Our History

In 1790, an act of Congress authorized a federal district along the Potomac River, situated at the boundary of northern and southern states, and offering easy inland passage to the western frontier.

President Washington asked Pierre L’Enfant, an emigrant from France who had fought alongside colonial soldiers in the Revolutionary War, to design the “Federal City”. With the assistance of Andrew Ellicott, who helped map the western frontier, and Benjamin Banneker, a free African-American surveyor and astronomer, the plans for what is now Washington, DC were conceived.

A core element of their grand design was the “Capitol Meridian”, a north-south line traversing the heart of what would become the Capitol Building. This meridian would become the point of reference for all that followed.

The history of the Capitol Meridian symbolizes the “True North” of our investing philosophy; we work together as a team to harness our deep industry expertise and collaborate with our CEO partners to assemble the building blocks for future success; this is our True North.