The President's House

Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820)
View of the East Front of the
President's House . . .
Graphite, ink, and watercolor on paper, 1817
Prints & Photographs Division

Thomas Jefferson appointed Benjamin Henry Latrobe "Surveyor of the Public Buildings" of the United States, making him responsible for the completion of the Capitol and the White House, among other projects. A brilliant designer and consummate draftsman, Latrobe is considered the father of the architecture and engineering professions in this country. In these elevations he proposes the sophisticated transformation of the White House from the simple rectangular block erected by James Hoban to the porticoed building today recognized around the world as the home of president of the United States.