James Hoban's drawing of the White House
James Hoban (c. 1758 – December 8, 1831) was an Irish architect, best known for designing the White House in Washington, D.C..
Life
James Hoban was born in Desart, near Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland.[1] Hoban was raised at Cuffesgrange, Co Kilkenny where he learned carpentry skills. He studied architecture at the Royal Dublin Society.
Following the American Revolutionary War, Hoban emigrated to the United States, and established himself as an architect in Philadelphia in 1781.[1] Hoban went to South Carolina in 1792, where he designed numerous buildings including the South Carolina statehouse in Columbia.[1][2]
In 1792, Hoban won the competition to design the presidential mansion, later known as the White House.[3]
Hoban was also one of the supervising architects who served on the Capitol, carrying out the design of Dr. William Thornton.
Hoban lived the rest of his life in Washington, D.C., where he worked on other public buildings and government projects, including roads and bridges.[4] He also designed Rossenarra House near the village of Kilmoganny in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1824.
Hoban died in Washington, D.C. on December 8, 1831. He is buried at historic Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Commemorations
Numerous events were held around 2008 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of his birth.
In 2008, a memorial arbor to honor James Hoban was completed near his birth place, and a major exhibition on his life took take place at the White House Visitor Center.[5]
Dublin Made Him..., a one day colloquium in honour of Hoban, took place on October 3, 2008, at the (RDS) in Dublin, Ireland.[6] It was presented by the RDS in association with the White House Historical Association, the U.S. Embassy in Ireland, and the James Hoban Societies of the U.S. and Ireland.
The Irish-American group Solas have a song "John Riordan's Heels/The Bath Jig/Hoban's White House" on their album For Love and Laughter. Group member Mick McAuley, like Hoban, is from Kilkenny, and named the song in Hoban's honor: but sadly hes dead.
See also
Additional reading
- Bryan, Wilhelmus Bogart (1914), A History of the National Capital, The Macmillan company, http://books.google.com/books?id=EkoOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA194&lpg=PA194&dq=%22james+hoban%22+superintendent&source=web&ots=62c4xQxFab&sig=Eu8wkRSei-ghurXgMI9xxS11R3Y, retrieved 2008-01-17
- Bergin, Denis (2008), The James Hoban Commemoration 2008, http://web.mac.com/avergeen/iWeb/JamesHobanUpdate/Hoban%20Home.html, retrieved 2008-05-06
- Frary, Ihna Thayer (1969). They Built the Capitol. Ayer Publishing. ISBN 0836950895.
References
External links
