The Irish standard., 1908-08-08

AAIClCSIii6 pcTSOu'
age. L'Enfant came to America with
Lafayette. entered the American army
and shortly became captain of en-.
gineers. reaching, before the conclu.
sion of the war, the rank of major. To
him is given the credit of dev1eipE.
the magnificent plan of the city of
Washington. The plan, it has been
said, was suggested by that of the
ancient city of Annapolis, which is
dominated by the state house. as that
OF Washington is by the capitol. The
original plan of the capitol was de.
signed by DIR. Thornton. and although
IL was pronounced by Mr. Latrobe to
be one of the first designs of modern
umes. 1T proved so faulty and imprac.
ucable In detail that a committee of
congress called upon Mr. Benjamin H,
Latrobe to help to straighten things
out. MIR. Latrobe had been appointed
surveyor of the public buildings in
Washington and experienced such diff.
hculty in dealing with DIR. Thornton
That he resigned. But the president
would not accept his resignation, and
he received authority to complete the
capitol About this time, namely. in
1906. Latrobe wrote in his journal as
follows:
Daily through the city stalks the
picture Of famine, LEnfant and his
dog. The plan of the city is probably
his. though others claim It, This sim
gular man. of whom it is not known
whether he was ever educated to his
profession or not, has the courage to
undertake any public work that might
be offered to him. He has not sue
ceeded in any, but was always honest
and Is now mserably poor. He is too
proud to receive any assistance, and
1t Is very doubtful in what manner he
subsists"
Before this time L'Enfant had been
employed by Robert Morris to design
and supervise the erection of dwell
Ing in Philadelphia. The design of
this house was monstrosity and the
attempt to build 1t ruined both Nor
ris and the architect. The house was
12o feet long by go deep and Latrobe
spoke of 1t as complicated and un-
Ineligible mass"
After Latrobe saw L'Enfant In
Washington looking like picture of
famine, L'Enfant was offered the place
of professor of engineering at West
Point Military academy. but declined
1t. He was frequent visitor at Chill
lum Manor, in Prince George county,
and there he was cared for in his
last illness. He was buried there in
the family graveyard.
Latrobe seemed to have no doubt
that the plan of the city Of Washing
ton was made by L'Enfant, and in this
day it is accepted as a historical fact.
That plan establishes the genius of
L'Enfant. 1t seems beyond belief that
In the very infancy of the republic
man could have looked forward with
prophetic eye and designed a city
| which can be suitable only as the
capital of great and opulent coun-
try. 1t was designed for just such a
city as IL has grown to be, namely,
, city of residences and public build
/ ings. For business or commercial
city the streets are too wide and the
design unsuitable. But as a capital
city, and residence city with the re-
| sources Of the whole country to help
| 1t, 1t is difficult to see how the design
/ could be improved. For the first half
century of It's life the plan of Wash
ington was greatly ridiculed as map.
propriate to a town Of its insignificant
! size. It's broad streets were unpaved
and were alternately storms of blind
ing dust or deep in mud. 1t was
called In derision the "city of magnifi-
cent distances" But Washington has
now grown up to Its plan and justified
the designer. 1t is entirely fitting that
the ashes Of the man whose genius
accomplished so much should repose
| in the city he created