George Hadfield was born on September 15, 1763, in Florence, Toscana, Italy; the son of Charles Hadfield, an English or Irish hotelkeeper, and his wife Isabella. His sister Maria was a painter of some distinction, and in 1782 married the miniature painter Richard Cosway.
George was trained at the Royal Academy in London. After working for a time under the architect James Wyatt, he received the traveling studentship of the Academy and spent the years to 1794 in Rome.
Hadfield's drawings of the temple at Palestrina and other drawings were exhibited at the Academy in 1795 and are preserved by the Royal Institute of British Architects. In that year, on recommendation of the painter John Trumbull, Hadfield was invited by the commissioners of the city of Washington to act as superintendent of the Capitol, then under construction. He commenced his duties on October 15. The situation was a difficult one, for the foundations laid by Stephen Hallet, the first superintendent, were on a plan different from that originally designed, and to the original plan its author, William Thornton, just appointed one of the commissioners, was determined to return.
Hadfield objected both to the part already executed and to the scheme of Thornton’s design, and proposed to use the colossal order, with or without an attic, instead of having a high basement. He was overruled by the commissioners, however, and Thornton undertook to furnish drawings which should adapt his design to the existing foundations. The work on the north wing then proceeded, with considerable friction owing to Thornton’s academic pedantry and Hadfield’s lack of practical experience. In 1798 Hadfield furnished the adopted design for the Treasury and Executive Offices, burned by the British in 1814, but his attempt to assert a professional fight to supervise the execution, not recognized by the commissioners, brought notice of his dismissal, May 28, 1798.
In 1803 Hadfield served as a councilman of the city of Washington. As time went on he secured other architectural commissions. Thus in 1802 be was employed on Jefferson's recommendation to design the Washington county jail; in 1803 he designed the Arsenal; in 1816-1819, Commodore Porter’s house; in 1820 the City Hall; in 1822 the Assembly Rooms, in 1824 the Branch Bank of the United States.
George Hadfield is famous for invention of the first machine for brick-making in the United States. His most notable works were the Van Ness mausoleum in Oak Hill Cemetery, and the house for G. W. Parke Custis, Washington's adopted son. He is also credited with part of the design of the original Capitol building such as the north wing.
“All that he proposed proved him a man of correct tastes, of perfect theoretic knowledge and of bold integrity. He loiters here, ruined in fortune, temper and reputation, nor will his irritable pride and neglected study ever permit him to take the station in the art which his elegant taste and excellent talent ought to have obtained. ” - B. H. Latrobe
