George Washington Bashes America's First Starchitect

A letter written by George Washington that is set to be auctioned by Christie's details the founding father's conflicting views of Pierre Charles L’Enfant, diva designer of the District of Columbia.

2 minute read

December 7, 2012, 10:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


L’Enfant's visionary plan for a new capital city filled with "wide boulevards and lush public spaces" that "married European style with American egalitarianism," is admired by many in the District and in planning circles. However, L'Enfant's legendary temperament, which cost him the commission, was less admired by his peers, as Washington's letter makes clear.

"By the time Washington put quill to paper on that 30th day of November 1792, L’Enfant was already a source of controversy. Even though he’d drafted an impressive plan for the federal city, he’d been shoved aside amid bickering with the commission established to oversee construction," writes Manuel Roig-Franzia. In the letter to David Stuart, one of three members of the commission, "Washington tells Stuart that L’Enfant might be a good candidate [to complete the much-delayed project] — 'if he could have been restrained within proper bounds and his temper was less untoward.'”

"But Washington then pivots, noting that L’Enfant is 'the only person with whose turn to matters of this sort I am acquainted, that I think fit for it.'”

"Chris Coover, a senior specialist in rare books and manuscripts at Christie’s, reads in the letter an American president 'conflicted' over the designing genius. Impressed with his work, annoyed by his temperament, for, after all, L’Enfant was 'very arrogant . . . very full of himself.'”

The letter is expected to sell for as much as $400,000.

Thursday, December 6, 2012 in The Washington Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

July 2 - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square