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History of the United States Capitol[edit]

Previous[edit]

Prior to establishing the nation's capital in Washington, D.C., the United States Congress and its predecessors had met in Philadelphia, New York City, and a number of other locations. In September 1774, the First Continental Congress brought together delegates from the colonies in Philadelphia, followed by the Second Continental Congress which met from 1775 to 1781. Upon gaining independence, the Congress of the Confederation was formed, and convened in Philadelphia until June 1783, when a mob of angry soldiers converged upon Independence Hall, demanding payment for their service during the American Revolutionary War. Congress requested that John Dickinson, the governor of Pennsylvania, call up the militia to defend Congress from attacks by the protesters. In what became known as the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783, Dickinson sympathized with the protesters and refused to remove them from Philadelphia. As a result, Congress was forced to flee to Princeton, New Jersey on June 21, 1783,[1] and met in Annapolis and Trenton, before ending up in New York City.

The United States Congress was established upon ratification of the United States Constitution in 1789. New York City remained home to Congress until 1790,[2] when the Residence Act was passed to pave way for a permanent capital. The decision to locate the capital was contentious, but Alexander Hamilton helped broker a compromise in which the Federal government would take on war debt incurred during the American Revolutionary War, in exchange for support from northern states for locating the capital along the Potomac River. As part of the legislation, Philadelphia was chosen as a temporary capital for ten years, until the nation's capital in Washington, D.C. would be ready.[3]

Site selection[edit]

Design for the U.S. Capitol, "An Elevation for a Capitol", by James Diamond was one of many submitted in the 1792 contest, but not selected.

Pierre Charles L'Enfant was tasked with creating the city plan for the new capital, which was to cover ten square miles. L'Enfant chose Jenkins Hill as the site for the Capitol Building, with a grand boulevard connecting it with the President's House, and a public space stretching westward to the Potomac River.[4] In reviewing L'Enfant's plan, Thomas Jefferson insisted the legislative building be called the "Capitol", rather than "Congress House". The word "Capitol" comes from Latin, meaning city on a hill and is associated with the Roman temple to Jupiter Optimus Maximus on Capitoline Hill.[5] In addition to coming up with a city plan, L'Enfant had been tasked with designing the Capitol and President's House, however he was let go in February 1792 over disagreements with George Washington and the commissioners, and there were no plans at that point for the Capitol.[6] Original plans for funding construction of the Capitol were to use proceeds from sale of lots in the District of Columbia, though President Washington later had to seek funds from Congress to continue with construction.

Design competition[edit]

In spring 1792, Thomas Jefferson proposed a design competition to solicit designs for the Capitol and the President's House, and set a four-month deadline. The prize for the competition was $500 and a lot in the federal city. At least ten individual submitted designs for the Capitol, however the drawings were regarded as crude and amateur, reflecting the level of architectural skill present in the United States at the time.[7] The most promising of the submissions was by Stephen Hallet, a trained French architect,[8] however Hallet's designs were overly fancy, with too much French influence, and were deemed too costly.[9]

A late entry by amateur architect William Thornton was submitted on January 31, 1793 to much praise for its "Grandeur, Simplicity, and Beauty" by President Washington, along with praise from Thomas Jefferson. Thornton was inspired by the east front of the Louvre, as well as the Pantheon for the center portion of the design.[10][11] Thornton's design was officially approved in a letter, dated April 5, 1793, from George Washington.[12] In effort to console Hallet, the commissioners appointed him to review Thornton's plans, develop cost estimates, and serve as superintendent of construction. Hallet proceeded to pick apart and make drastic changes to Thornton's design, which he saw as amateur with numerous problems and high costs to build.[13] In July 1793, Jefferson convened a five-member commission, bringing Hallet and Thornton together, along with James Hoban, to address problems with and revise Thornton's plan. Hallet suggested changes to the floor plan, which could be fitted within the exterior design by Thornton.[14][15] The revised plan was accepted, except that Jefferson and Washington insisted on an open recess in the center of the East front, which was part of Thornton's original plan.[16]

Construction[edit]

The Capitol when first occupied by Congress, 1800

L'Enfant secured the lease of quarries at Wigginton Island and along Aquia Creek in Virginia for use in the foundations and outer walls of the Capitol in November 1791.[17] Surveying was underway soon after the Jefferson conference plan for the Capitol was accepted.[18] A groundbreaking ceremony for the Capitol took place on September 18, 1793. George Washington, dressed in masonic attire, laid the cornerstone, which was made by silversmith Caleb Bentley.[19][20]

Construction proceeded with Hallet working under supervision of James Hoban, who was also busy working on construction of the White House. Despite the wishes of Jefferson and the President, Hallet went ahead anyway and modified Thornton's design for the East front and created a square central court that projected from the center, with flanking wings which would house the legislative bodies. Hallet was dismissed by Jefferson on November 15, 1794.[21] George Hadfield was hired on October 15, 1795 as superintendent of construction, but resigned three years later in May 1798, due to dissatisfaction with Thornton's plan and quality of work done thus far.[22]

The Senate wing was completed in 1800, while the House wing was completed in 1811. However, the House of Representatives moved into the House wing in 1807. Though the building was incomplete, the Capitol held its first session of United States Congress on November 17, 1800. The legislature was moved to Washington prematurely, at the urging of President John Adams in hopes of securing enough Southern votes to be re-elected for a second term as president.[23]

War of 1812[edit]

Not long after the completion of both wings, the Capitol was partially burned by the British in August 1814, during the War of 1812. Reconstruction began in 1815 and was completed by 1819. Construction continued through to 1826, with the addition of the center Rotunda area and the first dome of the Capitol. Architect Benjamin Latrobe is principally connected with the original construction and many innovative interior features; his successor, Charles Bulfinch, also played a major role, such as the design of the first dome.

