William Thornton Re-examined by Bob Arnebeck

Table of Contents  page 253 pdf Chapter Sixteen: A "Blockhead" and a "Fool" - Latrobe challenges the ideas of Thornton 171. Detail from Birch's 1800 watercolor of North Wing. The building itself took only one third of the canvas. Did a lack of ornaments make a distant view more congenial than a closer look? On February 5, 1800, Mrs. Thornton reported: "Dr. T at work all day on the East Elevation of the Capitol. - I assisted a little till evening -." Again on February 7, "Dr. T was engaged in working at his plan of the Capitol." And again on February 9, he was "engaged on his plan of the Capitol." On February 14 "In the afternoon and evening drew on his plan of the Capitol." On October 11 "Dr. T had the head ache in the morning drawing at his plan of the Capitol." On December 19 "I began to copy the ground plan." On December 20 "did all I could  with Dr T's directions to the plan of the Capito