"Ground plan of the North Wing of the Capitol of the United States," by B. Henry Latrobe, watercolor and ink on paper, 1806

In November 1806 Labrobe finished a comprehensive scheme for rebuilding the north wing, which had fallen into disrepair despite being only six years old. He wanted to remove the rotting floor joists and to lay new masonry floors on solid brick arches and vaults. This method of construction would render the wing sturdy and fireproof.

This plan is for the first or ground floor, which provided a new chamber for the Supreme Court. By using a simple color code Latrobe indicated which of the old walls would be torn away, which would reamin and which new walls would be constructed. Work began in 1808 but only the eastern half of the wing had been reconstructed before it was heavily damaged by the fire of 1814.

Architect of the Capitol