William Thornton Re-examined by Bob Arnebeck

"Dr. T-" Examined and the Case of the "Ingenious A" "Saturday, Feby 1st a fine day. The ground covered with the deepest snow we have ever seen here (in 5 yrs.) - river frozen over. Dr. T- engaged in drawing at his plan for a House to build one day or another on Sq. 171."     Or Why William Thornton Didn't Design the Octagon House and Isn't the "First Architect of the Capitol"    By Bob Arnebeck author of Through a Fiery Trial: Building Washington 1790-1800 and Slave Labor in Capitol: Building Washington's Iconic Federal Landmarks Introduction:  How Glenn Brown, an architect of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, helped his own career by making William Thornton the most famous American architect of the 18th century.  Chapter One:   A Tale of Two Properties (1755 to 1786) Lancaster, Tortola and a Scientific Education - The roots of Thornton's wealth, his Quaker education, medical degree and mentors  Chapter Two:   Going ...

Table of Contents                                                                            Doctor T. Examined, and the Case of the Ingenious A or Why William Thornton Did Not Design the Octagon House or the Capitol by Bob Arnebeck   Introduction   1. William Thornton in 1804 In a riposte to Doctor Thornton,  did the Mayor of Washington hit below the belt?  They had been friends but in their published exchange, Thornton stooped to doggerel:  "The Mayor, Collector of the Taxes, Doctor Blake/ Is a malicious, and insinuating snake...."  The editor of the National Intelligencer tried to police the doctors' back and forth: "The Public and the editor conceive that this sort of BADINAGE to be unsuited to the times and expect it to cease."  It was 1814. The Br...