| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
Contact information: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division, 2006
Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms006027
Correspondence and Other Material, 1741-1858, n.d. | |||||||||||||
Writings, 1793-1829, n.d. | |||||||||||||
Miscellany, 1777-1865, n.d. | |||||||||||||
Addition, 1810-1812 | |||||||||||||
Oversize, 1784-1813 | |||||||||||||
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.
The papers of William Thornton were given to the Library of Congress by J. Henley Smith in 1904. Additional gifts, purchases, and transfers were made 1921-1991.
The papers of William Thornton were microfilmed in 1973. The finding aid was revised and an item that had previously been cataloged separately was added to the collection in 2003. Diaries of Anna Maria Brodeau Thornton were transferred to the papers of Anna Maria Brodeau Thornton, Library of Congress, Manuscript Division in 1967. Portions of the collection were published by A. C. Clark in the Records of the Columbia Historical Society, vol. xviii (Washington, D.C.: The Society, 1915).
Architectural drawings have been transferred to Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division where they are identified as part of these papers.
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of William Thornton is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
A microfilm edition of part of these papers is available on seven reels. Consult a reference librarian in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or reel number, William Thornton Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Date | Event |
| 1759, May 20 | Born, community of the Society of Friends, Jost van Dyke Island, Tortola, Virgin Islands |
| 1764 | Immigrated to England |
| 1778-1790 | Involved with John Fitch in experiments with paddle steamboats |
| 1784 | M.D. degree, Aberdeen University, Aberdeen, Scotland |
| 1787 | Immigrated to the United States |
| 1788 | Became an American citizen |
| 1789 | Awarded a share in the Library Company of Philadelphia for submitting the building design chosen for the new library |
| 1790 | Married Anna Maria Brodeau |
| 1790-1792 | Returned to Tortola, Virgin Islands |
| 1792 | Moved to Washington, D.C. Submitted design proposals for the United States Capitol |
| 1793 | Design for the United States Capitol accepted Published Cadmus: or, a Treatise on the Elements of Written Language. Philadelphia: Aitken & Son; awarded the Magellanic gold medal of the American Philosophical Society for this publication |
| 1794-1802 | Commissioner, City Board of Commissioners, Washington, D.C. |
| 1798-1802 | Built Octagon House in Washington, D.C., for Colonel John Tayloe |
| 1802-1828 | Superintendent of patents |
| 1804 | Published Political Economy: Founded in Justice and Humanity. Washington, D.C.: Samuel Harrison Smith |
| 1812 | Tudor Place, Georgetown, Washington, D.C., built from his designs |
| 1814 | Helped prevent the destruction of the United States Patent Office by British troops |
| 1828, Mar. 28 | Died, Washington, D.C. |
The papers of William Thornton (1759-1828) span the years 1741-1865 and consist chiefly of writings, correspondence, diaries, notebooks, papers of his wife Anna Maria Brodeau Thornton, and miscellaneous material. The collection is organized in five series: Correspondence and Other Material, Writings, Miscellany, an Addition, and Oversize.
Items in the Correspondence and Other Material series concern Thornton's interest in the development of the steamboat, his dispute with Benjamin H. Latrobe over designs for the United States capitol, his efforts to free slaves through African colonization, and his appointments as a commissioner of Washington, D.C., and as superintendent of patents for the State Department. Other subjects include his writings, paintings, and architectural interests outside of Washington.
The Writings series includes drafts of Cadmus: or, a Treatise on the Elements of the Written Language and ten volumes of writings on various topics, two of which are titled “Julia” and “Lucy.” Other writings concern African colonization, religion, sleep, and government.
The Miscellany contains commissions, a diploma, expense books, invitations, a petition from William Thornton, and others to Joseph Lewis, and printed matter.
The collection also includes correspondence concerning Anna Maria Brodeau Thornton's efforts to settle the Thornton estate, personal letters with the Adams family and other friends, her visiting book and bank book, and printed matter.
Correspondents include John Quincy Adams, Louisa Catherine Adams, Joseph Banks, Daniel Carroll, Andrew Ellicott, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton, Thomas Jefferson, John Coakley Lettsom, James Madison, George Washington, Thomas Wilkinson, William Wirt, and Caspar Wistar.
The Papers of Anna Maria Brodeau Thornton, 1793-1861, consisting of seven bound volumes containing diaries, journals, essays, and details about social life and household matters, are also held at the Library of Congress.
