July 31, 2025 • 10 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, he helped fight for America’s freedom, then shaped the city that would represent it. Pierre Charles L’Enfant designed Washington, D.C. with intention: circles, lines, and avenues that all meant something. But what began as a grand commission ended in conflict. L’Enfant’s refusal to give up control led to his removal. The plan moved on without him, and for years, so did history. Constituting America's award-winning student historian, Wyatt Hensley, shares the story of a designer with a vision too strong for his time, and how it still lives on in the streets of the capital.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we returned to our American stories. Up next, a
story on how our nation's capital, Washington, d C. Came
to be, or rather how it came to look as
it does now, with its grand monuments, boulevards, and centrally
located capitol building. The man behind it all a French
immigrant with a particular mind towards the symbolic here to
(00:33):
tell the story is Wyatt Hensley, an award winning student
with constituting America. Let's get into the story.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Our story begins not in the United States, but in Paris, France,
on August second, seventeen fifty four, Pierre Charles Lafont was born.
His father was a fan zamos painter who even worked
(01:01):
in the court of French King Louis the fifteenth, and
when Pierre grew up, he went and studied at the
Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, one of the most
renowned art schools at the time. There he learned all
about art, architecture, urban design, geometry, engineering, and so much more.
These new skills would serve him well, but probably not
(01:23):
in the place that he was expecting. In seventeen seventy seven,
he left his home country of France and headed off
to the American Colonies, where he volunteered for the Continental Army.
He admired the ideals that the colonies were fighting for,
such as liberty and self governance. He also believed that
this would provide a great opportunity to build a name
(01:46):
for himself, which paid off.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
In the end.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
His service and the Continental Army was filled with acts
of bravery, strength and determination. He was wounded at the
Siege of Savannah, but he returned to the army, continuing
the fight while leaning on a crutch. He went on
to spend six months as a prisoner of war after
being captured by the British during the Battle for Charleston
(02:15):
in seventeen eighty and he used his design skills to
help with military positions and fortifications. His impressive talents caught
the eye of the one and only General George Washington.
In seventeen eighty three, he was promoted to the honorary
rank of Brevet major. He also became a naturalized citizen
(02:36):
when the war concluded that year. Now following the war,
he worked on a few small civil engineering projects, but
its biggest job was yet to cut the United States
Constitution More specifically, Article I, Section eight called for a
(02:59):
new district to be created to become the government's seat. However,
it did not choose a specific spot. That would be
the job for Congress to decide at a later date. Well.
That later date came in seventeen ninety when the Secretary
of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson,
(03:19):
and a representative from Virginia, James Madison, agreed to a
famous compromise. The deal was that they would support Hamilton's
financial plan of having the federal government assume the state's
debts while the nation's capital will be in the south
along the Potomac River. The subsequent Residence Act also gave
(03:40):
President George Washington authority to choose the exact location of
the future capital. He did so in seventeen seventy one.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
I do hereby declare and make known that the location
of one part of the said territory of ten miles
Square shall be found by running four lines of experiment
in the following manner, that is to say, running from
the Courthouse of Alexandria, Virginia, and so continuing for the
remaining lines until the whole ten miles Square shall be
(04:09):
included within the said lines. The extensiveness of the grounds,
the salubrity of the air, and the command of the
river promise advantages which few other places could afford. George Washington.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
The founders knew the importance that this capital would hold,
not only serving as where the government would function, but
as a city that embodies the American spirit and its ideals.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
I hope, however, that simplicity of execution and the avoidance
of useless ornament will not be lost sight of We
wish not to imitate European splendor, but rather to set
an example of economy in Republican simplicity. Yet let the
character be noble in the objects worthy of a nation.
Thomas Jefferson. The plan for the city, when completed, will
(04:58):
I trust, be be worthy of a seat of government
designed for the accommodation of a great and rising empire.
The avenues and public squares will be open in grand
prospects and give the city an air of magnificence, an
order suitable to its object and to the expectations of
the citizens of the United States. George Washington.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So who would design this important city? Pierre Charles Lafon
His overall goal was to design a beautiful and grand metropolis,
drawing inspiration from numerous European cities such as Paris and
even the Palace of Versailles. He also want to incorporate
(05:42):
a grid layout with plenty of walkways, public spaces, room
for monuments and more. One of his most important elements
of the design was rather than having a grand palace
or even the President's house at the center, he intentionally
had the Capitol building to symbolize that the people are
at the center of the American Republic and that all
(06:04):
power derives from the people.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
In my plan, the Congress House shall not be a
mere building, but a central figure, the heart of the nation,
beating visibly and audibly. It must be visible from every quarter.
All other public buildings, all squares and gardens shall serve
to enhance its domination, so that the sphere of Republican
government is never out of sight, even in daily life.
