Pierre Charles L'Enfant
Pierre "Peter" Charles L'Enfant | |
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A silouhette drawing by Sarah deHart | |
| Born | August 2, 1754 Paris, France |
| Died | June 14, 1825 (aged 70) |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia 38°52′52″N 77°04′20″W / 38.88111°N 77.07222°W |
| Monuments | L'Enfant Plaza and Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C. |
| Nationality | French and American |
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| Education | Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture |
| Occupation(s) | Military engineer, architect |
| Known for | L'Enfant Plan |
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| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | Continental Army |
| Years of service | 1777–1783 |
| Rank | Brevet major |
| Unit | Corps of Engineers |
| Battles / wars | |
Pierre "Peter" Charles L'Enfant (French: [pjɛʁ ʃɑʁl lɑ̃fɑ̃]; August 2, 1754 – June 14, 1825) was a French-American artist, professor, and military engineer. In 1791, L'Enfant designed the baroque-styled plan for the development of Washington, D.C., after it was designated to become the capital of the United States following its relocation from Philadelphia. His work, known as the L'Enfant Plan, inspired plans for other major world capitals, including Brasília, New Delhi, and Canberra. In the U.S., plans for the development of three major cities, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Sacramento, were inspired from L'Enfant's plan for Washington, D.C.