Building Washington : engineering and construction of the new Federal City, 1790-1840 / Robert J. Kapsch.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 297-322) and index.

Project planning and construction efforts. Pierre L'Enfant's two plans for executing the president's vision -- Financing the Federal City : the difficulty of collecting adequate funds -- Constructing the Federal City : gathering materials and workers -- Developing a commercial center: harbor navigation and river improvements -- Early infrastructure and transport improvements -- Building military defenses for the capital -- Building campaigns: a timeline of Washington, D.C.'s first fifty years. The first public building campaign (1791-1802): clashing commissioners and -- Workers -- The second public building campaign (1803-1811): the president and the architect -- The third public building campaign (1815-1824): rebuilding the Federal City -- Later transportation improvements: canals and aqueducts -- Epilogue: building a new Federal City.