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Benjamin Latrobe

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Benjamin Henry Latrobe
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(born May 1, 1764, Fulneck, Yorkshire, Eng. — died Sept. 3, 1820, New Orleans, La., U.S.) British-U.S. architect and civil engineer. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1795. His first important building was the State Penitentiary in Richmond, Va. In 1798, in Philadelphia, he designed the Bank of Pennsylvania, considered the first U.S. monument of the Greek Revival style. Pres. Thomas Jefferson appointed him surveyor of public buildings. Latrobe inherited the task of completing the U.S. Capitol, and later rebuilt it after its destruction by the British. In Baltimore he designed the country's first cathedral (1818). He was active as an engineer, especially in the design of waterworks. He is widely regarded as having established architecture as a profession in the U.S.

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Biography: Benjamin Henry Latrobe
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Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820), English-born American architect, was the first professionallytrained architect to practice in the United States. He worked in a variety of styles.

Benjamin Henry Latrobe was born in England of Moravian parents. He was educated in England, France, and Germany, and as head draftsman in the office of the London architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell he participated in such large projects as the Admiralty Buildings in London. His coming to American was something of an accident; his young wife died, architectural commissions were few because of the Napoleonic Wars, and he had an inheritance to claim in Pennsylvania.

Latrobe arrived in Norfolk, Va., in 1796 and was soon recognized by Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and other prominent people as the ablest architect on the American scene. For the rest of his life he had many commissions in every part of the country.

In his works Latrobe displayed an amazing versatility and command of every current idiom. He undertook engineering projects, from waterworks in Philadelphia and New Orleans to a dry dock for the first American "mothball fleet." He executed private houses, banks, exchanges, theaters, churches, Masonic halls, and Federal commissions - he gave the Capitol and the White House in Washington their polished forms. He did college buildings, lighthouses, tombstones, statue pedestals, and furniture. His houses varied from the geometric simplicity of "Adena" (Chillicothe, Ohio, 1805-1806) to the Adamesque-Federal elegance of Henry Clay's "Ashland" (Lexington, Ky., ca. 1812, later altered) to the Gothic style of "Sedgeley" (outside Philadelphia, ca. 1800).

On some public buildings - the Virginia Penitentiary in Richmond (1797) and the Center Station Pumping House in Philadelphia (1799), for instance - Latrobe worked in broad geometric forms expressive of utilitarian function inspired by Claude Nicolas Ledoux's rational classicism in France. On others, such as the Bank of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (1798), where Latrobe ingeniously combined the first Greek revival portico in America with a Pantheon-like Roman dome, and the Custom House in New Orleans (1807-1809), he played with subtle spatial combinations of forms in the manner of Sir John Soane, whose English Regency elegance he undoubtedly knew.

But Latrobe also showed himself aware of and competent in the new 19th-century concept of architecture as the art of creating images of ideological conviction by means of historic styles eclectically borrowed for historical association. In 1808 he proposed a library for Congress to be built on the model of an Egyptian hypostyle hall, presumably in allusion to the wisdom of the ages kept therein. The furniture he designed for the White House (1809-1810) and the close approximation to a Greek Doric facade he executed for Pavilion X of the University of Virginia (ca. 1817) were appropriate because, as Latrobe explained in an Anniversary Oration before the Society of Artists in Philadelphia in 1811, a new Greece was developing "in the woods of America."

At the same time, Latrobe was introducing the Gothic style in designs for the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Baltimore (1805), Christ Church in Washington (1808), St. Paul's in Alexandria, Va. (ca. 1816), and the Bank of Philadelphia (1807; demolished). Of these, his plans for the Baltimore Cathedral were perhaps the most important historically, for more than usual symbolic significance attached to this building. As the seat of what had once been the governing Catholic diocese of all the English provinces, it was a reminder of the important role that Catholics had played in building America. Latrobe submitted two sets of plans for the Baltimore Cathedral, one in Gothic style, the other an adaptation of the Pantheon in Rome. In discussions of their relative merits, hardly any weight was put on esthetic value; the whole question was whether Gothic, as symbolic of a Church "the same yesterday, today, and forever," was more suitable than Roman. Roman won out simply because Gothic could not match its combination of "patriotic American" and "loyal Roman Catholic" symbolism.

