J\largaref "^rowii KJ^apthor 



BENJAMIN LATROBE AND DOLLEY MADISON 

 DECORATE THE WHITE HOUSE 



1809-1811 



hi 1809 the Mucinous moved into a White House which was 

 beginning to present a dignified outside appearance to the world. 

 With Dolley Madison's able help, Benjamin Latrohe, architect 

 and engineer, began to create an interior decor in keeping 

 w!th the building s basic iirchitectuval elega)ice. Yet the task, 

 which occupied the years frof» 1S09 to 1811, proved quite in- 

 expensive by today' s standards. 



The descriptions of the rooms in this article give the reader 

 a glimpse into the Ladies' Dratving Koom (the present Red 

 Room') and the Oval Drawing Room (the present Blue Room') 

 of the Madison era. Only part of the White House had been 

 decorated when the Bnt/sh marched on Washington and the 

 Mansion was burned. 



The Author: Margaret Broun Klapthor is associate 

 curator of political history in the Smithsonian Institution' s 

 Museum of History and Technology. 



WHEN THOMAS JEFFERSON assuuicd Ills duties as other public buildings as may be necessary for the 



President in 1801 most of the pubHc buildings accommodation of Congress in their future sessions." 



which were being constructed for the new government On the strength of his bill, Jefferson then created the 



were in deplorable condition. The Capitol and the position of Surveyor of Public Buildings and offered 



White House were only partially finished and work the position to Benjamin Henry Latrobe. 

 was at a standstill. Perhaps as a result of Jefferson's Latrobe, a native of England, was at that time living 



own personal interest in architecture, one of his first in Philadelphia where he was successfully practicing 



actions was to get Congress to appropriate $50,000 his profession as an architect and engineer. He was 



for use "in repairs and alterations in the Capitol and a man of ability and had a wide range of interests 



P.VPER 49 : BENJ.AMIN L.ATROBE .AND OOLLEY M.ADISOX DECOR.\TE THE WHITE HOUSE 



155 



