George Hadfield (1763 – 6 February 1826) was born in

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...

, of English parents, who were hotel keepers. He studied at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

, and worked with

James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the Neoclassicism, neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to ...

for six years before emigrating to the United States. He was the brother of painter, musician, and educator Maria Cosway.

Life and career

He was appointed superintendent of the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

's construction on 15 October 1795, and continued in that position until June 1798, resigning after an argument with

William Thornton William Thornton (May 20, 1759 – March 28, 1828) was an American physician, inventor, painter and architect who designed the United States Capitol. He also served as the first Architect of the Capitol and first Superintendent of the United Sta ...

. He is credited with part of the design of the original Capitol building such as the north wing, but little of the related papers remain. He is buried in

Congressional Cemetery The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street in Washington, D.C., in the Hill East neighborhood on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American ...

in Washington, D.C.

List of works

* Original Treasury Department building, drew plans in 1798, completed in 1800; partially destroyed by fire in 1801 and burned by British forces in 1814 * Navy Department, 1800 * Washington Jail, 1801, later converted to a hospital, burned in 1861 * Marine Corps Commandant's House, 1801–1805 * Arlington House (Custis-Lee Mansion), 1818 *

District of Columbia City Hall District of Columbia City Hall, also known as Old City Hall and the District of Columbia Courthouse, is a historic building at Judiciary Square in downtown Washington, D.C. facing Indiana Avenue. Originally built for the offices of the governmen ...

, 1820 * Van Ness Mausoleum

Possible works

* Historic Huntley

Other

There are other works. However they are not easily identified, since they are not in the

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

style. For example, Hadfield is credited with alterations to

The Octagon House The Octagon House, also known as the Colonel John Tayloe III House, is a house located at 1799 New York Avenue, Northwest in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It was built in 1799 for John Tayloe III, the wealthiest planter in ...

.Moeller, pages 176–177.
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Gallery

Image:Statue of Abraham Lincoln (District of Columbia City Hall) - 3.jpg, District of Columbia City Hall Image:Van Ness Mausoleum - Washington, D.C..jpg, Van Ness Mausoleum Image:Arlington House front view.JPG, Front view of Arlington House Image:CMC Home from the parade deck.jpg, Commandant of the Marine Corps' house at 8th & I SE Image:U.S. Treasury building (1804) (Harper's engraving).png, Original U.S. Treasury building.

Notes

References

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External links

Historical Marker for Executive Office BuildingHistorical Marker for Huntley
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hadfield, George 1763 births 1826 deaths 18th-century American architects 18th-century English architects Burials at the Congressional Cemetery People from Livorno English emigrants to the United States 19th-century American architects Grand Duchy of Tuscany people