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Constructing the Capitol: Benjamin Henry Latrobe

Constructing the Capitol: Benjamin Henry Latrobe

English-born Benjamin Henry Latrobe, one of the first professional architects to practice in the United States, was a brilliant designer and engineer.

Thomas Jefferson convinced Latrobe to accept a position of Surveyor of Public Buildings in 1803. He became Architect of the Capitol in 1815 and was responsible for the Capitol's rebuilding after it was destroyed in the War of 1812.

Benjamin H. Latrobe, ca. 1804 by Charles Willson Peale.

Artist
Charles Willson Peale
Date of Work
ca. 1804
Type
Portrait
Credit
White House Historical Association (White House Collection)