The third work by Benjamin Henry Latrobe we will explore is the Main Gate of the Washington Navy Yard. This is also called the Latrobe Gate. It is believed to be the oldest extant example of Greek Revival architecture in the United States. Greek Revival Architecture was a mainstay of designs by Latrobe.

The Washington Navy Yard was established by Congress on July 23, 1799. Three years later, then President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Latrobe to design a dry dock repair facility for the US naval yard. Latrobe was designated Engineer of the Navy Department in 1804, and subsequently constructed the Main Gate in 1806. The Greek Revival design was revolutionary for the time, and criticized by many of Latrobe’s piers. The style ultimately became a symbol of the young nation’s democracy. In the war of 1812 the Navy Yard was a main target by British forces, and was subsequently burned. The Latrobe Gate was one of three structures not destroyed by fires. The main gate was added to in 1881. A marine barracks was constructed around the Main Gate. This added a brick Italian structure to the surrounding gate.

Although the Latrobe Gate is a relatively small structure it stands as a monument to the newborn American Democracy. The Latrobe Gate and Greek Revival design was the inspiration for hundreds of buildings across the United States, and became a quintessentially American characteristic of architecture.