Historical Research and Study of D.C.
This site is devoted to the study of how the architecture of Washington DC came about, and what it means. The images of the Capitol and the White House, stir deep feelings in people of all nations. They are the places that embody the institutions of government, authority and leadership, both to the American people and to the rest of the world.
There are perhaps no other more potent images of power than the dome of Congress or the Presidential mansion.
As an architectural historian, I am researching the way the Constitution of the United States of America was worked out in the buildings of the District of Columbia. I ask that those who view this site, look at its pages, my comments and those of others, would respond in a balanced, thoughtful way of their own attitudes or scholarly experience.
The history of the planning of Washington is a fascinating one. It dates back to the founding of the nation itself and to the fathers of the nation, Washington and Jefferson. The principal 'players' were those who commissioned the founding of the capital, those who planned the city and designed the buildings, and those who used the city and its buildings and made great strides to improve the way that Washington was used.
The study of how democracy has been expressed in architecture has far reaching implications for today. In studying the past, we can learn for the future. Questions arise about how nations should build for the next century. What style should buildings housing rulers and democratic bodies be designed in? Should America adhere to a classical style when building for government? What are the differences of building for legislative, executive and judicial branches of government?
I also want to explore the precedents set for the design of Washington, by architecture in France (Versailles); The architecture of Thomas Jefferson; the state capitols built before the founding of DC; and the influence of the architecture of Greece and Rome as examples of buildings for the democratic process.
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The project is aimed at understanding the significance of the classical language of architecture as used to express political power and the authority of democracy. This will inevitably lead to an in depth analysis of Independence and 'Government for the people, by the people'.
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