(06:28):
From this point, every citizen may look outward to the
broad lands of the Republic and inward to the ideals
for which it stands. Pierre Charles Lafont.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Now during this process he often came into conflict with
the federal commissioners that were tasked by Congress to manage
the project. He was incredibly proud and even more stubborn
about his vision for the Capitol.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
I have projected lines of grand avenues and streets which
will be open and spacious, crossing at such angles as
to produce a please variety in command prospects of the
most interesting points. The avenues diverge from two principal points,
the Congress House, of course, and the President's House, thus
uniting legislative and executive branches visually and symbolically. And I
(07:14):
consider it my duty to remove obstructions to the execution
of the plan, and that no individual encroachment might be
suffered to alter the design laid out for the benefit
of the nation.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
In fact, he even had a partially built home demolished
because it interfered with his planned street grid.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I have made considerable expenditures under the belief that I
was free to improve my own land as I saw big.
The abrupt demolition of my building without notice or compensation,
has occasioned me serious injury and distress. I appealed to
the commissioners and the President for justice and restitution. Daniel
Carroll of Duddington has thought it advisable that your services
(08:03):
be dispensed with in the further prosecution of the plan
of the Federal City, and hopes that in some other
line your talents might be employed to better mutual satisfaction
Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Though he was relieved of his duties and subsequent designers
were hired, they largely continued to use his original design.
When he passed away on June fourteenth, eighteen twenty five,
he was in poverty and largely forgotten. Given his great
contributions to the design of Washington, DC, he began to
(08:40):
request fair compensation for his work. He initially requested around
ninety five five hundred dollars about three point two million
dollars a day, but he was only offered at most
a few thousand dollars. Many years after his initial request,
he was buried on a friend's farm in Prince George's County, Maryland,
(09:04):
despite his important work. However, in nineteen oh nine, his
remains were exhumed and transported to the US capital to
lie in state, making him the first foreign born individual
to receive such honors. He was then given a military
funeral which included a military escort to his final resting
(09:28):
place in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
No other city of the world owes so much to
a single man. As we look upon the noble avenues,
the vistas in the monumental center of our national life,
we recall that it was his genius which first saw
these things, not as they were, as they might be,
and ought to be Secretary of State Route April twenty eighth,
(09:57):
nineteen oh nine.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Much more fitting and appropriate way to remember and honor
the man who not only served his adopted nation in uniform,
but designed its capital to perfectly symbolize the nation's beauty
and the important ideals it strives to uphold.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
And a special thanks to Constituting America for sending us
this audio, and to find out more about the great
work they do with students across this country, go to
Constituting America dot org. That's Constituting America dot org. And
we do have the grand and great layout that could
not have been done without the frenchman who designed Washington,
(10:39):
DC and got fired. Pierre Charles Lafon's story here on
our American Stories
And we returned to our American stories. Up next, a
story on how our nation's capital, Washington, d C. Came
to be, or rather how it came to look as
it does now, with its grand monuments, boulevards, and centrally
located capitol building. The man behind it all a French
immigrant with a particular mind towards the symbolic here to
(00:33):
tell the story is Wyatt Hensley, an award winning student
with constituting America. Let's get into the story.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Our story begins not in the United States, but in Paris, France,
on August second, seventeen fifty four, Pierre Charles Lafont was born.
His father was a fan zamos painter who even worked
(01:01):
in the court of French King Louis the fifteenth, and
when Pierre grew up, he went and studied at the
Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, one of the most
renowned art schools at the time. There he learned all
about art, architecture, urban design, geometry, engineering, and so much more.
These new skills would serve him well, but probably not
(01:23):
in the place that he was expecting. In seventeen seventy seven,
he left his home country of France and headed off
to the American Colonies, where he volunteered for the Continental Army.
He admired the ideals that the colonies were fighting for,
such as liberty and self governance. He also believed that
this would provide a great opportunity to build a name
(01:46):
for himself, which paid off.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
In the end.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
His service and the Continental Army was filled with acts
of bravery, strength and determination. He was wounded at the
Siege of Savannah, but he returned to the army, continuing
the fight while leaning on a crutch. He went on
to spend six months as a prisoner of war after
being captured by the British during the Battle for Charleston
(02:15):
in seventeen eighty and he used his design skills to
help with military positions and fortifications. His impressive talents caught
the eye of the one and only General George Washington.
In seventeen eighty three, he was promoted to the honorary
rank of Brevet major. He also became a naturalized citizen
(02:36):
when the war concluded that year. Now following the war,
he worked on a few small civil engineering projects, but
its biggest job was yet to cut the United States
Constitution More specifically, Article I, Section eight called for a
(02:59):
new district to be created to become the government's seat. However,
it did not choose a specific spot. That would be
the job for Congress to decide at a later date. Well.
