Capitol of the United States

Capitol of the United States, seat of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. Built on a hill popularly called Capitol Hill, the Capitol contains floor space equivalent to 1.6 hectares (4 acres); its grounds cover 62.7 ha (155 acres). A neoclassical-style building, the Capitol is constructed of white marble, except for the center part of the west front, which is Virginia sandstone painted white. The iron dome, also white, is surmounted by a statue of a woman representing Freedom (5.943 m/19.5 ft), by the American sculptor Thomas Crawford. The height of the Capitol from the baseline on the east front to the top of the statue is 87.6 m (287.5 ft). Important parts of the Capitol include the Rotunda, directly under the dome, the Senate Chamber in the north wing, the House Chamber in the south wing, the National Statuary Hall (housing statues of famous Americans from every state), and the President's Room. Until 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court met in the Old Senate Chamber, which was located in the original north wing.

The original design of the Capitol, by William Thornton, a physician, was made in 1792, and the cornerstone was laid by George Washington on September 18, 1793; Congress occupied the original north wing in 1800. The House of Representatives moved into the south wing in 1807, and the wing was completed three years later. During the War of 1812, invading British troops set fire to the structure, gutting the interior, but it was reconstructed after the war. Charles Bulfinch became Capitol architect in 1818; he built the Rotunda and the west central portico. The Capitol was given its present appearance by Thomas U. Walter, who finished the new north and south wings in the 1850s and the cast-iron dome in 1863. J. George Stewart renovated the east front in 1962, and George M. White restored the west front during 1983-1987.