BENJAMIN HENRY LATROBE (1764-1820)

"...is generally acknowledged as the first professional architect in the United States."

Adena architect Latrobe was born in England, where he learned architecture in the firm of a noted English master. In 1796 Latrobe immigrated to the United States. He came for several reasons. The death of his wife in 1794 left him disconsolate. His architectural practice was struggling. He wrote to his brother in 1804,

"in England the crowd of those whose talents are superior to mine is so great, that I should perhaps never have elbowed through them. Here I am the only successful Architect and Engineer."

To a friend he described himself as

the father of Architecture on this side of the Atlantic, having been the first who pretended to more than a mechanical knowledge of the Art.

Latrobe's career blossomed in the United States. Important commissions included the Bank of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (1798), the Philadelphia waterworks (an engineering project completed in 1801), and the Baltimore Cathedral (begun 1804 and now a National Historic Landmark). Latrobe served as Surveyor of Public Buildings in Washington, DC, from 1803-1812 and 1815-1817. Latrobe is best remembered today for his work on the United States Capitol during this time.

The significance of Adena is enhanced by the rarity of Latrobe residences. Most of Latrobe's houses (and many of his other buildings) were built in or near the heart of growing cities. City growth in the 1800s destroyed large numbers of his buildings. Of the sixty or so houses Latrobe designed or worked on in the United States, only three remain. These are Adena, and:

The 1817 Decatur house is a National Historic Landmark located on Lafayette Square, across from the White House.


The 1811 Pope Villa in Lexington, Kentucky, has over the years, been remodeled, subdivided and burned.

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The Ohio Historical Society is part of Latrobe's America, an alliance of cultural institutions dedicated to preserving the work and vision of Benjamin Henry Latrobe. See the Latrobe's America website for more information. http://www.latrobesamerica.org

BENJAMIN LATROBE:
1796:	Latrobe immigrated to the United States.
1798:	Commission by the Bank of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia
1801:	Commission by the Philadelphia waterworks
1804:	Commissioned to build the Baltimore Cathedral (now a National Historic Landmark)
1805-1806:	Designed Adena
1807:	The building of Adena is completed
1803-1812:	Served as Surveyor of Public Buildings in Washington, DC
1815-1817:	Served again as Surveyor of Public Buildings in Washington, DC