William Thornton

William Thornton (1759–1828) was an American physician, inventor, and architect who designed the United States Capitol and became the first superintendent of the United States Patent Office.

United States Capitol: The seat of the United States Congress, built on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Thornton won the 1793 design competition for this building.
George Washington: The first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. Washington endorsed Thornton’s Capitol design after the competition.
Octagon House: A historic octagonal house in Washington, D.C., designed by William Thornton and completed in 1801. This surviving residence displays Thornton’s use of an unusual geometric plan.
Jost Van Dyke: A small island in the British Virgin Islands, where William Thornton was born in 1759. Thornton’s birthplace connected his early life to the British Caribbean.
Burning of Washington: The 1814 British attack that burned public buildings in Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812. The Capitol Thornton designed was badly damaged in the attack.
United States Patent Office: The federal institution that administers patents and registers trademarks in the United States. Thornton led its predecessor office as its first superintendent.
Thomas Jefferson: The third president of the United States and a leading advocate of republican government and classical architecture. As secretary of state, Jefferson oversaw the Capitol design competition.
Hammond-Harwood House: An Annapolis residence designed by William Buckland and completed in 1774. Thornton proposed a design for the house before the commission went to Buckland.
University of Edinburgh: A Scottish public research university founded in 1583. Thornton studied medicine there before beginning his American career.
War of 1812: A war between the United States and Great Britain fought from 1812 to 1815. Its destruction of the Capitol forced major rebuilding of Thornton’s project.

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Washington National CathedralRelated: His proposal helped revive plans for a cathedral in the capital.