Capitol dome[edit]

Main article: United States Capitol dome

The building was expanded dramatically in the 1850s. The original timber-framed dome of 1818 would no longer be appropriately scaled. Thomas U. Walter was responsible for the wing extensions and the "wedding cake" cast-iron dome, three times the height of the original dome and 100 feet (30 m) in diameter, which had to be supported on the existing masonry piers. Like Mansart's dome at Les Invalides (which he had visited in 1838), Walter's dome is double, with a large oculus in the inner dome, through which is seen The Apotheosis of Washington painted on a shell suspended from the supporting ribs, which also support the visible exterior structure and the tholos that supports the Freedom, a colossal statue that was added to the top of the dome in 1863. The weight of the cast-iron for the dome has been published as 8,909,200 pounds (4,041,100 kg).

Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, March 4, 1861, beneath the unfinished capitol dome

When the Capitol was expanded in the 1850s, some of the construction labor was carried out by slaves "who cut the logs, laid the stones and baked the bricks".[24] The original plan was to use workers brought in from Europe; however, there was a poor response to recruitment efforts, and African Americans—free and slave—composed the majority of the work force.[25]

The Capitol, 1846 daguerrotype

When the dome of the Capitol was finally completed, it was significantly larger than the original plan, and its massive visual weight overpowered the proportions of the columns of the East Portico, built in 1828. The East Front of the Capitol building was rebuilt in 1904, following a design of the architects Carrère and Hastings, who also designed the Senate and House office buildings. A marble duplicate of the sandstone East Front was built 33.5 feet (10.2 m) from the old Front during 1958-1962, and a connecting extension incorporated what formerly was an outside wall as an inside wall. In the process, the Corinthian columns were removed, and landscape designer Russell Page created a suitable setting for them in a large meadow at the National Arboretum, where they are combined with a reflecting pool in an ensemble that reminds some visitors of Persepolis. Besides the columns, hundreds of blocks of the original stone were removed and are stored behind a National Park Service maintenance yard in Rock Creek Park.

The Capitol draws heavily from other notable buildings, especially churches and landmarks in Europe, including the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, St. Paul's Cathedral in London and Saint Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. On the roofs of the Senate and House Chambers are flagpoles that fly the U.S. flag when either is in session.

Capitol Visitor Center[edit]

On June 20, 2000, ground was broken for the Capitol Visitor Center, and subsequently opened on December 2, 2008 [26]. Since 2001, the East Front of the Capitol (site of most Presidential Inaugurations until Ronald Reagan broke tradition in 1981) has been the site of construction for this massive underground complex, designed to facilitate a more orderly entrance for visitors to the Capitol. (When construction is complete, the East Front will be restored to its earlier, pre-pavement appearance.) Prior to the center being built, visitors to the Capitol had to queue on the parking lot and ascend the stairs, whereupon entry was made through the massive sculpted Columbus Doors, through a small narthex (with cramped security) and thence directly into the Rotunda. The new underground facility will provide a grand entrance hall, a visitors theater, room for exhibits, and dining and restroom facilities, in addition to space for building necessities such as an underground service tunnel. Some people, however, lament the loss of the ability of the common person to walk right into the Capitol.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Crew, Harvey W. (1892). Centennial History of the City of Washington, D. C. Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House. p. 66. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Allen (2001), p. 4
  3. ^ Allen (2001), p. 4-7
  4. ^ Allen (2001), p. 8
  5. ^ Allen (2001), p. 10
  6. ^ Allen (2001), p. 11
  7. ^ Allen (2001), p. 13-15
  8. ^ Frary (1969), p. 28
  9. ^ Allen (2001), p. 18
  10. ^ Allen (2001), p. 19
  11. ^ "William Thornton (1759-1828)". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  12. ^ Frary (1969), p. 33
  13. ^ Frary (1969), p. 34-35
  14. ^ Allen (2001), p. 23
  15. ^ Jefferson, Thomas (1793-07-17). "Letter: Jefferson to Washington". Thomas Jefferson and the National Capital. University of Virginia. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  16. ^ Frary (1969), p. 36
  17. ^ Morgan, J.D. (1899). "Maj. Pierre Charles L'Enfant". Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 2: 120.
  18. ^ Allen (2001), p. 23
  19. ^ Hazelton (1907), p. 84
  20. ^ Allen, William C. (1995). In the Greatest Solemn Dignity - The Capitol's Four Cornerstones. Government Printing Office. p. 7.
  21. ^ Frary (1969), p. 37-39
  22. ^ Frary (1969), p. 44-45
  23. ^ Carter II, Edward C. (1971–1972). "Benjamin Henry Latrobe and the Growth and Development of Washington, 1798-1818". Records of the Columbia Historical Society: 139.
  24. ^ "Capitol slave labor studied". Associate Press / Washington Times. June 1, 2005.
  25. ^ "Timeline". White House Historical Association. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  26. ^ "Capitol Visitors Center FAQ". Architect Of the Capitol. Retrieved 2008-12-04.

Bibliography[edit]

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