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Article: A Capitol Idea for A Book
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- February 19, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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More than two centuries have passed since Washington was
riverbank, forest and farmland. Yet much is not known about the
people who created a national capital where orchards grew and
rolling hills awaited monuments.
The politicians are fairly well documented. But the
"secondary" characters of the founding, as historian Charles M.
Harris calls them, have too often been ignored.
One such is William Thornton.
Thornton (1759-1828) was the Capitol's first architect. He
believed he could do anything, including free slaves, teach the deaf
to speak and raise the dead -- specifically the corpse of George
Washington.
Harris's infatuation with Thornton began in 1979, when he
pursued his ...