But Latrobe was too fundamentally versatile ever to accept the Greek revival symbolism unreservedly. Hence his disagreement with Jefferson over the dome of the House of Representatives, Jefferson wanting (and getting, in the original version) a grand symbolic shape, Latrobe advocating a more practical functional construction, and reverting to it when called back to rebuild the destroyed dome in 1815. Hence his failure in the Second Bank of the United States Competition in 1818, which William Strickland won with a "pure Grecian" design. This led to Latrobe's departure for New Orleans, where he died 2 years later.

Further Reading

The standard works on Latrobe are Talbot F. Hamlin's Greek Revival Architecture in America (1944) and Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1955).

Architecture and Landscaping: Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe
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(1764–1820)

English-born Moravian architect of French descent, educated in England and Saxony (where he absorbed many advanced ideas, partly through Freemasonry), who introduced an advanced, austere Neo-Classicism to the USA. He was a pupil of S. P. Cockerell before setting up his own office in 1790 from which he designed Hammerwood Lodge, East Grinstead, Sussex (1792), an essay in Neo-Classicism with an unfluted version of the ‘primitive’ Paestum Order of Doric, much influenced by French architects such as Ledoux. He also designed Ashdown House, Forest Row, Sussex (1793), a beautiful building having a projecting Greek Ionic circular porch with Coade-stone details. These are two of the most remarkable houses for their date in the British Isles, and show Latrobe to have been in the vanguard of Neo-Classicism, far more adventurous than any of his better-known contemporaries in England.

He emigrated to America in 1796, where, through his Freemasonic connections, he met George Washington and acquired a wide circle of influential friends. He made his mark with the very advanced Richmond Penitentiary (1797), which incorporated many of Jefferson's ideas, and then with the Bank of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (1798), the first great monument of the Greek Revival in the USA. In the following year he designed Sedgeley, a house for William Crammond on the banks of the River Schuylkill, the first Gothic Revival domestic building in the USA (destroyed). In 1803 he was appointed Surveyor of Public Buildings by Jefferson, and worked on the Capitol in Washington, DC, creating some of the finest Neo-Classical rooms in America (reconstructed with modifications after its destruction by the British in the War of 1812–15), and inventing American Classical Orders such as the corn-cob and tobacco capitals. He also advised Jefferson on the design of the University of Virginia (1817–26), and should be given credit for what is one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles in the USA. His best complete work is the RC Cathedral, Baltimore (1804–18), with segmental coffered vaults, minimalist Classicism, and shallow-domed ceilings as severe as any of their date. He contributed to the design of gardens, including that of the White House, Washington, DC. The Louisiana State Bank, New Orleans (1820), was his last building, but it was still faithful to the dignified polished Classicism he had introduced to his adopted country. His pupils included Mills and Strickland.

Bibliography

  • G. Brown (1970)
  • E. Carter et al. (eds.) (1977, 1980)
  • J. Cohen & Brownell (1994)
  • Colvin (1995)
  • Hamlin (1955, 1964)
  • Hitchcock (1977)
  • R. Kennedy (1989)
  • Latrobe (1971)
  • P. Norton (1977)
  • Padover (ed.) (1946)
  • Wasmuth & Kalman (1983)

The full bibliography for this book is available to download as a pdf file.
Download the bibliography for A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (PDF: 1.2MB)

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Benjamin Henry Latrobe
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Latrobe, Benjamin Henry (Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe) (lətrōb'), 1764-1820, American architect, b. Yorkshire, England. He is considered the first professional architect in the United States. Latrobe received his training both in architecture and in engineering in England and Germany and then practiced successfully in London. He came to the United States in 1796. He practiced there and in Richmond until 1799, when he went to Philadelphia. In 1803, President Jefferson appointed him surveyor of public buildings. Besides building residences in Washington, Philadelphia, and other cities, Latrobe did much monumental work and introduced Greek forms, an important element of the classic revival. His design (1799) for the Bank of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia was modeled after a Greek Ionic temple. This building and his Roman Catholic cathedral in Baltimore (1805-18)-the first cathedral built in the United States-make a group expressive of the best monumental architecture of the time. Other works are St. John's Church in Washington, D.C. (1816) and the penitentiary in Richmond, Va. (1797-1800). His design for "Sedgeley" (1800), a residence near Philadelphia, is supposed to be the first executed example of the Gothic revival in the country. After the burning of the Capitol he was engaged, from 1815 to 1817, in rebuilding it. Latrobe's son Henry had been sent to New Orleans to construct the city's waterworks after his father's design, but he died of yellow fever in 1817. In 1818, Latrobe sailed to New Orleans to complete the project, bringing his family overland in 1820. He too died of yellow fever. Latrobe's other sons were John H. B. Latrobe and Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 1806-78, an engineer, b. Philadelphia. He served (1847-75) as chief engineer of the Baltimore & Ohio RR, laying out the line between Washington and Baltimore.

