The House That Hoban Built
 This year marks the
250th anniversary of the birth of the Irish architect who designed the original
White House. Tom Deignan takes a look at his extraordinary life.
In 1785, a newspaper in Philadelphia carried this advertisement:
“Any gentleman who wishes to build in an elegant style, may hear
of a person properly calculated for that purpose who can execute the Joining
and Carpenter’s business in the modern taste. James Hoban.”
Hoban was an Irishman, born in Kilkenny. George Washington never did see
Hoban’s ad. But he did choose the Irishman in 1792 when it came
time to build the White House.
250 Years
This year marks the 250th anniversary of James Hoban’s birth. To
honor the man who built what is arguably the most famous building in the
world, the White House Visitors Center recently unveiled a new exhibit
entitled “James Hoban: Architect of the White House.”
The exhibit runs through November 2, 2008 and reminds the public about
Hoban’s many accomplishments.
This was no easy task. Many of Hoban’s personal belongings –
including his personal papers – were destroyed in a fire 50 years
after Hoban died in 1831. The White House Historical Association had to
use creative methods to assemble his life story, and explain how Hoban
came to design the White House and earn the title of “First Federal
Architect.”
As a recent reviewer of the Hoban exhibit noted, “The show conveys
enough facts and images to form an intriguing portrait of this designer,
builder and developer, who wasn’t the most creative talent of his
day but nevertheless devised a lasting symbol of the presidency.”
All in all, it is easy to see Hoban as the ultimate Irish immigrant success
story in young America.
So, who was James Hoban? How did he come to design the most important
building for a young America? And what famous building in Dublin is the
White House based upon?  Kilkenny
Native
Hoban was born near Callan, Kilkenny in 1758, to a tenant farming family.
A locally prominent family, the Cuffes, offered tutoring services on their
estate in skills such as carpentry. Hoban took advantage of these services,
and later attended the Dublin Society’s Drawing School, where his
work caught the eye of Thomas Ivory, the school’s principal. Ivory
also had a private design practice. It is believed that Hoban, working
with Ivory, worked on the construction of notable Irish buildings such
as Dublin’s City Hall and the Custom House. Though Hoban was making
a name for himself in Ireland, he decided to relocate to America in 1785.
Hoban first went to Philadelphia, where he took out newspaper ads offering
his services, but he ended up settling in Charleston, South Carolina.
Though a seemingly odd choice, moving to Charleston proved to be a fateful
decision for Hoban.
Hoban teamed up with fellow Irish designer Pierce Purcell and went on
to design some private residences and worked on two of Charleston’s
most prominent public buildings – a 1200-seat theater and the refurbishing
of the old colonial state house as a courthouse. Still in use, a portrait
of Hoban hangs there to this day. While most of Hoban’s and Purcell’s
architectural accomplishments in Charleston have been lost, it was while
he was working in Charleston that Hoban was introduced to General George
Washington.
This certainly gave Hoban an advantage in 1792, when he entered the competition
to design the new home for America’s president.
A House for the President
It’s important to remember that while Hoban was building a name
for himself in the U.S., the young nation was in turmoil. True, the Revolutionary
War against England was over by the early 1780s. Still, America experienced
serious growing pains. It is often forgotten that under the Articles of
Confederation describing “America’s first system of government”
there was no provision for a president of the United States. That’s
because, in the wake of the war against the British crown, it was feared
that a single presidential leader would inevitably become a tyrant.
It was not until the U.S. Constitution was adopted in the late 1780s that
the U.S. presidency was created. One reason people were willing to accept
a president was because they knew George Washington would fill the role.
The question now was: Where would President Washington – and all
future presidents – reside?
 Inspiration
from Dublin
Interestingly, the American fear of a royal president is evident even
in Hoban’s design of the White House. It is believed that Hoban’s
design appealed to American government officials because it was simple
and conservative, rather than ornate, which would have led many to view
the White House as some sort of palace. When it came to inspiration, meanwhile,
Hoban looked to his native country.
Hoban based his White House design on Leinster House, the stone residence
in Dublin constructed around 1750 for the Duke of Leinster (now used as
the seat of Dáil éireann). Hoban is said to have admired
the structure designed by Richard Cassels, while he was attending the
Dublin Society Drawing School.
Hoban played a key role in not only the design but also the actual construction
of the White House, which took about eight years. Hoban was widely respected
for his efficiency and problem-solving skills. So, when construction of
the U.S Capitol got underway, Hoban was called in to oversee that project
as well. He was also involved in the construction of the U.S. Treasury
building as well as offices for the State Department, War Department and
U.S. Navy.
Prominent Catholic
While he was rubbing shoulders with Washington, D.C.’s most powerful
people, Hoban was also establishing himself as one of America’s
first prominent Irish Catholic citizens. This at a time when anti-Catholicism
was a very strong force in the U.S. It was not even legal in most states
to practice Catholicism before the Revolution. Hoban, however, was a lifelong
parishioner at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.,
and established various aid funds, including one for Irish immigrant laborers.
Along with George Washington’s close aide Stephen Moylan (born in
Cork) and Commodore John Barry (from Wexford), Hoban completed a trailblazing
triumvirate of Irish Catholic power brokers in the nation’s capital.
Still, for all his other accomplishments, it was the White House with
which Hoban was most closely associated. And so, when America and Britain
took up arms again during the War of 1812, Hoban was called upon again
when his most famous work was burned to the ground.
White House Burned
In August of 1814, British troops first marched upon the U.S. capital.
Since it did not appear that they would be able to take control of the
city, British officials told soldiers to simply destroy as much property
as possible. Soon enough, British soldiers entered the White House, which
President James Madison and his cabinet had already evacuated. With them
they took as many records and valuables as possible. Most famously, Gilbert
Stuart’s painting of George Washington – the man who made
Hoban famous – was shuttled off to a safe place. British soldiers
are said to have eaten all the food in the White House before setting
it ablaze. Only the strong sandstone walls were left standing. For another
decade, Hoban oversaw the rebuilding of the White House, and numerous
adjacent government buildings.
The White House today, of course, does not resemble even the one Hoban
helped reconstruct following the fire of 1814. The famous East and West
Wings were added decades later. Still, Hoban’s influence and legacy
are clear.
When they say the Irish built America, there’s no need to think
only of anonymous, poorly paid laborers toiling on the Erie Canal and
frontier railroads. The President, visiting dignitaries, and thousands
of tourists marvel at an Irishman’s work each and every day. |
