JHBL Family Genealogy

1764

May 1^st:  Benjamin Henry Latrobe born in Fulneck, Yorkshire, England

Son of Reverend Benjamin and Anna Margaretta (Antes) Latrobe

1767

June 13^th:  Begins school in Yorkshire, England

1776

October:  Leaves England to study in France and Italy

1784

Summer:  Returns to England

1790

February 27^th:  Marries Lydia Sellon

1791

March 23^rd:  Lydia Sellon Latrobe is born (first child)

1792

July 19^th:  Henry Sellon Latrobe is born (second child)

Designs and builds Hammerwood Park in Sussex, England

Opens his own architectural office in London

Appointed Surveyor of the Public Offices in London

1793

November:  Lydia Latrobe (wife) dies in child-birth (third child dies)

Designs and builds Ashdown House in Berkshire, England

1795

November 26^th:  Leaves England for America on the Eliza

1796

Mid-March:  Arrives in Norfolk, Virginia

March:  Designs his first American house, the William Pennock House in Norfolk

April 3^rd:  Leaves Norfolk and arrives in Richmond, Virginia

1796-1797

Appointed as an engineer for navigation companies

1797

Commissioned by Virginia Governor James Wood to build the Virginia State Penitentiary

1798

Completes his designs for the Richmond Theatre

December:  leaves Richmond and arrives in Philadelphia

Appointed as the architect for the Bank of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia

1799

Designs Sedgley, a Gothic villa in Philadelphia

1800

January 26^th:  Completes his designs for the National Military Academy

1800

May 1^st:  Marries Mary Elizabeth Hazlehurst

Designs the Mausoleum/National Monument honoring George Washington

1801

June:  Juliana Latrobe is born (fourth child)

August 7^th:  Juliana Latrobe dies

August-September:  Appointed commissioner, engineer, and contractor of the Susquehanna River Survey

1802

October 4^th:  Loses the competition for the design of New York City Hall

November:  Invited by President Jefferson to design the covered dry-docks at the Washington Navy Yard

1803

March 6^th:  Appointed Surveyor of Public Buildings of the United States by Jefferson

May 4^th:  John Hazlehurst Boneval Latrobe is born (fifth child)

1804

January 25^th:  Appointed Engineer for the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Company

July 17^th:  Julia E. Latrobe is born (sixth child)

1805

Completes a proposal for the wings between the President’s House and the federal office buildings

November 5^th:  Mary Agnes Latrobe is born (seventh child)

1806

March 9^th:  Mary Agnes Latrobe dies

December 19^th:  Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Jr. is born (eighth child)

1808

Louisa Latrobe is born, dies at birth (ninth child)

1810

January 24^th:  Appointed Engineer for the second Washington Canal

June 6^th:  Appointed Commissioner for the Columbia Turnpikes in the District of Columbia

1812

Position as Surveyor of Public Buildings is abolished by Congress

1814

January:  Completes preliminary designs for the John Peter Van Ness House in Washington

1815

April 18^th:  Contracted to rebuild the burned U.S. Capitol

1815

Designs St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington

1816-1820

Designs and builds the Baltimore Exchange and Customs House

1817

November 20^th:  Resigns as architect of the U.S. Capitol

Begins designing the Stephen Decatur House in Washington

1818

January:  Moves to Baltimore, Maryland

October 4^th:  Completes the masonry work on the principal dome of the Baltimore Cathedral

1819

January 10^th:  Leaves Baltimore and arrives in New Orleans, Louisiana

Begins work on the New Orleans Waterworks

1820

September 3^rd:  Benjamin Henry Latrobe dies of yellow fever while working on the New Orleans Waterworks