Letter

Letter

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The Arts Club of Washington Collection

Letter signed by James Monroe, ink on paper, 1817, Gift of The Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection, George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum.: Letter from President James Monroe to Architect James Hoban, signed September 26, 1817.
Letter signed by James Monroe, ink on paper, 1817, Gift of The Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection, George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum.

Letter from President James Monroe to Architect James Hoban, signed September 26, 1817.

Name/Title

Letter

Context

President James Monroe, his First Lady Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, and their daughter Maria Hester Monroe lived at the current home of the Arts Club from approximately 1811-1817. This letter was to James Hoban, the Irish-American architect overseeing the reconstruction of the White House following its burning in 1814. The Monroes were the first Presidential family to occupy the rebuilt executive mansion, and had a great influence on its French-inspired interiors, an homage to Monroe's time as the nation's Minister (ambassador in modern terms) to France in 1794-96 and again in 1803.

Dimensions

Height

19 in

Width

17 in

Location

Building

205 President's Office

Acquisition

Acquisition Method

Gift

Acquired From

The Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection, George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum

Update Date

November 3, 2025