Washington, Outside and Inside; A Picture and a Narrative of the Origin, Growth, Excellencies, Abuses, Beauties, and Personages of Our Governing City (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: L'enfant's Biography. 49 and was promoted Major of Engineers May 2, 1873. Hence the rank with which he descends to history. At the close of the Revolution I/Enfant commended himself to Jefferson who almost monopolized the artistic taste and knowledge of the first administration, and as the project for a Federal city developed L'Eufant was brought into very close relations with President Washington. The artistic and the executive mind rarely run parallel, however, and very soon Washington heard with indignation that L'Enfant, enamored of his plan of the city, had refused to let it be used by the Commissioners as an incitement and directory to purchasers. The excuse of L'Enfant appears to have been that if acquainted with the plan speculators would build up his finest avenues with unsuitable structures. Washington's letter displays both the ability and weakness of his architect and engineer: " It is much to be regretted," he says, " that men who possess talents which fit them for peculiar purposes should almost invariably be under the influence of an untoward disposition . I have thought that for such employment that he is now engaged in for prosecuting public works and carrying them into effect. Major L'Enfant was better qualified than any one who had come within my knowledge in this country or indeed in any other I had no doubt at the same time, that this was the light in which he considered himself." This letter was written in the autumn of 1791, eight months after Jefferson instructed L'Enfant as follows: " You arc directed to proceed to Georgetown where you will find Mr. Ellicott in making a survey and map of the Federal territory." Jefferson then distributed the responsibility by preseribing as L'Eufant's duty " to draw the site of the Federal town and building...