The collection is arranged in five series:
| Box | Contents | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BOX
1-7 REEL 1-4 | Correspondence and Other Material, 1741-1858, n.d. | ||||||||||||
| Correspondence, invitations, envelopes, photographs, clippings and other printed matter, and miscellaneous material. | |||||||||||||
| Arranged chronologically in bound volumes. | |||||||||||||
|
BOX
1 REEL 1 | 1741, Sept. 1-1759, Jan 20 n.d. | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
2 REEL 1 | 1795, Jan. 21-1799, Apr. 16 | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
3 REEL 2 | 1799, Apr. 17-1811, Jan. 29 | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
4 REEL 2 | 1811, Jan. 30-1816, Dec. 26 See also Oversize | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
5 REEL 3 | 1816, Dec. 27-1822, May 22 | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
6 REEL 3 | 1822, May 26-1842, Nov. 14 | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
7 REEL 4 | 1842, Nov. 16-1858, Jan. 19, n.d. | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
8-17 REEL 4-6 | Writings, 1793-1829, n.d. | ||||||||||||
| Published and unpublished writings. | |||||||||||||
| Arranged by subject. | |||||||||||||
|
BOX
8-10 REEL 4 | Miscellaneous, 1823, n.d. | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
11 REEL 5 | Cadmus: or, a Treatise on the Elements of the Written Language, 1793-1802, n.d. For additional material see Container 18 same heading; Reel 7 | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
12 REEL 5 | Julia, n.d. | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
13 REEL 5 | Lucy, n.d. | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
14 REEL 5 | African colonization, Greece, and other writings, 1804, 1823, n.d. | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
15 REEL 6 | Religion, n.d. | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
16 REEL 6 | Science, 1825-1827, n.d. | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
17 REEL 6 | Sleep, 1829, n.d. | ||||||||||||
|
BOX
18-20 REEL 7 | Miscellany, 1777-1865, n.d. | ||||||||||||
| Correspondence, diaries, notebooks, invitations, commissions, a diploma, financial material, notes and other writings, and printed matter. | |||||||||||||
| Arranged by topic, name of person, or type of material. | |||||||||||||
|
BOX
18 REEL 7 | Visiting book, Anna Maria Brodeau Thornton, 1792-1834 | ||||||||||||
| Banks, Joseph, n.d. | |||||||||||||
| Bound copies of letters, 1829-1830, 1865 | |||||||||||||
| Bound copies of letters from William Thornton, 1792-1801 | |||||||||||||
| Cadmus: or, a Treatise on the Elements of the Written Language, 1793 | |||||||||||||
| The Life of Dr. William Thornton, n.d. | |||||||||||||
| Notebook, n.d. | |||||||||||||
| Diaries, 1777-1782 | |||||||||||||
|
BOX
19 REEL 7 | Notebook, ca. 1783 | ||||||||||||
| Commission, 1784 | |||||||||||||
| Notebook, 1786 | |||||||||||||
| Commission, 1794 See also Oversize | |||||||||||||
| Almanac, 1795 | |||||||||||||
|
BOX
20 REEL 7 | Bankbook, 1850 | ||||||||||||
| Boston Investigator, 1838 | |||||||||||||
| Commission, 1802 See also Oversize | |||||||||||||
| Diploma, 1784 See also Oversize | |||||||||||||
| Expense books, 1795 | |||||||||||||
| Federal Republican, 1813 | |||||||||||||
| First annual report of the American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Color of the United States, 1818 | |||||||||||||
| Invitations, 1802, 1830 | |||||||||||||
| (2 folders) | |||||||||||||
| La Grece, 1825 | |||||||||||||
| National Journal, 1829, June 17 | |||||||||||||
| Pennsylvania Packet, 1790 | |||||||||||||
| Printed matter, including clippings relating to George Washington memorial, 1799-1862, n.d. | |||||||||||||
| (2 folders) | |||||||||||||
| Washington assemblies, 1842, 1849 | |||||||||||||
| (2 folders) | |||||||||||||
| Washington Gazette, 1821 | |||||||||||||
| Petition, Thornton et al., to Joseph Lewis, 1813 See also Oversize | |||||||||||||
| Account book, 1798-1799 | |||||||||||||
| Expense book, 1794-1804 | |||||||||||||
| Thornton, Anna Maria Brodeau, copies of her letters, 1820-1826 | |||||||||||||
| Religious studies, extracts, n.d. | |||||||||||||
| Thornton-Latrobe controversy, correspondence, 1798-1806 | |||||||||||||
|
BOX
21 not filmed | Addition, 1810-1812 | ||||||||||||
| A letter and a pamphlet. | |||||||||||||
| Arranged alphabetically by type of material. | |||||||||||||
| BOX 21 | Correspondence, 1810 | ||||||||||||
| Pamphlet, 1812 | |||||||||||||
|
BOX
OV 1-OV 3 REEL 2, 7 | Oversize, 1784-1813 | ||||||||||||
| A diploma, commissions, and a petition. | |||||||||||||
| Arranged and described according to the series, folders, and containers from which the items were removed after the microfilm edition was completed. | |||||||||||||
| BOX OV 1 | Correspondence and Other Material | ||||||||||||
| 1811, June 6 (Container 4; Reel 2) | |||||||||||||
| Miscellany | |||||||||||||
| Commission, 1794 (Container 19; Reel 7) | |||||||||||||
| Commission, 1802 (Container 20; Reel 7) | |||||||||||||
| BOX OV 2 | Diploma, 1784 (Container 20; Reel 7) | ||||||||||||
| BOX OV 3 | Petition, Thornton et al. to Joseph Lewis, 1813 (Container 20; Reel 7) | ||||||||||||
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
EAD Finding Aids at the Library of Congress | EAD DTD Official Web Site
| Contact Us |