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James Hoban's drawing of the White House

James Hoban (c. 1758 - December 8, 1831) was an Irish architect, best known for designing the White House in Washington, D.C..

Life

James Hoban was born in Desart, near Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland.^[1] Hoban was raised on the estate of the Earl of Desart at Cuffesgrange, Co Kilkenny where he learned carpentry skills. He studied architecture at the Royal Dublin Society.

Following the American Revolutionary War, Hoban emigrated to the United States, and established himself as an architect in Philadelphia in 1781.^[1] Hoban went to South Carolina in 1792, where he designed numerous buildings including the South Carolina statehouse in Columbia.^[1][2]

In 1792, Hoban won the competition to design the presidential mansion, later known as the The White House.^[3]

Hoban was also one of the supervising architects who served on the Capitol, carrying out the design of Dr. William Thornton.

Hoban lived the rest of his life in Washington, D.C., where he worked on other public buildings and government projects, including roads and bridges.^[4] He also designed Rossenarra House near the village of Kilmoganny in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1824.

Hoban died in Washington, D.C. on December 8, 1831.

Ireland commemoration

A memorial arbor is being designed to honor James Hoban near his birth place and is expected to be completed by 2008. A major exhibition on his life is to take place at the White House Visitor Center.

"Dublin Made Him..."-, a one day colloquium in honour of Hoban is scheduled for October 3, 2008 at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in Dublin, Ireland. It will be presented by the RDS in association with the White House Historical Association, the U.S. Embassy in Ireland, and the James Hoban Societies of the U.S. and Ireland.

In Popular Culture

The Irish-American group Solas have a song "John Riordan's Heels/The Bath Jig/Hoban's White House" on their album, For Love and Laughter. Group member Mick McAuley, like Hoban, is from Kilkenny, and named the song in Hoban's honor.

See also

• List of people on stamps of Ireland

Additional reading

• Bryan, Wilhelmus Bogart (1914), A History of the National Capital, The Macmillan company, <http://books.google.com/books?id=EkoOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA194&lpg=PA194&dq=%22james+hoban%22+superintendent&source=web&ots=62c4xQxFab&sig=Eu8wkRSei-ghurXgMI9xxS11R3Y>. Retrieved on 17 January 2008 
• Bergin, Denis (2008), The James Hoban Commemoration 2008, <http://web.mac.com/avergeen/iWeb/JamesHobanUpdate/Hoban%20Home>. Retrieved on 6 May 2008 
• Frary, Ihna Thayer (1969). They Built the Capitol. Ayer Publishing. ISBN 0836950895. 

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Frary, page 27
2. ^ Bryan, page 194.
3. ^ Bryan, page 194-195.
4. ^ Frary, page 28.

External links

• White House History