Robert Brent

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Robert Brent (circa 1763–1819) was the first mayor of Washington, D.C., the federal capital of the United States of America. Brent was born into a prominent Catholic family in Woodstock, Stafford County, Virginia. His mother was Ann Carroll, the sister of Bishop John Carroll, the first bishop appointed for the U.S. His father was a contractor and quarry owner In 1789 Brent married Mary Young — the daughter of Notley Young, a plantation owner in Prince George's County, Maryland, and moved onto his new father-in-law's property. A few years later, Young's property was among those annexed by the Federal government for the new national capital, making Brent one of the first residents of the newly created Washington City. He soon took over his father's businesses, selling sandstone to the U.S. government for the White House, U.S. Capitol, and other early construction projects in the District of Columbia and thereby becoming one of the capital's most prominent merchants.

In 1802, Congress officially incorporated the city, including in its incorporation a directive for a mayor to be appointed annually by the President of the United States. On June 3, 1802 Thomas Jefferson wrote to Brent[1] informing Brent of his intention to appoint Brent as mayor of the city. Brent replied accepting the appointment that same day: "Altho I feel great diffidence in the talents I possess for executing that duty, in a manner which may afford general satisfaction, yet feeling it a duty to contribute my feeble aid for the public service, I will venture upon its duties."[2]

Brent was reappointed to the position seven times by Jefferson and three times by James Madison, finally relinquishing the position in June 1812. During his tenure, he essentially created the city government from the ground up — establishing markets, public schools, a police department, a fire department, and a system for taxation. In addition, since city planner Pierre L'Enfant had been fired before completion of his design, Brent was responsible for laying out many of the streets in the new city^[1]. For all his ten years of busy service, Brent drew no salary for his service as mayor.

During his lifetime, Brent also served as Paymaster General of the Army, Judge of the Orphan's Court for Washington County, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Public Schools. He was the first president of the Patriotic Bank and of the Columbia Manufacturing Co.

Brent's home was located on the southeast corner of what is now 12th Street and Maryland Avenue SW in Washington, DC, but he owned land throughout the region, including parts of Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington County. Much of the landholdings were inherited through his father's family, mother's family (the Carrolls of Maryland) and from his father-in-law.

In 1817, he built the Brentwood Mansion in Washington County (the mansion site - Florida Ave and 6th Street NE ) is now part of the Gallaudet University campus in Northeast DC) as a wedding present for his daughter. Brentwood was designed by one of the Capitol's architects, Benjamin H. Latrobe and was destroyed by fire in 1870. The Prince George's County, Maryland, towns of Brentwood and North Brentwood and the DC neighborhood of Brentwood (which formed most of the original estate) take their names from his home.

Brent died in Washington, DC, in September 1819.

Currently he has a school in Washington, DC that is named after him, Robert Brent Museum Magnet School.