches wide - Ends and seats to be of plank - narrowest
seat 9 inches wide - next 10 inches - next 11 inches wide.
Front rows of Desks the ends will be strongly nailed to the
floor Joist before the floor is lain - 2nd. rows of desks to be raised
above the first rows by placing joist edgewise upon the
double floor & the desk ends nailed to said Joist - 3rd. rows
raised in the same manner above the 2nd, the back seats to
run the whole length of the room - which is to be ceiled with
matched boards up to the windows having the tops of said ceiling
grooved to receive the plaistering and the post coverings grooved
for the same purpose - Windows to have a band moulding
jamb coverings tongued into the frames - Springs on all the
windows & the top part[?] of at least 2 windows (one opposite the
other) to strap down for the purpose of ventilation. A suitable
desk for the Teacher on a raised floor with a strong lock to
the same - A row of seats on east side of the Aisle for small
schollars - The Schoolroom to have a double coat of plaistering
that is a coat on the boarding between the studs and another
on flooring - both of which will be lathed - A Chimney with
a flue at least 6 inches square must be built from the
top of the Beams 2 1/2 feet above the ridge having a pot at
the bottom to receive the Stove funnel also a suitable hearth
for the stove to stand upon
The outside boarding (except the roof) to be matched -
Said house is to be built of Eastern lumber of good quality
and all the work executed in a faithful workmanlike
manner and completed by the 20 day of November next
The undertaker must place a sufficient number of bearings
of stone under the sills for the security of the house and
place a comfortable step at the door.
The said Ebinezer [Ebenezer] M. Smith doth hereby agree
to furnish the aforesaid materials, and build a School house of
the form and dimensions above described.
And the said Benjamin Reed, Nathaniel Mulliken, William
Chandler, Phinehas Lawrence & Ambrose Morell (in the
capacity of a Committee shown by the town of Lexington
for building said Schoolhouse) on their part do covenant
and agree to pay to the said Ebenezer M. Smith
the sum of four hundred and twenty-five dollars
on the said 20th day of November next if the said
house is then finished & accepted by them.
To the true and faithful performance of the covenants &
agreements aforesaid, the parties aforesaid do hereby respectively
bind themselves, each to the other, in the penal
sum of One Hundred Dollars.
In testimony whereof they have hereunto set their
hands and seals, the day and year first written
Ebenezer P Smith
Benjamin Reed
Nathaniel Mulliken
William Chandler
Signed, sealed &
delivered in
presence of
Isaac Mulliken
John Colley