Washington City: Myths from the War of 1812

Washington CityMyths From the War of 1812

Did the British really burn Washington City?

20051998

19872013

Tingey House, Quarters “A”

Quarters “B”

The buildings destroyed, by the fire...were, the Mast-shed, and timber-shed, the joiners & boat-builders shops, and mould loft–all the Offices–the medical store–the plumbers and smiths shops, and block-makers shop–the saw-mill & block mill, with their whole apparatus, tools and machinery–the building for the steam engine, and all the combustible parts of it’s machinery and materials; the rigging loft–the apartments for the master, and the boatswain of the yard, with all their furniture–the gun carriage makers and painters shops, with all the materials and tools therein at the time: also the hulls of the old frigates Boston, New York and General Greene (Com. Thomas Tingey to Sec. of Navy William Jones, October 18, 1814)

Burned by the British:U.S. CapitolWhite HouseU.S. TreasuryBelmont-Sewall HouseLong Bridge over Potomac (one side

burned by British)GW town house on Capitol Hill (believed to have been accidentally burned by sparks from the Capitol)Tomlinson’s Hotel (also known as

Carroll’s hotel)Houses possibly burned: Hamilton’s House, Ball’s House, Frost’s House, Philip’s House, Jenkins’ House, and Brent House Burned the following day:U.S. Arsenal at Greenleaf PointExecutive Office / War Office BuildingThree ropewalksWashington Navy Yard (any remaining

targets after initial American burning)

Burned by the Americans:Washington Navy Yard

Mast shed – gun carriage shop block shop joiners and boat shops mould loft mast loft supply loft

New and old timber shed – mould loft/sail loftMedical store, offices and apartmentsRigging loft – carriage maker

iron/cooper fittings made cordage

Plumbers, Painters and Smith shops – block shop engine house saw mill

Saw shedU.S. frigate Columbia (outfitted ready for sea)U.S. sloop Argus (13 guns)U.S. frigate Essex (nearly ready for sea) Hull of U.S. frigate Boston (laid up in 1802)Hull of U.S. frigate General Green (laid up in 1802)Three barges, two gunboats, one row galleyTwo hundred barrels of gunpowder

Eastern Branch Lower BridgeEastern Branch Bridge (not Bladensburg Bridge)Long Bridge over Potomac (one side burned by Americans)

Burned by the British Aug. 24:U.S. CapitolWhite HouseU.S. TreasuryBelmont-Sewall HouseLong Bridge over Potomac (one side

burned by British)GW town house on Capitol Hill (believed to have been accidentally burned by sparks from the Capitol)

Burned by the Americans Aug. 24:Washington Navy Yard

Mast shed – gun carriage shop block shop joiners and boat shops mould loft mast loft supply loft

New and old timber shed – mould loft/sail loftMedical store, offices and apartmentsRigging loft – carriage maker

iron/cooper fittings made cordage

Plumbers, Painters and Smith shops – block shop engine house saw mill

Saw shedU.S. frigate Columbia (outfitted ready for sea)U.S. sloop Argus (13 guns)U.S. frigate Essex (nearly ready for sea) Hull of U.S. frigate Boston (laid up in 1802)Hull of U.S. frigate General Green (laid up in 1802)Three barges, two gunboats, one row galleyTwo hundred barrels of gunpowder

Eastern Branch Lower BridgeEastern Branch Bridge (not Bladensburg Bridge)Long Bridge over Potomac (one side burned by Americans)

Tomlinson’s Hotel (also known as Carroll’s hotel)

By assuming there were 109 brick or stone buildings and 400 total buildings in Washington in 1810 the British burned six (or 5.5%) of the total brick and stone buildings in the city or 1.4% of the total 400 structures on the 24th.

The British burned approximately 19 total building during their total occupation of the city or about 4.8% of all structures.

Assuming the US burned 22 structures it represents about 5.5% of the total structures.

Combining the total estimates of both the British and US burnings about 10.3% of the total structures in the city were burned.

These figures do not include bridges and vessels which would not have been counted in the 1800 total city structures.

Because there were certainly more than 400 buildings in Washington in 1814 these percentages are on the high side of what the actual percentage would be.

from survey 1856-59

1810

Washington City 1800

Bridge

Bridge

Washington 1810

Pennsylvania Avenue, May 1813, sketch by Latrobe

Was the President’s Mansion really pained white to cover scorch marks?

Iron oxide staining on blocks of Aquia Sandstone

Did the great storm really help save the city, or at least lessen the damage?

Washington tornado damage 1927 Washington tornado damage 1973

Did Dolley really save the George Washington portrait?