Mount Auburn Cemetery

(Copy) Dr J. Bigelow to Louisa W. Crawford Jany 15 '58 Otis Statue

(Copy) (to Mrs Crawford)

Boston Jany 15^th 1858

My dear Madam

I hasten to reply to your note just receivedThe contract made by the Trustees of Mount Auburn Cemetery with Mr Crawford for a marble statue of James Otis, provided for the payment of $5000, as follows - $2500, on completion of the plaster model, & $2500, on the delivery of the finished statue with its pedestal, in Boston, within three years & a half from the date ^dec 1^st 1855. The first have, or $2500, was paid Mr Crawford when last in Boston. The balance, or $2500, will be payable to his legal repre -sentatives on the arrival & delivery of the marble statue in good order in Boston.

to be now in Italy was conveyed by Mr. Crawford to the Corporation of Mount Auburn. The marble statue is understood to be in the hands of an artist there, & to be nearly completed.

As it will probably be agreeable to the friends of Mr. Crawford to assume & direct the finishing of this statue, I have only to add that it will give great pleasure to the Trustees of Mount Auburn to discharge their part of the contract on the proper receipt of the statue in this city.

I beg you to express to Mrs. Crawford my respect & sincere sympathy, and believe me your friend

& servant

Jacob Bigelow Chairman of the statue committee of Mount Auburn.

copy

Louisa W. Crawford to Dr J. Bigelow Jany 13 1858 on Otis Statue

Bordentown N.J. Jany 13^th 1858.

Dear Sir

a day or two ago only, did I recieve from my brother in law Dr. Howe yr note to him, and now hasten to inform you that the statue of James Otis, modelled by Mr Crawford for the chapel at Mt Auburn, will be entirely completed by the end of this present month. and ready for forwarding from Rome so soon as a safe opportunity may occur. At least such is the intelligence with regard to the work contained in my last letters.

The original model, which you state was conveyed to the Corporation of Mt Auburn will also be duly forwarded.

Should no vessel be "up" for Boston is it your pleasure that the shipment be made to New York & thence to Boston, or would you prefer waiting the sailing of some bark more direct?

Never having seen the contract for the works, I am in some degree ignorant of the points agreed upon, such for instance as those agreed upon concerning the insurance charges for freight etc. Whether the corporation of Mt Auburn meet those expenses or if they are to be defrayed by Mr Crawford's estate. I should feel much obliged by any information from you on the subject. The contract if there was one drawn & signed is inaccessible to me,

being in Rome.

I thank you sincerely for the expressions of sympathy contained in yr note to Dr Howe. The sympathy of my husband's friends must ever be, to me, invaluable even though it reminds me of the bitterness of the loss.

I am dear Sir very truly yrs Louisa W. Crawford

My address is. "Care of A. Mailliard Esq. Bordentown. N.J."

Boston, Oct. 1. 1858

Received of the Proprietors of the Cemetery of Mt. Auburn Twenty five Hundred dollars in full for a statue of James Otis by my late husband Thomas Crawford

Louisa W. Crawford

}Executrix of the last will }and testament of the }late Thomas Crawford