412 Agreement with Job Tripp and Peter Reynolds

    Cambridge, Nov. 5th, 1733

    Memorandum of an agreement made with Mr. Job Tripp of North Kingston in Kings County in Rhode Island Government for the building and finishing a dwelling house on a farm in said Town belonging to Harvard College as follows, Vizt. That the said house shall be 22 feet wide 16 feet long and 10 feet stud, to be planked on the out side with good oak plank and clapborded with good cedar clapboards, the Roofe to be boarded and shingled with good cedar shingles, the inside of said house to be ceiled with good pitch pine boards planed and halved or Rabbitted, the lower and chamber floors to be laid with good pitch pine boards well joynted but not planed; with two sutable outside doors and other inside doors as may be needfull and convenient; with a partition cross said low room so as to make two rooms below, with 2 windows in each low room and 2 in the Chamber with 3 feet of glass in each window to be sliding lights; with a sutable stack of chimneys of 2 smokes one in each low room; The [jams?] and [bays?] of the chimney to be laid in Lime […] and a good brick oven of suitable bigness to be made in the Chimney; with a cellar of a sutable depth in length the width of said house and in width as large as the chimneys (which safty) will allow of to be well stowed and said house to be well under pinned, also to make stairs into said cellar and into said Chamber and shelves &c. in the most convenient place in said house. Said house to be erected in the most convenient place on said Land let to Paske Austin, and in all respects to be finished in good workman like order fit for the use of said Austin as soon as conveniently may be, not exceeding three quarters of a year.

    In consideration of said house being built and finished in good workman like order as aforesaid the said J. Tripp is to receive of the Treasurer of H[arvard] C[ollege] aforesaid the sum of £61 in good bills of credit as soon as his work is finished. The said Trip to find all materials excepting the timber for the frame which he has liberty to cut off said farm.

    Mem. Nov. 19, 1733 That Mr. Trip is to point the Chimneys next spring and find good strong hinges for the doors and bring in his account of the Charge which shal be paid him over and above the £61 within mentioned.

    Mr. Reynolds281 you may remember when you were here you made two proposals to myself and Mr. Bordman to be layd before the Gentlemen concerned for the College which proposals were I. That if the College wil prolong the Lease six years above and beyound the fourteen years the present term you would in that become obliged with two sufficient bondsmen to clear and fence 200 acres instead of the 70 you are now obliged to by the lease and bring said 200 acres to mowing English grass or ploughing and be further bound after said additional six years are ended to pay rent for the farm a 100 pound per annum for 2 3 4 years or more and if we did not incline to this proposal then 2 you proposed that if the College would give you 90 pounds to buy 100 Goats you would become obliged with 2 sufficient bondsmen to fence and clear and bring to mowing or ploughing 200 acres instead of the seventy within the term of the present Lease which is 14 years and after said term pay the Colledge £100 per annum for 2 3 4 years or more. You earnestly desired we would consider of these two proposals and let you know our minds as to one or the other of them. They were in a little time layd before the Gentlemen who desired mee to write to you that they think favourably of the second proposal but inasmuch as tis a considerable afair, they would some of them come up and see the place and its circumstances in order to a fuller resolution which they can’t doe til next summer after the Commencement. But if in the meantime you alter your mind twil be proper to let us know it.

    Mr. Reynolds shall build on a convenient place between the river and Horse-yard-run, an House 24 feet wide, 20 long, and 10 feet stud, to be finished as Austin’s was to be, and to have £65 for finding all the materials and doing all the work of said House, only he may have timber and stone from the demised premises for building it. And when he has perfectly finished the House as aforesaid, if Esq. Willet of Kingstown shall judge said Reynolds deserves more then £65 the Lessor shall pay it provided it be not above £5.

    Narragansett Farm Papers, p. 4.