Elevation of the South Front of the President's House

This elevation of the south view of the White House was drawn by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe circa 1817. Thomas Jefferson commissioned Latrobe to make various architectural changes to the Executive Mansion. Latrobe envisioned the addition of porticos on the north and south sides of the building, changes that original White House architect James Hoban later implemented. Latrobe is best known as the architect who designed the Capitol Building, St. John's Church and the Decatur House in Lafayette Square, the White House colonnades and Madison state rooms, and was the chief engineer for the U.S. Navy.