James Hoban

James Hoban (1762?-1831), American architect, born in county Kilkenny, Ireland, and educated at the University of Dublin. Arriving in the United States in 1785, he worked in Charleston, South Carolina, and after 1792 in Washington, D.C. From 1792 to 1799 he designed and directed the building of the Executive Mansion, later known as the White House, in neoclassical style. He rebuilt and improved it after its burning by British forces during the War of 1812. Hoban also worked on the design and execution of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.