Bibliography

See Latrobe's diary of his trips to New Orleans and his stay there, Impressions respecting New Orleans (ed. by S. Wilson, Jr., 1951); study by T. Hamlin (1955).

Wikipedia: Benjamin Henry Latrobe
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This article is about the elder Benjamin Henry Latrobe. For his son, see Benjamin Henry Latrobe, II.
Benjamin Henry Latrobe, c. 1804, portrait by Charles Willson Peale

Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe (May 1, 1764 – September 3, 1820) was a British-born American architect best known for his design of the United States Capitol, as well as his design of the Baltimore Basilica, the first Catholic Cathedral built in the United States. Latrobe came to the United States in 1796, settling first in Virginia and then relocating to Philadelphia where he set up his practice. In 1803, he was hired as Surveyor of the Public Buildings of the United States, and spent much of the next fourteen years working on projects in Washington, D.C. Later in his life, Latrobe worked on a waterworks project in New Orleans, where he died in 1820 from yellow fever. He has been called the "Father of American Architecture".

Contents

Biography

An engraving (circa 1807) by George E. Blake of one of Latrobe's Water Works buildings in Centre Square

Early life

Benjamin Henry Latrobe was born in 1764 at the Fulneck Moravian Settlement, near Pudsey in West Yorkshire, England, to Reverend Benjamin Latrobe and Anna Margaretta Antes.[1] His mother was born in the American colony of Pennsylvania to a wealthy landowner, but was sent by her father to England to attend a Moravian school at Fulneck. Latrobe's father was responsible for all Moravian schools and establishments in Britain, and had an extensive circle of friends in the higher ranks of society. His father stressed the importance of education and scholarship and the value of social exchange, while his mother instilled curiosity and interest in America.[2] From a young age, Latrobe enjoyed drawing landscapes and buildings.[3]

In 1776, at the age of 12, Latrobe was sent away to the Moravian School at Niesky in Silesia near the border of Saxony and Prussia.[4] At age 18, Latrobe spent several months traveling around Germany, and then he joined the Prussian army, where he became close friends with a distinguished officer in the army of the United States. Latrobe may have served in the Austrian army, and suffered some injuries or illness.[5][6] After recovering, he embarked on a continental Grand Tour, visiting eastern Saxony, Paris, Italy, and other places.[7] Through his education and travels, Latrobe mastered German, French, Greek, and Latin, had advanced ability in Italian and Spanish, and had knowledge of Hebrew.[8]

When Latrobe returned to England in 1784, he entered apprenticeship under John Smeaton, an engineer known for designing Eddystone Lighthouse.[7] Then in 1787 (or 1788), he worked as an apprentice with neoclassical architect S.P. Cockerell, serving for a brief time before leaving to practice the profession.[9] In 1790, Latrobe was hired as Surveyor of the Public Offices in London, possibly a cover for work for the embryonic Secret Service, and started his own private architectural practice in 1791.[9][10] Latrobe was commissioned in 1792 to design Hammerwood Park, near East Grinstead in Sussex, which was his first independent work,[11] and he designed nearby Ashdown House in 1793.[12] Latrobe was involved in construction of the Basingstoke Canal in Surrey, along with engineers John Smeaton and William Jessop.[13][14] In spring 1793, Latrobe was hired to plan improvements to the River Blackwater from Maldon to Beeleigh, so that the port of Maldon could compete with the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, which bypassed the town.[15] The project lasted into early 1795, when his scheme was not approved by Parliament. Latrobe had problems getting payment for his work on the project.[16]

In February 1790, Latrobe married Lydia Sellon, and they lived a busy social life in London. The couple had a daughter (Lydia Sellon Latrobe) and son (Henry Sellon Latrobe), before she died in November 1793 during childbirth of a third child.[17] Lydia had inherited her father's wealth, which in turn was to be left to the children through a trust with the children's uncles; The inheritance ended up never going to the children.[18] In 1795, after bankruptcy and his wife's death, Latrobe suffered a severe nervous breakdown and decided to emigrate to America, departing on November 25 aboard the Eliza.[19][20]

Later in America Latrobe was known for his series of topological and landscape watercolours and the series started with a view of the White Cliffs of the south coast of England viewed from the Eliza. However, this was preceded by a watercolour of East Grinstead dated Sept 8th 1795.

