William Thornton Re-examined by Bob Arnebeck

Table of contents   Rewriting this chapter Thornton v. Latrobe The North Wing in 1800 On June 1, 1801, the board asked the president to approve work on the South Wing to accommodate the increased representation in congress thanks to the census of 1800. Four days earlier the board had directed Hoban to draw plans for a temporary building “on the eliptic Foundation in the South wing of the Capitol” so that “the Arcades, and as much of the other work as can be done consistently with the general Plan of the Capitol may remain permanent.” The board had Hoban draw plans with two stories as well as one. Although the president expected to see his Halle au Ble ideas embodied in the chamber, he opted for one story. He wrote to the commissioners: "mr Hobens observes there will be considerable inconveniencies in carrying up the elliptical wall now without the square one, & the square one in future without the elliptical wall, and that these difficulties increase as the walls get higher....

Some of the illustrations appear in two or more chapters if they are relevant to the text. Links open the web page used as sources for and/or information about the illustration. Links to chapters can be found in the Table of Contents .   1. "William Thornton in 1804" By his friend Gilbert Stuart in National Gallery of Art Wikipedia (intro p. 7) 2. "The Old Capitol in 1846" photograph, Library of Congress : (intro p. 7) 3."The Octagon in the 20th century" photograph, Library of Congress: (intro p.8) 4. "Adolph Cluss Strikes a pose" cropped photo of the National Museum Building Committee 1880, Smithsonian : (intro, p. 10) 5. "Glenn Brown" photographed at office in Octagon, ca. 1900, by Francis Benjamin Johnson, Library of Congress:(intro p. 11) 6. "Tortola in 1798: divided into sugar plantations" Wikimedia Commons: (Chapter One p. 14) 7.  "Old Customs House in Lancaster built as Thornton grew up in and around the ci...