That later date came in seventeen ninety when the Secretary
of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson,
(03:19):
and a representative from Virginia, James Madison, agreed to a
famous compromise. The deal was that they would support Hamilton's
financial plan of having the federal government assume the state's
debts while the nation's capital will be in the south
along the Potomac River. The subsequent Residence Act also gave
(03:40):
President George Washington authority to choose the exact location of
the future capital. He did so in seventeen seventy one.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
I do hereby declare and make known that the location
of one part of the said territory of ten miles
Square shall be found by running four lines of experiment
in the following manner, that is to say, running from
the Courthouse of Alexandria, Virginia, and so continuing for the
remaining lines until the whole ten miles Square shall be
(04:09):
included within the said lines. The extensiveness of the grounds,
the salubrity of the air, and the command of the
river promise advantages which few other places could afford. George Washington.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
The founders knew the importance that this capital would hold,
not only serving as where the government would function, but
as a city that embodies the American spirit and its ideals.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
I hope, however, that simplicity of execution and the avoidance
of useless ornament will not be lost sight of We
wish not to imitate European splendor, but rather to set
an example of economy in Republican simplicity. Yet let the
character be noble in the objects worthy of a nation.
Thomas Jefferson. The plan for the city, when completed, will
(04:58):
I trust, be be worthy of a seat of government
designed for the accommodation of a great and rising empire.
The avenues and public squares will be open in grand
prospects and give the city an air of magnificence, an
order suitable to its object and to the expectations of
the citizens of the United States. George Washington.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So who would design this important city? Pierre Charles Lafon
His overall goal was to design a beautiful and grand metropolis,
drawing inspiration from numerous European cities such as Paris and
even the Palace of Versailles. He also want to incorporate
(05:42):
a grid layout with plenty of walkways, public spaces, room
for monuments and more. One of his most important elements
of the design was rather than having a grand palace
or even the President's house at the center, he intentionally
had the Capitol building to symbolize that the people are
at the center of the American Republic and that all
(06:04):
power derives from the people.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
In my plan, the Congress House shall not be a
mere building, but a central figure, the heart of the nation,
beating visibly and audibly. It must be visible from every quarter.
All other public buildings, all squares and gardens shall serve
to enhance its domination, so that the sphere of Republican
government is never out of sight, even in daily life.
(06:28):
From this point, every citizen may look outward to the
broad lands of the Republic and inward to the ideals
for which it stands. Pierre Charles Lafont.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Now during this process he often came into conflict with
the federal commissioners that were tasked by Congress to manage
the project. He was incredibly proud and even more stubborn
about his vision for the Capitol.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
I have projected lines of grand avenues and streets which
will be open and spacious, crossing at such angles as
to produce a please variety in command prospects of the
most interesting points. The avenues diverge from two principal points,
the Congress House, of course, and the President's House, thus
uniting legislative and executive branches visually and symbolically. And I
(07:14):
consider it my duty to remove obstructions to the execution
of the plan, and that no individual encroachment might be
suffered to alter the design laid out for the benefit
of the nation.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
In fact, he even had a partially built home demolished
because it interfered with his planned street grid.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I have made considerable expenditures under the belief that I
was free to improve my own land as I saw big.
The abrupt demolition of my building without notice or compensation,
has occasioned me serious injury and distress. I appealed to
the commissioners and the President for justice and restitution. Daniel
Carroll of Duddington has thought it advisable that your services
(08:03):
be dispensed with in the further prosecution of the plan
of the Federal City, and hopes that in some other
line your talents might be employed to better mutual satisfaction
Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Though he was relieved of his duties and subsequent designers
were hired, they largely continued to use his original design.
When he passed away on June fourteenth, eighteen twenty five,
he was in poverty and largely forgotten. Given his great
contributions to the design of Washington, DC, he began to
(08:40):
request fair compensation for his work. He initially requested around
ninety five five hundred dollars about three point two million
dollars a day, but he was only offered at most
a few thousand dollars. Many years after his initial request,
he was buried on a friend's farm in Prince George's County, Maryland,
(09:04):
despite his important work. However, in nineteen oh nine, his
remains were exhumed and transported to the US capital to
lie in state, making him the first foreign born individual
to receive such honors. He was then given a military
funeral which included a military escort to his final resting
(09:28):
place in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
No other city of the world owes so much to
a single man. As we look upon the noble avenues,
the vistas in the monumental center of our national life,
we recall that it was his genius which first saw
these things, not as they were, as they might be,
and ought to be Secretary of State Route April twenty eighth,
(09:57):
nineteen oh nine.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Much more fitting and appropriate way to remember and honor
the man who not only served his adopted nation in uniform,
but designed its capital to perfectly symbolize the nation's beauty
and the important ideals it strives to uphold.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
And a special thanks to Constituting America for sending us
this audio, and to find out more about the great
work they do with students across this country, go to
Constituting America dot org. That's Constituting America dot org. And
we do have the grand and great layout that could
not have been done without the frenchman who designed Washington,
(10:39):
DC and got fired. Pierre Charles Lafon's story here on
our American Stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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