In 1800 Benjamin Latrobe proposed a pyramid mausoleum for George Washington to the congressional joint committee honoring his memory
Documented · occurred What these labels mean →In 1800 Benjamin Henry Latrobe wrote to the Joint Committee Appointed to Prepare Measures to Honor the Memory of General George Washington (19 Dec 1799 - 14 May 1800) proposing 'a Pyramid, upon a base of 13 steps' containing 'one chamber, 30 feet square, in the center of which is a plain sarcophagus or tomb'. His watercolor design survives at the Library of Congress. The pyramid was a freestanding mausoleum, not a tomb inside the Capitol; the source's title merged it with the separate plan for a tomb beneath the Capitol Crypt.
Evidence
| Relation | Record | Note |
|---|---|---|
| documents | en.wikisource.org | Wikisource transcription of NARA RG 128 (Joint Committee Appointed to Prepare Measures to Honor the Memory of General George Washington, 12/19/1799 - 5/14/1800; ARC 306519), Latrobe letter, 1800 (fetched directly 2026-10-04): 'The building is a Pyramid, upon a base of 13 steps … It contains one chamber, 30 feet square, in the center of which is a plain sarcophagus or tomb' |
| corroborates | mallhistory.org | Histories of the National Mall (RRCHNM): Latrobe's design, source The Library of Congress, dated 1799; ink, watercolor, wash and graphite, 51 x 61 cm |
Sources
| Source | Relation | At |
|---|---|---|
| DC Masonic symbolism (Camp Gagnon) | asserts |
Tied from
| From | Role | Years | Verdict | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congress hoped to place George and Martha Washington's remains in a space beneath the Capitol Crypt; they stayed at Mount Vernon | separate proposal (freestanding pyramid) | 1800 | Structural |
Mentioned in
Claim
In 1800 Benjamin Henry Latrobe wrote to the Joint Committee Appointed to Prepare Measures to Honor the Memory of General George Washington (19 Dec 1799 - 14 May 1800) proposing 'a Pyramid, upon a base of 13 steps' containing 'one chamber, 30 feet square, in the center of which is a plain sarcophagus or tomb'. His watercolor design survives at the Library of Congress. The pyramid was a freestanding mausoleum, not a tomb inside the Capitol; the source's title merged it with the separate plan for a tomb beneath the Capitol Crypt.
The Capitol tomb plan: Congress hoped to place George and Martha Washington's remains in a space beneath the Capitol Crypt; they stayed at Mount Vernon.