The Capitol dome was still under construction.

The Mall was largely undeveloped.

The White House was a working residence that received visitors with relatively little ceremony.

The government that operated from this unfinished city was considerably smaller and more personally accessible than its twentieth-century successor — it was possible for delegation members to meet directly with cabinet secretaries and even with the president himself without extensive formal procedures.

Parker’s access to these officials was facilitated by his linguistic skills and his ability to function comfortably in both formal English and in the specific cultural register of official Washington.