United States

Latrobe arrived in Norfolk, Virginia in mid-March 1796 after a harrowing four month journey aboard the poorly managed ship, plagued with food shortages and near starvation.[21] Latrobe initially spent time in Norfolk, where he designed the William Pennock House, then set out for Richmond, Virginia in April 1796.[22][23] Soon after arriving in Virginia, Latrobe became friends with Bushrod Washington, President George Washington's nephew, along with Edmund Randolph and other notable figures.[24] Through Bushrod Washington, Latrobe was able to pay a visit to Mount Vernon to meet with the President in the summer of 1796.[25]

Latrobe's first major project in the United States was the State Penitentiary in Richmond, which was commissioned in 1797.[26] The penitentiary included many innovative ideas in penal reform, espoused by Thomas Jefferson and other figures, including cells arranged in a semicircle that allowed for easy surveillance, as well as improved living conditions for sanitation and ventilation.[27] He also pioneered the use of solitary confinement in the Richmond penitentiary.[28] While in Virginia, Latrobe worked on the Green Spring mansion near Williamsburg, which had been built by Governor Sir William Berkeley in the 1600s, but fell into disrepair after the American Revolutionary War.[29] He also made drawings for a number of houses that were not built, including the Mill Hill plantation house near Richmond.[30]

After spending a year in Virginia, the novelty of being in a new place wore off, and Latrobe was lonely and restless in Virginia.[31] Giambattista Scandella, a friend, suggested Philadelphia as an ideal location for him.[32] In April 1798, Latrobe visited Philadelphia for the first time, meeting with Bank of Pennsylvania president Samuel J. Fox, and presented a design for a new bank building. At the time, the political climate in Philadelphia was quite different than Virginia, with a strong division between the Federalists and Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party, along with anti-French sentiment. Thus, the city was not entirely welcoming for Latrobe.[33] On his way to Philadelphia, Latrobe passed through Washington, D.C., where he met with William Thornton and viewed the United States Capitol for the first time. He stopped by again on his way back to Richmond.[34] Latrobe remained in Richmond, Virginia until November 1798 when his design was selected for the Bank of Pennsylvania. He moved to Philadelphia, so that he could supervise the construction,[35][36] though he continued to do occasional projects for clients in Virginia.[37]

Philadelphia

Bank of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Upon arriving in Philadelphia, Latrobe's two friends, Scandella and Volney, had left due to concerns regarding the Alien and Sedition Acts, but Latrobe made friends with some of their acquaintances at the American Philosophical Society. Latrobe submitted several papers to the society, on his geology and natural history observations, and became a member of the society.[38] With his charming personality, Latrobe quickly made other friends among the influential financial and business families in Philadelphia, and became close friends with Nicholas Roosevelt, a talented steam-engine builder who would help Latrobe in his waterworks projects.[39]

Latrobe's first major project in Philadelphia was to design the Bank of Pennsylvania, which was the first example of Greek Revival architecture in the United States. The Bank of Pennsylvania building was since demolished in 1870.[40] This commission is what convinced him to set up his practice in Philadelphia, where he developed his reputation.[41] Latrobe was also hired to design the Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia. The Pump House, located at Center Square, was designed by Latrobe in a Greek Revival style.[42] Following his work on the Philadelphia water works project, Latrobe worked as an engineer of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.[43]

In addition to Greek Revival designs, Latrobe also used Gothic Revival designs in many of his works, including the 1799 design of Sedgeley, a country mansion in Philadelphia.[44] The Gothic Revival style was also used in Latrobe's design of the Philadelphia Bank building, which was built in 1807 and demolished in 1836.[45] As a young architect, Robert Mills worked as an assistant with Latrobe from 1803 until 1808 when he set up his own practice.[46] While in Philadelphia, Latrobe married Mary Elizabeth Hazlehurst in 1800.[40]

Washington, D.C.

Principal story plan for the White House by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 1807.

