“Twenty
years of my life have been spent in the Government service
here,and my works there will prove my faithfulness to
the interests of the Government.”
~Robert Mills, letter to friend, 1853
Patent Office, 1861. Library of Congress.
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here to see a larger image
General Post Office, 1848. Library of
Congress.
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here to see a larger image
The large scale of the Greek Revival
architecture of the Patent Office, above top, and the
Post Office, above, both sited at F St. and 7th St.
NW, are similar to Mills’ bold handling of the
Treasury, pictured below.
U. S. Treasury, 1854. Library of
Congress.
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here to see a more detailed image
While in Washington, Mills exercised
his capacity for problem-solving and technical design
with projects involving acoustical, lighting, and heating
and cooling designs for the Capitol as well as authoring
several books on topics ranging from cartography to
plans for large urban planning projects. Mills’
prosperity in the federal government tapered off after
1842, with the exception of his most recognizable project,
the Washington National Monument, a much-modified commission
that Mills won in a national competition. |
