The United States Capitol is one of the most aesthetically significant and symbolically significant structures in the world. For almost two centuries, it has held the Senate and House of Representatives meeting rooms. In addition to being used by Congress, the United States Capitol serves as a museum of American art and history. It is also the setting for many events each year, including some official functions of the government.
The current United States Capitol was built from 1792 to 1800. The original building was designed by French architect L'Enfant (Pierre Charles L'Enfant) in the style known as Federal architecture. It consisted of a central block with four other identical blocks attached to it at right angles. The central block is approximately 140 feet long and 70 feet wide. Each of the additional blocks is about 40 feet long and 20 feet wide. An underground tunnel connects the Capitol building with the Library of Congress across Independence Avenue.
The first Congress met in the new Capitol on October 1, 1793, and passed legislation establishing the national bank, confirming the federal election laws, and granting exclusive rights to manufacture alcohol. The first session was opened with prayer by the Reverend George Logan, president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).
In 1801, after eight years of construction, the House of Representatives moved into the newly completed Russell Senate Office Building next door.
The United States Capitol Building The United States Capitol, the world's most known emblem of democratic governance, has hosted Congress since 1800. The Capitol is where Congress gathers to establish our nation's laws and where presidents are sworn in and make their yearly State of the Union addresses. The building is a massive structure composed of a main house and two other buildings: the Supreme Court Building and the Library of Congress.
The Capitol was designed by Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Henry Latrobe. It is an example of Neoclassical architecture and was built over a period from 1792 to 1824. The main house faces east toward Independence Avenue; its exterior is painted white with red stripes and brownstone trim. There are five floors to the main house; the first three are full rooms while the fourth is a balcony. The House chambers are on the third floor; the Senate offices are on the second floor. A central hall connects the two chambers; it is lined with columns painted black to reflect the light coming in through the windows behind them.
The Capitol is a government-owned, self-supporting organization under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol. Its annual budget is about $750 million. In addition to housing Congress and their staffs, the building also contains museums, office spaces, and public facilities.
It is estimated that as many as 7 million people visit the Capitol each year.
The U.S. Capitol, as the focal point of the government's Legislative Branch, is the centerpiece of the Capitol Campus, which comprises the primary Congressional office buildings and three Library of Congress buildings built on Capitol Hill in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The office buildings are all connected by underground passages and bridges.
The House Office Building is at the west end of the campus, next to the Supreme Court building. It was originally built as a museum for American history and art; today it is the home of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The Senate Office Building is at the east end of the campus, next to the Library of Congress. It was originally built as a museum for American history and art; today it is the home of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.
The Longworth House Office Building is between the House and Senate office buildings. It is named after former Speaker of the House John W. Longworth.
All five office buildings are made of white marble from Virginia and were completed between 1855 and 1956. In addition to containing offices and support staff facilities, they also house several museums and historic rooms that document life in the Capitol during its construction.
Since the 1960s, many members of Congress have chosen to remain in downtown Washington, D.C., near the White House, when they first arrive in Congress.
The United States Capitol, the world's most known emblem of democratic governance, has hosted Congress since 1800. The current Capitol was built from 1792 to 1856. It stands on a square block-shaped foundation with four tall white Doric columns at the entrance. The interior features a grand rotunda with a 120-foot (37 m) high dome painted with a sunburst design.
The Capitol is located at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in Washington, DC. It can be reached by Metro or other public transportation. A tour of the Capitol is available daily at 8:30 AM and 1:30 PM. The tour takes about an hour and covers the main areas of the Capitol Building including the Rotunda, the House Chamber, the Senate Chamber, and the Crypt.
The United States Capitol Building is a national landmark and government office building located at 1 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, D.C. The current capitol was built from 1792 to 1800 by Thomas Jefferson, who designed it in the Greek Revival style. It has been altered many times since then, most notably in 1842 when James Renwick was hired to remodel the exterior. The most recent major renovation was completed in 2000 by Edward Larrabee Barnes and David Adler.
Congress meets in the House Chamber on the first floor or in one of several other rooms on that floor. The Senate meets on the second floor and in various other rooms there. Other facilities include a museum, library, offices for staff and members of both houses of Congress, as well as numerous public halls where meetings can be held.
There are two ways to reach the Capitol Building: take a tour or go it alone. There are information centers all around town with brochures about visiting Congress but nothing like seeing it yourself! You can also download a map showing how to get to each chamber from their websites.
However, some of the most fascinating, and dare we say, beautiful, state capitol buildings in the United States are not perfect duplicates of the renowned one in Washington. Of course, classical influences abound, but capital buildings from New York to Hawaii come in a variety of styles and sizes. Some are grandiose works of architecture while others are quite plain. There are statehouses that capture the spirit of their cities well before the end of Indian wars or civil conflicts while others were built in remote locations where few people lived. It's no wonder that many capitol buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
All told, there are over 900 buildings included on the National Register of Historic Places for their architectural significance alone. Many more are worthy of note for other reasons; they could be the first building of its kind (like Chicago's John Hancock Center), they could be rare surviving examples of an industry (like Pittsburgh's William Allen Highrise Building), or they could be masterpieces of modern design (like Houston's Enron Tower). There are also several hundred more buildings that were once considered important but now remain obscure even after their deaths. For example, there is little information available about Georgia's First Capitol building in Atlanta because it was burned down in 1872. Little remains except its foundation and a small section of wall that is all that survives of its second version, which was built two years later.
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