Some years back, members of the Washington DC-based Hoban Society visited a small rural village in southern Ireland, determined to pay homage to an Irishman few in his own country are remotely aware of.
The society presented locals with a cheque for $2,500 in an effort to help raise public awareness of their hero, James Hoban, who left Desart, near Callan, Co Kilkenny, for Philadelphia, in 1781. Praised by every American president that has made the White House their home, Hoban is arguably Ireland's greatest ever architectural export, and was not only responsible for the iconographic American building, but also designed much of modern-day Washington DC in the process.
A humanitarian in an age of slavery, a visionary in the face of aesthetic blandness, and an affluent Irishman in an age of poverty, Hoban lived an extraordinary life. The only reminder of his greatness in his home town of Callan is a brass plaque unveiled in 1976 at his birthplace, long since camouflaged by local vegetation. Moves are now far advanced to erect a more fitting memorial to Hoban, yet it is hard to believe that someone of his stature should have remained out of the Irish consciousness until now.
Having excelled at drawing from an early age, James Hoban went to Dublin in 1780 to study at the Royal Dublin Society, and helped in the design of both the Royal Exchange and the Custom House in Dublin. By the time he moved to Washington a year later, the city barely existed, with only one dusty street amid swamp and foliage.
But, in 1792, Hoban's career was set to take off with the announcement of a competition to design a residence for the American president.
Modelling his design on Dublin's Leinster House, Hoban won the competition and found himself overseeing the building of America's most important structure.
Workers involved in the construction were mostly drawn from both skilled and unskilled European labourers and from slaves in the thriving slavery market in 18th-century America. Hoban had difficulties with slavery and endeavoured to treat his slaves with dignity and respect. Flogging was restricted and overseers were carefully screened for signs of cruel work practices.
The first presidential couple to enter the new White House (named so because of the protective whitewash applied to the building) were John Adams and his wife on November 1st, 1800.
Most of their tenure was spent shivering from the cold emanating from the building's unfinished walls, and the next occupant, Thomas Jefferson, sought to rectify the situation by installing fireplaces before taking up residence.
The American War of Independence left its mark on the building, and in 1815 Hoban was again drafted in to oversee reconstruction of a badly damaged White House.
Indeed it would take the Callan man a further 20 years to construct the building as we recognise it today, and his efforts earned him a salary of $1,500 per year, a massive sum in those days.
During his lifetime Hoban interacted with five American presidents, becoming a trusted adviser to at least three of them. For the majority of his life he lived on the White House lawn in a redbrick house with his wife, 10 children, and nine slaves, dying a wealthy and powerful man in 1831.
Today's White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, six levels of residence, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases and three elevators.
At full tilt, the kitchen is able to serve up to 140 guests and has five full-time chefs employed.
It also includes a tennis court, cinema, jogging track and swimming pool to help today's stressful occupants relax.
Hoban's efforts have been consistently recognised on Capitol Hill, with Bill Clinton remarking in 2000 to Bertie Ahern that he sometimes felt haunted by the ghost of James Hoban. Kilkenny County Council and the Office of Public Works now have the responsibility to erect a monument fitting a man of Hoban's architectural stature, and initiate the process of raising awareness of Hoban's extraordinary achievements.
Plans are well advanced for the development of a James Hoban Memorial Arbour close to his birthplace at Desart. The memorial will incorporate landscaped areas, stone features and display elements, as well as a recreational area for visitors. The site is scheduled for completion this month.
It is also proposed to produce an illustrated booklet-style publication to highlight Hoban's work for the one million visitors who pass through the White House each year, with little knowledge of the building's architect. Publication is scheduled for 2008.
When the Hoban Memorial is unveiled at his birthplace in Desart this month it is hoped that the architect will be elevated to his rightful place alongside Ireland's greatest innovators instead of remaining a forgotten footnote in Irish emigrant history.