Patrick Magruder was the second Librarian of the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

, serving from 1807 to 1815.

Biography

Magruder was born on his family’s estate, Locust Grove, near Rockville

Rockville, Maryland

Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...

 in Montgomery County, Maryland

Montgomery County, Maryland

Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...

. Magruder attended Princeton College and became a lawyer. In 1805, he was elected to the Ninth United States Congress from the third district of Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

. After the death of John J. Beckley

John J. Beckley

John James Beckley was an American political campaign manager and the first Librarian of the United States Congress, from 1802 to 1807...

, President Jefferson appointed Magruder to the dual post of Clerk of the United States House of Representatives

Clerk of the United States House of Representatives

The Clerk of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the United States House of Representatives, whose primary duty is to act as the chief record-keeper for the House....

 and Librarian of Congress. (The posts were not separated until 1815.) During the War of 1812

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

, the British burned Washington D.C., including the Library of Congress, which was then housed in the US Capitol Building. After an investigation by Congress into the destruction of the Library and the use of Library funds, Magruder resigned. He was buried on his family’s ancestral estate, Sweden, near Petersburg

Petersburg, Virginia

Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...

 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia

Dinwiddie County, Virginia

Dinwiddie County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 28,001. Its county seat is Dinwiddie.- History :...

.