The Latrobe Gate

The Latrobe Gate at the Washington Navy Yard in Southeast Washington, D.C., is a historic gatehouse that was built in 1806 and substantially altered in 1881. As the ceremonial entrance to the U.S. Navy's oldest shore establishment, it embodies the neoclassical architecture designed by Benjamin Latrobe, the second Architect of the Capitol. Its classical style was considered daring at the time and drew criticism from contemporaries, since it stood as a symbol of the young American democracy founded on ancient Greek principles. During the burning of Washington in 1814, the gatehouse survived the attack by British troops as one of the few buildings on the grounds to escape damage. In 1881, a United States Marine Corps barracks in an Italianate brick style was built around and above the gate. This addition makes the building the oldest continuously occupied guardhouse of the Marines in the United States. Today, the Latrobe Gate is protected as a historic landmark and remains an important example of the nation's early architectural development.