The Capitol Building of the United States of America

The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. Though not the geographic center of the District of Columbia since the cession of Alexandria County in 1847, the Capitol was initially situated at the District's absolute center and is the origin by which both the quadrants of the District are divided and the city was planned. Officially, both the east and west sides of the Capitol are referred to as "fronts." Historically, however, only the east front of the building was intended for the arrival of visitors and dignitaries.

Not long after the completion of both wings, the Capitol was partially burned by the British on August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812. George Bomford, and Joseph Gardner Swift, both military engineers, were called upon to help rebuild the Capitol. 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. Latrobe is principally connected with the original construction and many innovative interior features; his successor, Bulfinch, also played a major role, such as the design of the first dome.

Interesting facts about the Capitol building

• Congress first met in the Capitol Building on November 17, 1800.
• No one is buried in the Capitol. A tomb area was created for George Washington's body, but Washington's will expressed his wish to be buried at Mount Vernon, and that is where he is buried.
• The custom of flying the flags 24 hours a day over the east and west fronts was begun during World War I.
• The top of the U.S. Capitol is 209 feet lower than the Washington Monument.
• The U.S. Capitol Dome is made of 8,909,200 pounds of cast iron.
• The Rotunda, used for inaugurations and distinguished individuals lying in state, is a circular room located on the second floor. It is 96 feet in diameter and rises 180 feet from the floor to the canopy.
• That statue of King Kamehameha I was once the largest statue in the Statuary Hall Collection. It has since been moved to the Capitol Visitor Center. It is prominently displayed and is part of the lore, but the Hawaiian delegation had to approve its location because it's bad luck to step over him...so he couldn't be placed underground where people would walk above.
• This Washington State’s Legislative Building serves as a working governmental center as well as a symbol of Washington’s free and democratic government.
• Rising at a height of 287 feet, this legislative building is the fourth tallest masonry dome in the world. As many as 173 million pounds of stone, brick, concrete and steel have been used in the construction of the building.
• The Capitol building has been divided into two wings: the north wing is the Senate chamber, while the south wing is the House of Representatives chamber.
• The structure of this symbolically significant building was an outcome of a design competition held by Thomas Jefferson in 1792, which was won by amateur architect, William Thornton. Initially, French architect Stephen Hallet’s design was selected, but it was later rejected on the context of being too fancy and costly. However, Hallet was appointed as the superintendent of construction.
• The design went under several modifications, the first being by Hallet due to the various problems. Later modifications came from Benjamin Henry Latrobe and Charles Bulfinch.
• While the Senate wing was complete by 1800, the House wing could only be completed in 1811.
• The building went under expansion during the 1850s. The East Front of the Capitol building was designed by architects Carrère and Hastings, who designed the Senate and House office buildings as well.
• ·         The National Statuary Hall Collection housed in the building showcases two statues of notable personalities donated by each of the 50 US states.
• The statue that rests on top of the dome is known as ‘Miss Freedom’ that weighs 2,000 pounds and is 15 feet tall.
• The Capitol rests in an area of 274 acres surrounded by lawns, walkways, streets, drives and planting areas.
• The National Park Service declared the Capitol as a National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1960. The building ranks in the sixth position in American Institute of Architects’ list of ‘America’s Favorite Architecture’.
• The newest addition to the Capitol is the Capitol Visitor Center that was built in 2008. Spread across 580,000 square feet, this underground 3-level screens all the visitors through a magnetometer, before they enter the building.