In the United States, Latrobe quickly achieved eminence as the first professional architect working in the country.[47] Latrobe was a friend of Thomas Jefferson and likely influenced Jefferson's design for the University of Virginia; he was Aaron Burr's preferred architect. He knew many of the principal people of his time, including Jefferson and James Monroe, as well as New Orleans architect and pirate, Barthelemy Lafon. Latrobe's illustrated journals from his wide travels are a record of the young United States. Latrobe trained William Strickland in the art of architecture as there were no formal architecture schools in the United States at that time.[47]

In 1803, Latrobe was hired as surveyor of the Public Buildings of the United States, and superintendent of construction, to work on the United States Capitol.[48] Latrobe was tasked to work with plans designed by William Thornton and construction work already underway.[49] Latrobe criticized the work done up to that point, and characterized it as "faulty construction" in an 1803 letter to Vice President Aaron Burr.[50] Nonetheless, President Thomas Jefferson insisted that Latrobe follow Thornton's design for the Capitol.[51] In June 1812, construction in the capital came to a halt with the outbreak of the War of 1812 and the failure of the First Bank of the United States.[52]

During the war, Latrobe relocated to Pittsburgh, and returned to Washington in 1815, as Architect of the Capitol, charged with responsibility of rebuilding the Capitol after it was destroyed in the war. Latrobe was given more freedom in rebuilding the Capitol, to apply his own design elements for the interior.[51] By 1817, Latrobe had provided President James Monroe with complete drawings for the entire building.[53] He resigned as Architect of the Capitol on November 20, 1817. Without this major commission, Latrobe faced difficulties and was forced into bankruptcy. Latrobe left Washington, for Baltimore in January 1818.[54]

Latrobe's Capitol when first occupied by Congress, 1800

Latrobe's major work was overseeing construction of the United States Capitol, but he also was responsible for numerous other projects in Washington. In 1804, became chief engineer in the United States Navy.[55] As chief surveyor, Latrobe was responsible for the Washington Canal.[56] Latrobe faced bureaucratic hurdles in moving forward with the canal, with the Directors of the Company rejecting his request for stone locks. Instead, the canal was built with wooden locks which were subsequently destroyed in a heavy storm in 1811.[57] Latrobe also designed the main gate of the Washington Navy Yard.[58] Latrobe worked on other transportation projects in Washington, D.C., including the Washington & Alexandria Turnpike which connected Washington with Alexandria, as well as a road connecting with Frederick, Maryland, and a third road, the Columbia Turnpike going through Bladensburg to Baltimore.[59] Latrobe also provided consulting on the construction of the Washington Bridge across the Potomac River in a way that would not impede navigation and commerce to Georgetown.[60]

Latrobe Gate at the Washington Navy Yard

Benjamin Latrobe was responsible for several other projects located around Lafayette Square, including St. John's Episcopal Church, Decatur House, and the White House porticos.[61] Private homes designed by Latrobe include commissions by John P. Van Ness and Peter Casanove.[62] Through much of Latrobe's time in Washington, he remained involved to some extent with his private practice and other projects in Philadelphia and elsewhere. His clerk of works, John Lenthal, often urged Latrobe to spend more time in Washington.[63]

Latrobe left Washington with pessimism, with the city's design contradicting many of his ideals. Latrobe disliked the Baroque-style plan for the city, and other aspects of L'Enfant's plan, and resented having to conform to Thornton's plans for the Capitol Building.[64] One of the greatest problems with the overall city plan, in the view of Latrobe, was its vast interior distances. Latrobe considered the Washington Canal as a key factor that, if successful, could help alleviate this issue.[65] Latrobe also had concerns about the city's economic potential. He argued for constructing a road connecting Washington with Frederick to the northwest to enhance economic commerce through Washington.[57]

New Orleans

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Latrobe saw great potential for growth in New Orleans, situated at the mouth of the Mississippi River, with the advent of the steamboat and great interest in steamboat technology. Latrobe's first project in New Orleans was the New Orleans Custom House, built in 1807 under supervision of Robert Alexander. In 1810, Latrobe sent his son, Henry Sellon Boneval Latrobe, to New Orleans to present a plan for a waterworks system before the New Orleans City Council. Latrobe's plan for the New Orleans waterworks system was based on that of Philadelphia, which he earlier designed. The system in Philadelphia was created as a response to yellow fever epidemics affecting the city. Latrobe's system utilized steam pumps to move water from the Schuylkill River to a reservoir, located upstream, so that gravity could be used to transmit the water from there to residents in the city. The New Orleans waterworks project was also designed to desalt water, using steam-powered pumps. While in New Orleans, Latrobe's son participated in battles during the War of 1812, and took on projects including building a lighthouse, New Orleans' Charity Hospital, and the French Opera House.[66]

