William Thornton Re-examined by Bob Arnebeck

  Chapter 10: The General’s Houses and Plots to Save Dr. T’s Reputation  Plaque in Upper Senate Park A plaque graces Upper Senate Park just north of the Capitol that credits Dr. William Thornton for designing George Washington’s “two brick dwellings.” Glenn Brown based that claim and that Thornton superintended their construction on "the letters of Washington." Brown didn't quote or cite any letters. A hundred years late, C. M. Harris did. In August 1798, Thornton gave a "plan" to Thomas Peter who, on August 26, then passed it on to the General who sent it back to Peter the next day without comment: "Doctr Thorntons plan is returned with thanks; our love to Patsy." She was the Custis sister who married Peter who was the son of Robert Peter who had owned Peter’s Hill when the General had bought lots there. C. M. Harris and the editors of Washington's Papers have deduced that the plan in question was a design the General’s houses. However...

Table of Contents  I am rewriting this chapter   On those Healthy Hills Near Panama Fulton's Steamboat from 1811 patent  There is another explanation for Thornton losing interest in the Capitol. His work as Commissioner of the Patent Office consumed his time and occupied his genius. However, government clerks worked from 9 to 3 and all Thornton had to do was pass on the $30 application fee to the Treasury, fill out a patent form for the signatures of the secretary of state and president, file away the application and a description of the invention, and, if possible, retain a model. He did not have to verify that, as required by law, that the invention was both useful and novel. The applicant signed an oath that it was. If anyone challenged the validity of the patent, a federal court would decide and Thornton was not involved. Also, it was not legally incumbent on Thornton to encourage inventors, and he didn't. In December 1804, Senator John Quincy Adams checked on a...

Table of contents The General Dies and Jefferson Resurrects the Ideas of Dr. Thornton  A capital drawn by Thornton In her diary, Mrs. Thornton never speculated on her husband’s motives and feelings. Her diary throws very little light on why he began designing houses. Taking a stab at that is not uninteresting. After all in April 1799, he had argued his right not to draw designs, as if it was a precious talent not to be wasted. Mrs. Thornton also didn’t discuss her and her husband’s reaction to the death of the General at Mount Vernon on December 14, 1799. Thornton got to Mount Vernon with Laws a day late. There were already three doctors on the scene but Dr. Thornton still made an impression. On his death bed, the General had requested that he not be entombed for two days on the odd chance that he wasn't really dead. Lear suggested that burial be delayed longer to permit more relatives to attend. The attending physician and Thornton vetoed Lear’s suggestion because the inflammatory...