INDEPENDENCE Franklin's House Historic Stuctures Report

Articles of Agreement indented and made the first_day of January Anno Domini 1763 Between Robert Smith of the City of Philadelphia House Harpenter of the one Part and Mary Maddox of the said City Widow of the other Part as follows Viz.^t

First the said Robert Smith doth hereby for himself his Executors and Administrators covenant promise and agree to and with the said Mary Maddox her Executors and Administrators for the Consideration herein after mentioned that he the said Robert Smith his Executors & Administrators shall within the Time and in Manner herein after mentioned erect build and finish for the said Mary Maddox in and upon her Lotts of Ground on the East Side of Third Street in the said City Two three Story Brick Houses of twenty one Feet Front each by Forty feet deep from the Street with a Piazza of fifteen Feet six Inches back from each House and therin make a good Staircase for each House up to the third Story and from thence by a smaller Stair into the Garretts and build a Kitchen of Twenty Feet long beyond the Piazza by twelve feet six Inches wide and two Storys high with good Cellar under the whole Buildings of eight feet deep from the Joists; The Storys of both Houses to be of the same Heighth with the Storys of the next House the Property of the said Mary Maddox that M.^r John Laurence lives in and to have the same Number of Windows and of the same Size with those in M.^r Lawrence's House with two Rooms on each Floor of both Houses and as many closets in each Room as there are in the said next house with proper Entrys and Passages through to the back Buildings and to the several Parts of the Houses The Rooms to be as well finished with outside Window Shutters Fastnings and in the same Manner and all the Work inside and out to be as much and as good as near as may be with those in the said next House and the Stairs to be in the same Form with those in the said next House allowing for the Difference of the Plans The Back and Front Wall of the two Houses fourteen Inches thick and all the other Walls nine inches thick except the Back of some of the Closets which may only be four Inches thick There is to be a genteel Marble Slab in each Front Parlour with a good Brass Lock to both parlour Doors of each House and good suitable Hinges and Locks for all the other Rooms and Closets The whole—Woodwork of the outside and inside to be well painted with three Coats of good Paint (except the Roof and the board Fences) The Yards to go back Twenty feet beyond the East End of the Kitchen and to be walled up with Stone and Lime and the Ground to be filled and raised to a proper Heighth to give sufficient Fall for the Water and make Gutters out of both Yards into the nine feet Alley between these and M.^r Lawrence's House and to have a nine Inch Brick Wall all round the Yards on the Top of the Stone Wall four feet six Inches high and neatly coped with Wood and make a Fence between the two Yards and an Alley with a Board Fence from the East End of the Northerly House into the said great Alley There is also to be two double Brick Little Houses on in each Yard The Yards to be neatly paved with Bricks and the Street within the Posts to be paved with Bricks and Posts also to be set there as usual There is to be good Stone Steps to the Doors and all the Workmanship as well as all the Materials are to be good of every kind and to be sound and provided by the said Robert Smith in due time and Manner out of the Monies to be paid him by the said Mary Maddox as herein after covenanted and expressed and the whole to be well plaistered painted and compleatly finished and ready for Tenants on or before the last day of June which will be in the Year one thousand seven hundred and sixty four Provided always and it is hereby agreed that if any Part of the Stone Wall that is designed to go round the Yard for supporting the new made Ground shall be thought unnecessary that then the Value of so much thereof as shall be left undone shall be deducted in proportion to the Expence of the whole And the said Mary Maddox doth hereby in Consideration of the Premises for herself her Executors and Administrators covenant promise and agree to and with the said Robert Smith his Exec.^rs & Admin.^rs that she the said Mary Maddox her Executors or Administrators shall and will well and truly pay or cause to be paid unto the Said Robert Smith his Executors or Administrators the Sum of Two thousand two hundred and fifty Pounds lawful Money of Pennsylvania in Manner following that is to say Three hundred Pounds now in hand Two hundred Pounds on the first day of April now next Two hundred Pounds on the first day of May next One hundred and fifty pounds more when the Joists of the first Floors of the houses are laid Two hundred Pounds when the second Floor is put on Two hundred Pounds when the third Floor is put on Two hundred Pounds when the Roof is raised Two hundred Pounds when the whole Buildings are shingled in and all the Sashes glaized and put in Two hundred pounds when one of the houses is ready for plaistering Two hundred Pounds when the other is ready for Plaistering and the remaining Two hundred Pounds when the whole is finished. In Witness whereof the Parties aforesaid to these Presents have interchangeably set their hands and seals hereunto Dated the day and Year first above Written