New Orleans agreed to commission the waterworks project in 1811, though Latrobe was not ready to take on the project immediately, and faced financial problems in securing enough investors for the project. Latrobe's work on the United States Capitol was completed shortly before the War of 1812 started, ending his source of steady income. During the war, Latrobe unsuccessfully tried several wartime schemes to make money, including some steamboat projects. In 1814, Latrobe partnered with Robert Fulton in a steamship venture based at Pittsburgh. While in Pittsburgh, Latrobe designed and built a theater for the Circus of Pepin and Breschard.[67] After the United States Capitol and White House were burned during the war, Latrobe remained in Washington, D.C. to help with rebuilding, and Latrobe's son took on much of the work for waterworks project.[68]

In 1818, Latrobe worked on projects in Baltimore, including the Baltimore Exchange, with hopes of generating more financial capital to use for the waterworks project. Latrobe was earlier commissioned by John Carroll to build the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States of America. Construction of the Baltimore Basilica was begun in 1806, and finally completed in 1821, after financial setbacks interrupted the building of the Cathedral for a number of years. Latrobe completed the Baltimore Exchange project in 1818, and left for New Orleans in December 1818, arriving on January 10, 1819. Latrobe initially stayed at a hotel on Jackson Square. Latrobe faced further delays with the New Orleans waterworks project, trying to get an engine built for the project, which he finally achieved in 1819. The process of designing and constructing the waterworks system in New Orleans spanned eleven years. In addition to the waterworks project, Latrobe designed the central tower of the St. Louis Cathedral, which was his last architectural project.[69] Latrobe died in 1820 from yellow fever, while working in New Orleans on the waterworks project.[70] He was buried in Saint Louis Cemetery in New Orleans, where his son, Henry, was buried three years earlier after also dying from yellow fever.[58]

Architecture

Influences

For his architectural accomplishments, Benjamin Latrobe is honored, together withThomas U. Walter, in a ceiling mosaic in the East Mosaic Corridor at the entrance to the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress.

While studying in Germany, Latrobe was mentored by a Baron Karl von Schachmann, who was a classical scholar with interest in art and collecting. Around 1783, Latrobe decided upon becoming an architect, with the decision influenced by the baron.[71] A new architectural movement, led by Carl Gotthard Langhans and others, was emerging when Latrobe was in Germany, with return to more Classical or Vitruvian designs.[72]

In 1784, Latrobe set off on a Grand Tour around Europe, visiting Paris where the Panthéon, a church dedicated to St. Genevieve, was nearing completion. The Panthéon in Paris, designed by Jacques Germain Soufflot and Jean Rondelet, represented an early example of Neoclassicism. At that time, Claude Nicolas Ledoux was designing numerous houses in France, in Neoclassical style. Latrobe also visited Rome, where he was impressed by the Roman Pantheon and other ancient structures with Greek influence.[73] Influential architects in Britain, at the time when Latrobe returned in 1784, adhered to a number of different styles. Sir William Chambers was at the forefront, designing in Palladianism style, while Chambers' rival, Robert Adam's designs had Roman influence, in a style known as Adam style. Latrobe was interested in neither Palladian or Adam style, but Neoclassicalism was also being introduced to Great Britain at the time by George Dance the Younger. Other British architects, including John Soane and Henry Holland, also designed in the Neoclassical style while Latrobe was in London.[74]

During his European tour, Latrobe also gathered ideas on how American cities should be designed. He suggested city blocks be laid out as thin rectangles, with the long side of the blocks oriented east-west so that as many houses as possible could be facing in the southerly direction. For a city to succeed, he thought it needed to be established only in places with good prospects for commerce and industrial growth, and with a good water supply. Public health was another key consideration of Latrobe, who believed that the eastern shores of rivers were unhealthy, due to prevailing direction of the wind, and recommended cities be built on the western shores of rivers.[75]

Greek Revival in America

Latrobe brought from England influences of British Neo-classicalism, and was able to combine it with styles introduced by Thomas Jefferson, to devise an American Greek Revival style. John Summerson described the Bank of Pennsylvania, as an example of how Latrobe "married English Neo-Classicism to Jeffersonian Neo-Classicism [and] ... from that moment, the classical revival in America took on a national form".[76][77] The American form of Greek Revival architecture that Latrobe developed became associated with political ideals of democracy—meaning that was less apparent in Britain.[76]

