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Lafayette Square (Once the White House Overlooked a Residential Neighborhood, 1902) by Peter Waddell

Lafayette Square (Once the White House Overlooked a Residential Neighborhood, 1902) by Peter Waddell

Peter Waddell, Lafayette Square, oil on canvas, 48 x 60.

Lafayette Square, once surrounded by residential houses and mansions was a grand neighborhood that included the White House. Benjamin H. Latrobe's Saint Johns Church, built in 1816, was soon followed by his design for Stephen Decatur's house, erected 1818-1819, on the northwest corner of the square. Dolley Madison spent her last years in a residence directly across the park on the northeast side of the square. In 1902 during the renovation of the White House, Theodore Roosevelt became a temporary square resident, living near Decatur House at 22 Jackson Place.

Artist
Peter Waddell
Date of Work
1902
Medium
Oil
Credit
Peter Waddell for the White House Historical Association

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