White House architect to be celebrated

The life and work of Kilkenny architect James Hoban, who designed America's most famous building, the White House, is to be celebrated by a transatlantic programme of events.

The James Hoban societies in Ireland and the United States will be hosting events to mark the 175th anniversary of his death this year and the 250th anniversary of his birth in 2008.

At the Irish launch in Kilkenny, chairman of the Ireland branch Laurie Grace said "the goal is to show how a young man who learned his trade locally went on to blaze a trail for many other Irish architects, surveyors, engineers and craftsmen not only in America but throughout the world".

The commemorations begin with a symposium organised by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government at Kilkenny Castle later this month, with speakers including William Seale, author of the definitive history of the White House.

The Office of Public Works is designing a permanent memorial park at Hoban's birthplace outside Callan, expected to cost about €150,000 and due to open in 2008. The programme is also being funded by the commemoration initiatives fund of the Department of the Taoiseach and Tourism Ireland.

In the US, a major temporary exhibition is planned at the White House visitors' centre, which receives over 600,000 visitors annually. Organisers are exploring venues and funding to transfer the exhibition to a permanent home in Co Kilkenny.

Hoban, who was born on the estate of the Earl of Desart near Callan in 1758, trained as a wheelwright and carpenter before going to Dublin to study architecture.

He emigrated to the US in 1785 where his work in Charleston, South Carolina came to the attention of George Washington.