Posted In Pierre L’Enfant

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Why Is It Named Meridian Hill?
Pierre L'Enfant had originally planned the City of Washington around a right triangle, with the eastern portion at the Capitol, the northern portion at the White House and the 90 degree angle close to where the Washington Monument sits today. Thomas Jefferson marked this spot in 1793 with a wooden post, which was replaced in 1804 with the Jefferson Pier.
Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government of t[he] United States : projected agreeable to the direction of the President of the United States, in pursuance of an act of Congress, passed on the sixteenth day of July, MDCCXC, "establishing the permanent seat on the bank of the Potowmac"
Exploring the Plan for the Federal City with a Terrific Old Map
Discover the plan for the federal city with a terrific old map from the Library of Congress. Explore the projected layout of the city to gain insight into the history of the United States.
Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC
Constitution Avenue Almost Renamed Franklin or L'Enfant Avenue
Constitution Avenue used to be named B Streets. That wasn't impressive enough so Congress had a few options.
1791 L'Enfant Plan of the new city
Why Is There No J Street in Washington, DC?
In the English alphabet, the letter J looked too much like the letter I, so Pierre L'Enfant omitted J street in DC.

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