Although most of the city was torched, what was the only government building not destroyed in the Battle of Bladensburg?

Answer Patent Office

The Brits burned down the White House, the Capitol Building, and all other government buildings in Washington. The only government building left standing was the U.S. Patent Office, and that's thanks to the Superintendent of Patents, Dr. William Thornton. Legend has it that the doctor's words of persuasion deterred them, as he asked, "Are you Englishmen or Goths and Vandals? This is the Patent Office, the depository of ingenuity of the American Nation in which the whole world is interested. Would you destroy it?" Apparently, they would not.

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