(1763–1844), U.S. architect. Born in Boston, Mass., Bulfinch was the dominant American architect in the Federal period. He designed numerous public and private buildings in New England, including the Beacon Hill monument and the Massachusetts State House in the Boston area. He was appointed architect of the Capitol at Washington, D.C., in 1818. Bulfinch designed its west approaches and portico and successfully supervised the completion of the Capitol in 1830. His sincere, simple style greatly influenced United States architecture.