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Pierre L'enfant designed the look of the U.S. capital but died in obscurity

By Rebecca Rosman
Published January 26, 2026 at 4:00 AM CST

Pierre L'Enfant was a lowly French engineer when he met George Washington at Valley Forge. Washington recruited him to make the design for the nation's new capital city. L'Enfant made the plans, but his personality was so abrasive, he was pushed out of the project.

Copyright 2026 NPR
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Rebecca Rosman
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
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