Pierre Charles L'Enfant
Pierre Charles L'Enfant (
2 August 1754–
14 June 1825) designed the street plan of the Federal City, now known as
Washington, DC. Born in France, he came to to the American colonies with
Lafayette and became closely identified with the
United States, adopting the name Peter. He is buried in
Prince George's County, Maryland.
Because of his irascible personality, L'Enfant's plan for the Federal City was only partially executed during his lifetime. In 1901 the McMillan Commission rediscovered the layout and used it as the cornerstone of its 1902 report, which laid out a plan for a sweeping National Mall.