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
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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.
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