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United States Capitol
The west face of the United States Capitol
General information
Architectural style
American Neoclassicism
Town or city
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Country
United States of America
Construction
September 18, 1793
started
Cost
$412,000
Technical details
Size
274 acres (1.11 km²)
The United States Capitol is the building where the United States
Congress meets. It is the center of the legislative branch of the U.S.
federal government. It is in Washington, D.C., on top of Capitol Hill at
the east end of the National Mall.
The capitol has a large dome in the center, above a rotunda—a large
space that is shaped like a circle. There are two wings that are
connected to the rotunda on opposite sides. The north wing is where
the Senate meets and the south wing is where the House of
Representatives meets. These wings are also called chambers. On
the top floors of the chambers are galleries, or balconies where
people can watch the Senate and House of Representatives from
above.
The Statue of Freedom is on top of the capitol.
History
The first capital city of the United States was New York City. At this
time, Congress met in City Hall (Federal Hall) from 1785 to 1790.
When the capital was moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from
1790 to 1800, the Philadelphia County Building (Congress Hall)
became the capitol. In 1800, the capital moved again to Washington,
D.C., and a new capitol building was built.
Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, 4 March 1861, beneath the unfinished capitol
dome.
The capitol was designed by William Thornton. Construction started
in 1793, but it was not completely finished until almost twenty years
later. The Senate started to meet in the capitol in 1800, when the
Senate wing was finished. The House started to meet in the capitol in
1807, even though the House wing was not finished until 1811.
At that time, it was not as big as it is now. The dome in the center of
the building was smaller and made of wood. In 1814, the capitol was
set on fire by the British Army during the War of 1812. In the 1850s
and 1860s, the capitol was fully repaired, and the wooden dome was
replaced with a larger iron dome. The walls of the Senate wing were
painted with many murals about events in American History. Inside
the rotunda, a large fresco was also painted on the ceiling during the
repair.
The Supreme Court also met in the Capitol until its own building was
completed in 1935.