Pierre Charles L'Enfant was born in Paris,
France, in August, 1754. He studied art at the
Academie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture
and, in 1776, enlisted as a volunteer in the American
Revolutionary Army. In recognition of his service,
Congress promoted him to major of engineers in 1783.
After the war, in 1791, President Washington commissioned L'Enfant to
prepare a plan for the new Federal
City. The resulting plan was a brilliant combination of
mall, broad avenues, parks and squares, using to
advantage the uneven ground. In his old age, L'Enfant
lived with the Digges family at Green Hill, Prince George's County. It
was here that he died in June, 1825.
In 1909, his body was removed to Arlington National
Cemetery where a monument was erected to him by
Congress.
Prince George's County: 