How an idea of a Frenchman become our capital city. Today's Washington, D.C. owes much of its distinctive design to Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a Frenchman who came to America to fight in the Revolutionary War and climbed from obscurity to become George Washington's trusted city architect. When L'Enfant died in 1793, he left behind a plan for a new capital city to be built on the banks of the Potomac River. After several years of construction, Congress decided not to adopt L'Enfant's plan and instead hired Thomas Jefferson as the new president's third secretary to draw up plans of his own. Jefferson's plan called for a grid of streets without names until given by Congress. It also included a large oval park that would become the National Mall.
When Congress approved Jefferson's plan in 1816, he had already departed for France, so the job was given to his assistant, Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Under Latrobe's direction, Washington began to take shape. He designed stately buildings in the French Neoclassical style, many with expensive imported marble materials. He also laid out public gardens and parks, including the famous White House garden, which has been restored by recent presidents who have kept it in its original condition. In all, Latrobe designed more than a hundred buildings in Washington. He also designed the Capitol building in Philadelphia, which was being used as Washington's temporary home while their new capital was being built.
Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. It is technically known as the District of Columbia and is frequently abbreviated as D.C. or Washington. Washington was founded after the American Revolution and named after George Washington, the first president of the United States and a Founding Father. The federal government moved into new offices in 1801 and has remained here ever since.
In 1790, when the Congress of the Confederation appointed Washington their president, they did not specify where that office should be located. Since there was no other place of business at the time for consideration, Washington chose to make his home in New York City while he served as president. However, when he left office in 1797, he returned to Mount Vernon for several more years before finally moving back to Washington, D.C. in 1802. In 1857, Congress passed a law providing for the relocation of the federal government to a new city to be selected by an independent commission. After much debate, including proposals for abolishing the position of president altogether, Washington was selected by the commission as the site for the new government center. Today, about 16 percent of the population lives in Washington, D.C.
George Washington himself had only good things to say about living in the nation's capital.
Washington, DC is a planned city that was designed to be the nation's capital. Major plans and significant local and national events have impacted the city's design and progress throughout its history. The planning of Washington, DC began with a plan by Pierre L'Enfant for what would become the Federal City in 1791. Over the next century, several other plans were made for what would become the national capital, but it wasn't until after the War of 1812 that Congress approved the final proposal for the city of Washington, D.C. by civil engineer John C. Calhoun.
In preparation for the arrival of the federal government in 1800, Maryland landowners donated 240 acres of land for use as a permanent federal residence. This area is now known as Capitol Hill. In 1846, another 120 acres were set aside for public use as a place where new governments could be formed without having to relocate. This area is now called Downtown Washington. By the end of the 19th century, there were discussions about moving the federal government out of the city because of concerns about crime and pollution. However, these discussions didn't result in any action being taken at the time. During World War II, there was a need for large amounts of housing quickly, and many communities across America came together to develop their own cities. One such community was Washington, DC.
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