Houses

When Latrobe began private practice in England, his first projects were alterations to existing houses, along with designing Hammerwood Park and Ashdown House. Alterations done early in his career may have included Tanton Hall, Sheffield Park, Frimley, and Teston Hall, though these homes have since been altered and it is difficult now to isolate Latrobe's work in the current designs.[78] His designs were simpler, than was typical at the time, and had influences of Robert Adam.[79] Features in his designs often included Greek ionic, as used in Ashdown House, [80] or doric columns, seen in Hammerwood Park, as part of the front porticos.[81]

Latrobe continued to design houses after he emigrated to the United States, mostly using Greek Revival designs. The Pope Villa in Lexington, Kentucky is one of only three extant Latrobe residences in the United States. As one of Latrobe's most avant-garde designs, the Pope Villa has national significance for its unique design. He also introduced Gothic Revival architecture to the United States, in designing the Sedgeley mansion.[82] A theme seen in many of Latrobe's designs are plans with squarish-dimensions and a central, multi-story hall with a cupola to provide lighting, which was contrary to the popular trend of the time of building houses with long narrow plans.[83]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Latrobe 1905, p. VII
  2. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 6–8
  3. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 11
  4. ^ Latrobe 1979
  5. ^ Latrobe 1905, p. X
  6. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 13-15
  7. ^ a b Hamlin 1955, p. 16
  8. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 17
  9. ^ a b Latrobe 1905, p. XI
  10. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 42
  11. ^ "Benjamin Henry Latrobe". Hammerwood Park. http://www.hammerwood.mistral.co.uk/latrobe.htm. 
  12. ^ Colvin, H. M. Colvin (1954). A Biographical Dictionary of English Architects, 1660–1840. Harvard University Press. pp. 357. 
  13. ^ Fazio 2006, p. 601
  14. ^ Formwalt 1979, p. 11-12
  15. ^ John Boyes and Ronald Russell (1977). The Canals of Eastern England. David and Charles. pp. 70. ISBN 978-07153-741-53. 
  16. ^ Formwalt 1979, p. 16-30
  17. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 32
  18. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 30
  19. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 34
  20. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 53
  21. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 54-64
  22. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 69
  23. ^ Fazio 2006, p. 210-221
  24. ^ Latrobe 1905, p. XVII
  25. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 75-79
  26. ^ Formwalt 1977, p. 388
  27. ^ Roth, Leland M. (1980). A Concise History of American Architecture. Westview Press. pp. 67. 
  28. ^ Frary 1969, p. 64
  29. ^ "Historic Jamestown, Green Spring Plantation". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/jame/historyculture/green-spring-plantation.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-07. 
  30. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 98-99
  31. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 92
  32. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 80
  33. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 128-130
  34. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 130-131
  35. ^ Latrobe 1955, p. 132
  36. ^ Latrobe 1905, p. XIV
  37. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 110-120
  38. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 133
  39. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 134-145
  40. ^ a b "Biography from the American Architects and Buildings database". Philadelphia Architects and Buildings. http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ar_display.cfm/25618. 
  41. ^ Tatum 1961, p. 59
  42. ^ Tatum 1961, p. 58
  43. ^ Formwalt 1977, p. 388
  44. ^ Tatum 1961, p. 75
  45. ^ Tatum 1961, p. 76
  46. ^ Tatum 1961, p. 64
  47. ^ a b Roth, Leland M. (1993). Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning (First ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview Press. pp. 117–8, 415. ISBN 0-06-430158-3. 
  48. ^ Carter 1972, p. 128
  49. ^ Frary 1969, p. 60-61
  50. ^ Latrobe 1905, p. 117
  51. ^ a b Dumbauld 1980, p. 75
  52. ^ Carter 1972, p. 141
  53. ^ Carter 1972, p. 142
  54. ^ Latrobe 1905, p. 150
  55. ^ Carter 1972, p. 128
  56. ^ Carter 1972, p. 139
  57. ^ a b Carter 1972, p. 140
  58. ^ a b Latrobe, Jr., John H. B.. "Latrobe Family - Benjamin Henry Latrobe". http://www.latrobefamily.com/gedpage/nti/nti00001.htm. 
  59. ^ Formwalt 1972, p. 41
  60. ^ Formwalt 1980, p. 39
  61. ^ "Public, Private and Service Spaces at Decatur House". Decatur House Museum. http://www.decaturhouse.org/museum/spaces.htm. 
  62. ^ Formwalt 1980, p. 38
  63. ^ Frary 1969, p. 69
  64. ^ Carter 1972, p. 149
  65. ^ Carter 1972, p. 143
  66. ^ Donaldson 1987, p. 381-396
  67. ^ Semmes, John Edward. John H. B. Latrobe and His Times, 1803-1891. Baltimore: The Norman Remington Co., 1917.
  68. ^ Donaldson 1987, p. 381-396
  69. ^ Donaldson 1987, p. 381-396
  70. ^ Latrobe, Jr. John H.B.. "Latrobe Family". http://www.latrobefamily.com/. 
  71. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 15
  72. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 35
  73. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 36
  74. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 35-40
  75. ^ Carter 1972, p. 136
  76. ^ a b Crook 1972, p. 77
  77. ^ Summerson 1993, p. 522-527
  78. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 42
  79. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 43
  80. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 44
  81. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 45
  82. ^ Woods 2004, p. 122
  83. ^ Hamlin 1955, p. 103

