Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/884685
tions his "Grand Vestibule" and beneath it a "great reposi- tory," but never specifies what exactly would fill this space. It seems plausible that Thornton's repository could have held future acts of Congress, treaties with foreign nations, formal proceedings of the national gov- ernment, or even served as a possible destination for the first Library of Congress. Washington's correspon- dence with Thornton offers no clear answer either, as Washington never discussed his future entombment nor alluded to a mausoleum in his honor. While the two men certainly shared a friendship, Federalist political beliefs, and a vision of prosperity for the nation's capi- tal, there is no direct evidence that Washington desired a tomb beneath the Rotunda. 2 Washington had "no hesitation in giving [Thornton's drawings] a decided preference" in the design competi- tion, but Thornton's lack of architectural training cre- ated conflict between the English doctor and the new Capitol superintendent Étienne Sulpice Hallet. As a highly qualified French architect, Hallet had been rec- ommended by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and selected by the commissioners to oversee the construc- tion. However, losing the competition to an English amateur never sat very well with the Frenchman. He immediately scrutinized Thornton's designs and informed Jefferson of their deficiencies, impracticalities, and impossibilities. Washington called for a conference in Philadelphia to discuss the discrepancies, attended by Thornton, his secondary architect Thomas Carstairs, Hallet, Jefferson, and Thomas Hoban, architect of the President's House. Those present tended to agree with most of Hallet's objections, and in doing so provided him with greater autonomy to revamp Thornton's plans to his own liking. Knowing Washington's affinity for frugality, Hallet also secured the President's confidence by vowing to cut the cost of construction in half. 3 After Washington caught wind of Hallet's deliber- ate attempt to alter Thornton's plans by eliminating the Grand Vestibule, the French architect was dismissed for insubordination. His successors, George Hadfield and James Hoban, also experienced rather short tenures. Fig. 3. Print after Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint- Mémin's portrait of William Thornton, c. 1800 Fig. 4. Thornton drew this elevation of the east front after Hallet was dismissed (1793). 4 THE CAPITOL DOME