“MY FATHER’S HEALTH IS SUCH THAT I FEAR IT WILL BE NECESSARY FOR ME TO GO TO FLORIDA WITH HIM”
James Deering’s father’s declining health paused his involvement with the estate’s progress.
Letter: September 26, 1913
From: James Deering, Vizcaya’s Owner
To: Francis Burrall Hoffman Jr., Vizcaya’s Architect
Reveal Transcript
Dear Mr. Hoffman:–
I sent you to-day the following letter: “Seems probable must go to Florida middle October account father’s health. I should regret greatly leaving without all questions settled as fear it may cost a Florida season which means a year. Cannot all open questions preventing starting of work be settled immediately. Better let Macdonald go forward with present work immediately.”
I have begun to get nervous as my telegram indicated with the fear that we are not getting started early enough to make it certain that I can have the completed house for occupancy in the winter after the two coming winters. You will remember that in Florida we cherished the hope that this could be accomplished for the winter coming next. Our various absences I suppose have made this impossible, but we ought to have plenty of margin the coming winter. My father’s health is such that I fear it will be necessary for me to go to Florida with him by or soon after the middle of October. I am, therefore, exceedingly, anxious that all quesions about the house should be settled before that time. If it is absolutely necessary I can come to New York between now and then expressly for that purpose. I should regret exceedingly to be obliged to go to New York from Florida for this purpose.
Yours truly,
[signed] James Deering.
Mr. F.B. Hoffman,
15 East Fortieth Street,
New York, N.Y.
Copy sent to Mr. Chalfin
“I HAVE ENGAGED… AN ARCHITECT TO MAKE SOME LITTLE ADDITIONS TO MY MOTHERS HOUSE”
Letter: February 25, 1914
From: James Deering, Vizcaya’s Owner
To: W.J. Louderback
Reveal Transcript
Dear Mr. Louderback;-
I have engaged Mr. August Geiger of Miami as an architect to make some little additions to my mothers house. The cost of these additions will be borne by my brother and myself and we intend as you know, to take the house for ourselves and give it to her. Geigers terms are 2% of the cost of the work for drawings and 3% for the superintendence. As contractors here are slow and somewhat unreliable, I think it best that he should superintend it.
The work will not be begun of course until my mother leaves here. In order to be sure that it is finished by the time she returns, I am going to ask Mr. McDonald who is to have charge of my building operations, to go down there from time to time to see that the work is progressing properly, Mr. Chalfin will also be here at least once during the summer.
Yours very truly,
[Unsigned]
W.J. Louderback, Esq.,
Chicago.
