Pierre-Charles L'Enfant was a French-born engineer, architect, and urban designer who designed the basic plan for Washington, DC. L'Enfant studied art under his father at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris from 1771 to 1776, when he enlisted in the American Revolutionary Army. In recognition of his services, Congress made him a major of engineers in 1783. In 1784, L'Enfant settled in New York City, where he gained recognition as a talented city planner, architect, and engineers.

George Washington formed a friendship with L'Enfant during the war and did not hesitate to engage him when L'Enfant sought the job of planning the nation's new capital. At the time of his selection, the flamboyant and headstrong L'Enfant was 36 years old. He arrived in what would be Washington, DC in March of 1791 to begin his preliminary survey. His work would be like "turning a savage wilderness into a garden of Eden," he wrote.

L'Enfant's plan for Washington is universally considered America's most notable achievement in municipal planning.