You may not know it, but George Hadfield's architectural fingerprints are all over downtown Washington. He designed the Treasury and Navy Department buildings, the Washington Jail and part of the Capitol Building. He also designed the Van Ness Mausoleum, although it wasn't completed until seven years after his own death. The mausoleum speaks to Hadfield's preference for the Greek Revival style and is reportedly based on the Temple of Vesta. It was designed for Marcia Van Ness, wife of Congressman and D.C. mayor John Peter Van Ness. Both of them (plus five other family members) lie in the mausoleum which which currently sits at Oak Hill Cemetery. Previously, it had stood on H Street between 9th and 10th Street NW in front of the orphanage that Mrs. Van Ness had supported during her life.
· Van Ness Mausoleum [Wikipedia]
· George Hadfield (architect) [Wikipedia]
· John Peter Van Ness [Wikipedia]
Filed under: