BENJAMIN LATROBE: AMERICA"S FIRST ARCHITECT is a story of triumph and tragedy, the compelling saga of the man who designed much of official Washington, including the central portions of the United States Capitol. His ideas ultimately defined the first uniquely "American" architecture, but his life was a tumultuous series of creative successes and personal catastrophes, ending with his death in poverty in New Orleans. Featuring extensive computer-generated animation, interviews with architects and historians, and visits to the sites of Latrobe s works, Pulitzer Prize-winning host Paul Goldberger explores every aspect of Latrobe s extraordinary story, beginning with his early years in England, continuing through his immigration to the young Republic, his friendship with Thomas Jefferson, his work on major constructions such as the Baltimore Basilica the first Catholic Cathedral built in the United States and the stunning failures of his last years.