Latrobe, << luh TROHB, >> Benjamin Henry (1764-1820), was the first important professionally trained architect to practice in the United States. He established the Neoclassical style for the new federal government buildings in Washington, D.C. He also introduced the Greek Revival style into the United States. The Bank of Pennsylvania (1800), designed by Latrobe, became the first building in the nation to extensively feature elements of ancient Greek architecture.
Latrobe was born on May 1, 1764, near Leeds, England. He began to practice architecture in England but moved to the United States in 1796. He established his first practice in Richmond, Virginia, where he designed the Richmond Penitentiary (1797). In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Latrobe surveyor of the public buildings of the United States. From 1803 to 1812, Latrobe worked on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and was responsible for much of its design. He also designed the U.S. Customs House (1809) in New Orleans as well as many private houses. He also helped Jefferson with the plans for the University of Virginia. From 1815 to 1817, Latrobe directed the reconstruction of the Capitol and other buildings destroyed during the War of 1812. Latrobe’s masterpiece is the Basilica of the Assumption (1821) in Baltimore. He died on Sept. 3, 1820.
