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Benjamin Latrobe's White House Oval Room Furniture
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Status: |
Missing |
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Date: |
about 1810 AD |
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Artist: |
Benjamin Latrobe (1764-1820), designer
John & Hugh Finlay, cabinetmakers |
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Origin: |
Baltimore, Maryland |
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Media: |
Mahogany with silk upholstery |
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Measurements: |
Unknown |
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Last Known: |
White House, Washington, D.C., 24 August 1814 |
What is it?A set of furniture designed for James and Dolley Madison by Benjamin Latrobe for the White House.Why is it important?This was the first furniture made specifically for the White House after its completion.Description:Pictured at right are Benjamin Latrobe's surviving original design drawings for the furniture and a reproduction of one of the chairs from the set that was made for an exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Remember that the reproduction chair shows what they would have looked like when made. Today the wood of the original would be far darker, perhaps almost black depend on how it was maintained. Also, upholstery could have been tacked over the rails around the seat.History:Architect Benjamin Latrobe was born in England and emigrated to the United States in 1796. He became the first professional architect in America and the first to design furniture specifically for his buildings.
In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson appointed Latrobe Surveyor of Public Buildings for Washington, D.C. As Surveyor, Latrobe oversaw the construction of the United States Capitol building. Later he made changes to the design of the Capitol, especially in the interior, when he oversaw its reconstruction after it was partially burned by the British in 1814. He also made modifications and additions to an earlier design for the White House.
Latrobe was commissioned in 1810, by President James Madison, to design interiors for the recently completed White House. He worked closely with the first lady, Dolley Madison on the project. Although the White House was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800 the Oval Room (today called the Blue Room) was not completed until 1809. This room Mrs. Madison intended as a "reception room for the nation."
The furniture for the Oval Room was designed by Latrobe in the Classical Style that was fashionable at the time; that is, based on Greek and Roman forms. It was built by John and Hugh Finlay of Baltimore. Work on the White House interiors was halted due to the onset of the War of 1812 but not before the 36 chairs, two sofas and four window seats of this suite were installed in the Oval Room.
The night of 24 August 1814 was among the most dramatic in U.S. presidential history. The British army, having won a battle against American troops that day at Bladensburg, Maryland, sent a detachment of troops into Washington, D.C. to burn the White House and the Capitol.
First lady Dolley Madison was preparing for a dinner party at the White House when the messenger arrived to warn her of the danger. Taking only what they could carry she and her staff fled across the Potomac River. The British troops arrived to find the table set and the wine and food laid out. After helping themselves to the abandoned meal they set fire to mansion and the Capitol Building before withdrawing from the city.Clues:What we know is that the furniture suite designed by Latrobe for the Oval Room was in the White House on the night of 24 August 1814 when British soldiers raided the mansion and then set it on fire. A number of things were removed by bystanders with either preservation or theft in mind in the mayhem after Dolley Madison fled the house. Chairs such as these would have been easily removed and historians speculate that some could have been carted away and survive to this day.Special thanks to:
Baltimore Museum of Art
The Maryland Historical Society
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A modern reproduction by Baltimore cabinetmaker David Wiesand of one of the chairs that Benjamin Latrobe designed for the white house. Courtesy of Baltimore Museum of Art
Designs for White House furniture by Benjamin Latrobe. Courtesy of Maryland Historical Society
Designs for White House furniture by Benjamin Latrobe. Courtesy of Maryland Historical Society |