References

  • Addison, Agnes (July 1942). "Latrobe vs. Strickland". The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 2(3): 26-29. 
  • Burchard, John; Albert Bush-Brown (1966). The Architecture of America: A Social and Cultural History. Little, Brown. 
  • Carter II, Edward C. (1971-1972). "Benjamin Henry Latrobe and the Growth and Development of Washington, 1798-1818". Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 
  • Crook, Joseph Mordaunt (1972). The Greek Revival: Neo-Classical Attitudes in British Architecture 1760-1870. John Murray. ISBN 0719527244. 
  • Donaldson, Gary A. (1987). "Bringing Water to the Crescent City: Benjamin Latrobe and the New Orleans Waterworks System". Louisiana History (Louisiana Historical Association) 28(4): 381-396. 
  • Dumbauld, Edward (1980). "Thomas Jefferson and the City of Washington". Records of the Columbia Historical Society 50. 
  • Fazio, Michael W.; Patrick A. Snadon (2006). The Domestic Architecture of Benjamin Henry Latrobe. The Johns Hopkins University Press. 
  • Fazio, Michael W. (September 1989). "Benjamin Latrobe's Designs for a Lighthouse at the Mouth of the Mississippi River". The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 48(3): 232-247. 
  • Formwalt, Lee W. (1980). "Benjamin Henry Latrobe and the Development of Transportation in the District of Columbia, 1802-1817". Records of the Columbia Historical Society 50. 
  • Formwalt, Lee W. (October 1977). "An English Immigrant Views American Society: Benjamin Henry Latrobe's Virginia Years, 1796-1798". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography (Virginia Historical Society) 85(4): 387-410. 
  • Formwalt, Lee W. (1979). Benjamin Henry Latrobe and the Development of Internal Improvements in the New Republic, 1796-1820. Ayer Publishing / Catholic University of America. 
  • Frary, Ihna Thayer (1969). They Built the Capitol. Ayer Publishing. ISBN 0836950895. 
  • Hamlin, Talbot (1955). Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Oxford University Press. 
  • Hamlin, Talbot (1944). Greek Revival Architecture in America: Being an Account of Important Trends in American Architecture and American Life Prior to the War Between the States. Oxford University Press. 
  • Kennedy, Roger G. (1989). Orders from France: The Americans and the French in a Revolutionary World, 1780-1820. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0394555929. 
  • Kimball, Fiske (1922). Domestic Architecture of the American Colonies and of the Early Republic. Charles Scribner's Sons. http://books.google.com/books?id=QckVAAAAYAAJ. 
  • Latrobe, Benjamin Henry (1905). The Journal of Latrobe. D. Appleton & Company. 
  • Norton, Paul F. (June 1951). "Latrobe and Old West at Dickenson College". The Art Bulletin 33(2): 125-132. 
  • Norton, Paul F. (1977). Latrobe, Jefferson, and the National Capitol. Garland Pub.. ISBN 0824027167. 
  • Peterson, Charles E. (December 1953). "Early Prisons". The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 12 (4): 26-31. 
  • Stapleton, Darwin H.; Edward C. Carter II (September 1984). ""I have the itch of Botany, of Chemistry, of Mathematics...strong upon me": the Science of Benjamin Henry Latrobe". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society (American Philosophical Society) 128(3): 173-192. 
  • Summerson, John (1993). Architecture in Britain, 1530 to 1830: 1530-1830. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300058861. 
  • Tatum, George B. (1961). Penn's Great Town: 250 Years of Philadelphia Architecture Illustrated in Prints and Drawings. University of Pennsylvania Press. 
  • Woods, Mary N. (2004). "Chapter 6, The First Professional: Benjamin Henry Latrobe". in Eggener, Keith. American Architectural History. Routledge. 

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