Pierre Charles l'Enfant

Designing a new Capital city? Child’s play for l'Enfant!

On 14 June 1825, Pierre Charles l'Enfant passed away in Prince Georges County, Maryland. As a young man in his early twenties, L'Enfant sailed to America and joined George Washington's army as a soldier / engineer.

After the American Revolution, he settled in the U.S. and became a well respected architect thanks to the education he had gotten from his father who was an artist and who served King Louis XV. In New York City, L'Enfant designed the original Federal Hall on Wall Street.

Just two years later, in 1791, he competed to design the map for the new "Federal City", ie Washington D.C. and he won! His design was inspired byVersailles with long diagonal avenues creating amazing perspective views. Have you visited both places and noticed any similarities?