War Office, June 19^th 1797. Sir The Secretary of War has received your letter of this 16th instant, covering an estimate of a frame building, sixty by thirty feet for a public store house— It is his wish to be favored with an estimate and proposal, from some Master Builder, with his signature thereto, (in the same manner as transactions of this kind are between private individuals) purporting, that he will contract to build, for the United States, a building of certain described dimensions, calculated for the purposes contemplated in your letter of this 16th inst, he finding all the materials- locks &c, and deliver it complete, for use, on a given day, for so much money— He also requests to know for how long a period the ground, on which the proposed building may be erected, can be occupied, and the annual rent. ?— I am Sir, with respect, Your most obed^t Serv^t [undecipherable: Stagg] Jun^r Samuel Hodgdon Esq^r [War Office 19 January [undecipherable] — An Estimate is wanted from a Master Builder of a Store suitable for Public use —]