Pierre Charles L'Enfant

Pierre Charles L'Enfant was a French trained artist and military engineer who came to fight in the American Revolution. In 1791 George Washington asked him to plan the new federal capital, and he drew a baroque city of broad diagonal avenues cutting across a grid, with open circles and squares where they meet and grand views between the Capitol and the President's house. The plan later inspired Canberra, New Delhi and Brasília.

He was difficult, clashed with the commissioners, and within a year Washington dismissed him for insubordination In 1909 his remains were moved to Arlington National Cemetery and laid in front of Arlington House, on the slope looking across the river at the city he drew. In the city, Lafayette Square across from the White House was part of the President's Park in his 1791 plan.