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How Washington, D.C. Was Designed
The original layout of Washington, D.C. was designed to reflect the strength and bravery of a young nation. The Declaration of Independence had been signed less than 20 years before, and the United States founding fathers planned to build a new “Federal City” with space for government buildings.
President George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson both oversaw the project, which began in March of 1791. Jefferson, a lifelong student of Neo-classical architecture, had a hand in the design and planning process, as evidenced by his numerous notes on the original city map. Although he helped influence federal building selections, we should credit Pierre L’Enfant, Andrew Ellicott, and Benjamin Banneker as the true brains behind the project. They were all intelligent men who excelled at their specialized crafts.
Pierre L’Enfant
Pierre Charles L’Enfant graduated from the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris, and soon became known for his architectural prowess. He was the first French volunteer in the Continental Army, having been inspired by the American colonists’ fight for freedom, and served under his friend General Washington in the Revolutionary War.
