William Thornton Re-examined by Bob Arnebeck

The Doctor Examined, or Why William Thornton Did Not Design the Octagon House or the Capitol by Bob Arnebeck Table of Contents Chapter Five: Hallet Dismissed/Thornton Appointed 57. In 1948 the White House was gutted prior to a complete renovation. The building is about the size of the North Wing of the Old Capitol. This photo gives an idea of the shallow sandstone foundation of both building (be sure to click photo to enlarge it. 58. Renovation of the White House in 1949 revealed the rough-hewn foundation of the 1790's where designs gave way to the reality of  shovels, mallets and chisels. Before awarding Thornton $500 for his design in April 1793, the commissioners had asked the president to arrange for an audit of their operations. Rumors of their incompetence ever circulated in Georgetown, and they wanted to at least squelch those dealing with how they spent money. As befitted gentlemen of that era, they were also ever looking to control the cost of labor. They thought ...

The Doctor Examined, or Why William Thornton Did Not Design the Octagon House or the Capitol by Bob Arnebeck Table of Contents Chapter Four: Design by Committee and an Epidemic 46. Jefferson in 1791 In March, accompanied by Rivardi, Thornton went to the commissioners' March meeting in Georgetown and gave them his design. Despite hand delivering a letter from the president, it is doubtful that the president himself handed the letter to Thornton. Throughout this whole process of submission and approval, Thornton had little contact, if any, with the president. Ten months after he submitted his design, Thornton solicited a job as the president's secretary. In that letter, he wrote: “My Situation in Life has precluded me from the honor of being but very partially known to you.”(1) The president's letter extolled Thornton's design and seemed to excuse its expense, whatever that might be. As long as the building could be used in December 1800, the internal and orn...