T h e A d e n a M a n s i o n

C h i l l i c o t h e , O h i o

        The Adena Mansion designed by Benjamin Latrobe has come to be one of my favorite things about my hometown. Thomas Worthington, the original owner of Adena, was one of the most influential politicians in the process of Ohio becoming a state. One can only imagine the many important US figures and influencers that would have walked through the estate during the early days of our country's history. Every time I come home for breaks, I always end up spending most of of my time wandering through the gardens, sketching, taking the house tour, or just sitting and admiring this beautiful country estate just as many have done before me. The only thing I thought was missing was a drafted elevation that shows the true character of the estate. As a student of Classical Architecture, I love visiting historical estates and looking at the beautiful renderings that the architect used to sell his/her idea. Benjamin Latrobe had many beautiful hand drawings of his buildings, including parts of the capital building in DC, but he never drafted an elevation of Adena. The only way I could see a hand rendered elevation would be to do a measure drawing of the Adena on my own time. After receiving permission to take measurements of the estate, I got to work recreating the work of Latrobe on paper. Little did I know that after doing a measured drawing of the façade, I would become even more enthralled with Latrobe's genius. The proportions he used, combined with his knowledge of a Palladian plan, created an estate that fits within its rustic setting but is far superior to any house in the area. This piece has been donated to the Adena Mansion Estate and it is now hanging in the museum.