William Thornton

William Thornton
Portrait by Gilbert Stuart, 1804
Architect of the Capitol
In office
1793–1802
PresidentGeorge Washington
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byBenjamin Henry Latrobe
5th Commissioner of the Federal City
In office
September 12, 1794 – July 1, 1802
Preceded byDavid Stuart
Succeeded byOffice retired
Personal details
Born(1759-05-20)May 20, 1759
Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
DiedMarch 28, 1828(1828-03-28) (aged 68)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting placeCongressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh;
University of Aberdeen
ProfessionArchitect
Known forUnited States Capitol
AwardsMagellanic Premium (1792)
Military service
Branch/serviceDistrict of Columbia Militia[1]
Years of service1807-1815
RankCaptain

William Thornton (May 20, 1759 – March 28, 1828) was an American physician, inventor, painter and architect who designed the United States Capitol. He also served as the first Architect of the Capitol and first Superintendent of the United States Patent Office.

  1. ^ Clark, Allen C. (1915). "Doctor and Mrs. William Thornton". Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 18: 144–208. JSTOR 40066870. Retrieved 22 April 2022.