THIS DAY IN VIRGINIA HISTORY
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September 01, 1798
Benjamin Henry Latrobe Presented Susan Catharine Spotswood with Sketchbooks
A renowned architect and engineer, Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764–1820) designed such structures as the Bank of Pennsylvania and the Baltimore Basilica. He studied in his native England before immigrating to Virginia in 1796. Soon after, he began work on the Virginia State Penitentiary. During that time, Latrobe wrote and illustrated two volumes describing his travels from the city of Richmond to Cumberland County in words and watercolors. He presented the books to the great-granddaughter of Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood (1676–1740), Susan Catharine Spotswood (1774–1853), who had requested instruction in painting from the architect.
