William Thornton Re-examined by Bob Arnebeck

Miscellaneous Sources  Gordon Brown, Incidental Architect:  Chapter Two Footnote #2 page 5   L'Enfant to Moustier, Chapter Three footnote #19     Chapter Ten footnote #17     Tristram Dalton to John Adams Chapter Eleven #29 1800 Norwich, Connecticut article: chapter sixteen footnote #9:  

About the Author  Bob Arnebeck was born in Washington, DC, in 1947 and was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. He graduated from Montgomery Blair High School, and then got a B.A. in English Literature and Composition at Beloit College in Wisconsin. He produced his own play, "Boom Power: a history of the Ford Motor Company," in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which was described as a "fascinating failure" in Boston After Dark. He worked briefly at the American Revolution Bicentennial Commissioner where he leaked documents that informed three days of front page articles in the Washington Post. He briefly worked for the People's Bicentennial Commission. Then he worked as a free lance writer primarily for the Washington Post Magazine. He wrote many articles on historical topics, and briefly was a regular commentator on NPR's Morning Edition. In 1994, he moved with his wife and son to a large island in the St. Lawrence River where he observed otters and beavers and fo...

"Dr. T-" Examined and the Case for 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...

The Doctor Examined, or Why William Thornton Did Not Design the Octagon House or the Capitol by Bob Arnebeck     Table of Contents Sir Archy, an engraving of Tayloe's most famous horse In April 1797, Mr. Tayloe of Virginia rode into the city. The 26 year old head of the richest family in Virginia, as measured by land, slaves, horses, ship building and iron furnaces, had either challenged or accepted a challenge from 36 year old Charles Conan Ridgely for a match race on April 18 for 500 Guineas or $2,600. By tradition, match races were held at a spot equidistant between the opponents. Ridgely's estate was just north of Baltimore and Tayloe's estate, Mount Airy, was just north of Richmond. Nicholson's hotelier Tunnicliff, against Nicholson's advice, prepared a race course "opposite" his hotel at 9th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. SE where four mile heats could have a convenient start and finish, and conform to the rules of the Annapolis Jockey Club. Two more...