Antebellum Jefferson, Texas: Everyday Life in an East Texas Town

27. Structural Features

382 Construction Contracts The early deed records and district court cases contain a few documents with information on antebellum construction. In 1849, George Stark agreed to build for John Speake a two-story dwelling house for $1,000 and to provide all materials, except shingles and sills to be furnished by Speake, including locks, butts (?), hinges, screws, and nails. The house was to be 20 feet wide by 52 feet long and contain four rooms 20 feet in the clear with a 12-foot-wide passage in between. The first story was to have an 11-foot pitch and the second story was to have a nine-foot eight-inch pitch. Each room was to contain two windows in front and two in the rear, and the passage upstairs was to have two windows, one at each end. The windows were to contain 15 lights (panes), with the upstairs panes 12 by 14 inches and the downstairs panes 10 by 12 inches. There were to be two doors in the dining room and chamber, one door in each of the rooms upstairs, and two doors in the passageway, the first one having side and top panes. All doors were to be constructed in the latest style. The staircase was to be a neat ramp and knee with sides showing six inches and steps 10 inches. The floors were to be tongue and groove. The casing was to be palastered (?) downstairs and arctuies (?) upstairs. Blinds for said house to be venetian weatherboarding to show six inches. Cornice to be in proportion to the height and size of the house. Shingles to show six inches. Portices to be 14 feet long and eight feet, six inches wide showing 27. Structural features 383 Structural Features a heavy seeking (?) and said cornice cased above house. Portices to have four columns and four palustrades opposite each column. Sash bourse (?) to show eight inches and a finish on top. Four mantel pieces made in a neat fashionable style. Sash front, weatherboarding, cornice, and portices to be made of seasoned lumber clear of knots and turpentine. Four closets or wardrobes upstairs adjoining the chimney. The house to be plastered and papered with neat and fashionable paper. In 1850, Benjamin Kimble agreed to build for William Perry west of Jefferson two double-log dwelling houses with a 10-foot passage in between and with each room to be 16 feet square. Kimble also agreed to fence in a yard around the house with shade trees, to fence a garden 80 feet square, and to clear and fence 10 acres. In 1851, George Loy and James Smith, the wagon maker, agreed to construct for Ithael Eason a 20-foot by 60-foot storehouse in Jefferson with a 10-foot pitch and a large house for themselves that would be connected with the Eason house in such a fashion as to constitute one building. Eason’s part was to be built first with the following specifications : weatherboard; front to be dressed and the rest to be rough; roof; floor to be dressed and square-jointed; large double-pannel door in front; two show windows in front similar to those in Trawick’s drugstore ; batteu door and windows in the back. In 1851, Augustus Lamprecht and George Cantrowinskey agreed to provide carpentry work valued at $320 for Bartholomew Figures in exchange for town lots. The work components and their valuation were as follows: six-pannel doors with frame and fashion ($6 each); five-pannel doors ($5 each); 10-foot by 12-foot windows (12 ½ cents per light); flooring dressed, tongued, and grooved and laid with broken joints ($2 per square); ceiling the same way ($2 per square); framing ($1.50 per square); shingling, including carrying them up to the roof ($1.50 per square); weatherboarding dressed ($1.50 per square); weatherboarding undressed ($1 per square); box and cornice fine and fashionable work (75 cents per foot); six-pannelled shutters ($5 per pair); table counters (50 cents per foot); pannelled counters (50 cents per foot); shelving (75 cents per foot). In 1858, George Young agreed to build for John Porter and his wife west of Jefferson a dwelling house, a kitchen, a house constructed in 384 Antebellum Jefferson, Texas two parts to serve as a blacksmith shop and workshop, a stable, and a corn crib. The dwelling house was to be 38 feet square, containing four rooms 14 feet square...