Scope and Content Note
The papers of Benjamin H. Latrobe (1764-1820), spanning the years 1803-1817, consist principally of letters from Latrobe to John Lenthall, clerk of the works of the United States Capitol, concerning the construction of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Illustrated with sketches and plans, the letters were written in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Newcastle and Wilmington, Delaware, or Ironhill, Maryland, conveying Latrobe's instructions on details of the construction. Included are several notes and memoranda to Lenthall from Thomas Jefferson concerning the construction, a few of Lenthall's letters to Latrobe, and two volumes of copies of some of the above correspondence plus other documents concerning the Capitol building. A majority of the copies are Latrobe's letters to Lenthall, but there are copies of several letters to Thomas Jefferson and John Marshall. Also in the collection are typed transcripts of Latrobe’s letters to Lenthall and a photocopy of an extract of a diary giving an account of his visit to Mount Vernon, Virginia, on July 16, 1796.