1823, December 20: Below is the detailed bill for the 1823 construction of “The Meadow” house of Henry W. Latane, apparently a onetime young resident of Mahockney and inheritor of “The Meadow quarter” from his father William Latane – just as his brother William Catesby Latane inherited Mahockney.

H.W. Latane had been married on October 28th, 1819, and certainly was planning to have children (he went on to have eight).  In fact, H. W. Latane and Susan Allen Latane’s first child, Thomas Latane, would be born September 25th, 1824, almost precisely nine months after this construction bill for a new house is dated. Now, that’s planning.

Here’s the only photo I can find of The Meadow house (torn down in the 1950s); the windows and pane numbers, construction style and features all match the bill below. (Note: this photo is found on page 218 of the recent book “Historic Sites in Virginia’s Northern Neck and Essex County,” Preservation Virginia, Northern Neck Branch, Warsaw VA, 2011.

The Meadow was later the birthplace of the young Civil War soldier Capt. William Latane (son of Henry and Susan), killed in battle and immortalized in “The Burial of Latane” painting and poem.

The builder of The Meadow house, Fielding S. Crow, was also hired earlier by H.W. Latane to renovate the Mahockney Mansion, in 1820, raising the frame house to a second story.

(Click here for a high-resolution image of the construction bill.)

This document was observed in the boxed “Papers of the Lewis and related Latane families,” University of Virginia, Special Collections Library, Charlottesville Va.

Transcription:

“Mr. Henry W. Latane, D’or [Debtor] to Fielding S. Crow

1823

December 20th

• Fraiming 7136 Feet @ 7/6 pr hundred $88.75
• 2 Door Fraimes for the pasage 18/ pr. peace 6.00
• 9 15-Lites windows Fraimes @ 12/ pr. peace 18.00
• 14 2-Lites Window Fraimes @ 9/ pr peace 21.00
• 1 Cut Door Fraime to the Chamber @ 12/ 2.00
• 80 Feet of Cornor Boards @ /4 pr Foot 4.40
• 2920 Feet of wheather Boarding@ 6/ pr hundred 29.20
• W..162 Feet of hanging stills for the Shetters @ /2 pr Foot 4.50
• W..196 Feet of 1.4 Inch ogee [?] @ /3 pr Foot 5.88
• D..68 Feet of 1.4 Inch ogee @ /3 pr Foot 2.72
• 1496 Feet of Lathing and Shingling @ 7/6 pr hundred 18.10
• 96 Feet of drape Cornish & Faicing @ 1/ pr Foot 16.00
• 64 Feet of Bayce [?] Boards @ /3 pr Foot 2.56
• 6 4-Lites window james @ 3/ pr peace 3.00
• Folding Doors for the pasage @ 24/ pr peace 8.00
• Out door for the Chamber @ 18/ 3.00
• 303 Lites of sash 12 by 10 Inch @ /19 pr Lite 36.36

———

$269.47

– Kitchen Meat hous Lumber hous & Garden hous $180.40

A Bill of Work Done for Mr. H. W. Latane By Crow $269.47″