Rebuilding the Capitol After the Fires of 1814: Benjamin Latrobe & Potomac Marble

The destruction of Washington in 1814 by the invading British challenged President Monroe and Benjamin Latrobe with the task of rebuilding the edifices which had been destroyed. They understood that the principal buildings of the government were not mere offices but symbols of the aspirations of the Republic. They had to be functional but also classically beautiful. The preferred building material was marble. Potomac marble, which exists in abundance on both sides of the Potomac River, was used as the building material. In this course, we will also learn about the invasion of 1814 and the methods the British used to burn stone buildings. And then, during the last session of the course, we will visit the actual quarry used by Latrobe and lost to history for years until rediscovered by Kreingold. Rain Date - 11/21