Originally, 100 square miles were designated for the District of Columbia, including the Federal City. The District is now two-thirds of its intended size.
French designer Pierre L'Enfant was appointed to a commission to oversee the building of the new city. L'Enfant was notorious for his inability to get along with people. When a wealthy landowner built a mansion where L'Enfant had planned an avenue, he instructed a crew to demolish the structure. He was dismissed from the commission by President Washington.
