Temple of Liberty: Building the Capitol for a New Nation
To Throw the Labor of the Artist Upon the Shoulders of the President of the United States: The House and Senate Wings
Inadequate funding and material and manpower shortages dictated the Capitol phased construction. The north or Senate wing was begun first because its numerous rooms could house the entire Congress until the south wing was built. In fact, the House of Representatives, Senate, Supreme Court, and Library of Congress all moved into the north wing when the federal government settled permanently in Washington in 1800.
Contrary to the rules established by Renaissance architectural theorists, Jefferson suggested locating both the House and Senate chambers at ground level rather than on the second floor. Both were to be double-story rooms with visitors' galleries that overlooked legislative proceedings below. However, on the exterior the main story seemed to be the second story. Apparently, Jefferson wished to emphasize the easy accessibility of America's political system and at the same time the supremacy of the people. Both the first Senate chamber designed by Stephen Hallet and the first hall for the House of Representatives designed by James Hoban were built following Jefferson's suggestion; both were replaced because of faulty construction.
Before the War of 1812, Latrobe redesigned and rebuilt most of the north-wing interiors, placing a new semicircular Supreme Court on the ground floor and a new Senate directly above it. Both rooms were vaulted in brick for permanence and grandeur. Only the Supreme Court survived the fire of August 24, 1814, nearly intact. Latrobe demonstrated his genius as an architect in his design for the courtroom and two adjacent vestibules. He achieved the impression of expansiveness in relatively small areas by creating layers of space and varying ceiling shapes and heights. The vestibules contained Latrobe's most memorable symbols, corncob and tobacco leaf and lower capitals for his newly invented American orders (columns with their capitals and entablatures).
Latrobe's First Major Revisions Presented to Jefferson
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Plan of the Principal Story of the Capitol, U.S.," 1806. Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (118)
Latrobe's Post-Fire Revisions Include New West Wing
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Plan of the Principal Floor at the Capitol, U.S.,". 1817. Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (119)
Latrobe's Supreme Court as Restored
General View of the Supreme Court, c. 1976. Copyprint. Architect of Capitol (120)
Plan of Latrobe's First Supreme Court Design
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Ground Plan of the North Wing of the Capitol of the United States," 1806. Water color on paper. Architect of the Capitol (121)
Greek and Roman Architecture Combined in Supreme Court Design
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Sections of the Court Room, N. Wing, Capitol," c. 1808. Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (122)
Supreme Court's Archaic Greek Doric Columns
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Column of the Court Room, North Wing of the Capitol," c. 1816. Water color on paper. Architect of the Capitol (123)
Published Engravings of Archaic Greek Doric Columns
Thomas Major. "Members and Measures of the Hexastyle Ipetral Temple,". in Ruins of Paestum, Otherwise Posidonia, in Magna Graecia. London: T. Major, 1768, Table XII. Engraving in book. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (124.1)
Post-Fire Plan of North Wing Showing Latrobe's New Circular Vestibule
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Plan of the Principal Story of the North Wing of the Capitol U. S. as authorized to be built, 1817". Ink and Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (128)
Famous Corncob Order Vestibule Designed by Latrobe
Benjamin Henry Latrobe, designer; Giuseppe Franzoni, sculptor. Corn Capital Vestibule to Supreme Court, ca. 1976. Copyprint. Architect of Capitol (129)
Capitol's Ceiling Details Recorded by Famous Architect
Alexander Jackson Davis. [Partial Ceiling Plans of Library of Congress and Tobacco Order Rotunda], c. 1831-34. Pencil on paper. From the A.J. Davis Collection. Division of Drawings and Archives. Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library. Columbia University in the City of New York (132)
Latrobe Sends Jefferson Sketch of Tobacco Capital
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. [Letter to Thomas Jefferson with sketch of tobacco leaf capital], November 5, 1816. Ink on paper. Thomas Jefferson Papers. Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (133)
Example of Tobacco Capital Sent to Jefferson
Designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, executed by Francisco Iardella, Tobacco capital, 1817. Sandstone. Monticello/Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., Charlottesville (134)
Latrobe's Second Senate Chamber Restored
Benjamin Henry Latrobe, designer. Old Senate Chamber. Copyprint. Architect of the Capitol (135)
Most Popular Greek Ionic Capital Used in Senate Chamber
Julien David LeRoy. [Ionic Order]. Les ruines plus beaux des monuments de la Grace. Paris: H.L. Guerin and L.F. Delatour, 1758, Plate XX. Engraving in book. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (136)
Unusual Double Skylight for Senate
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. [Details of the Senate Ceiling and Roof], c. 1807-1809. Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (137)
Latrobe's Second American Order Based on Magnolia Flower
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Details of the Upper Columns in the Gallery of the Entrance of the Chamber of the Senate, U[nited] States," 1809. Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (139)
Egyptian Revival Library of Congress
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Design of the Library of Congress of the United States, North Wing of the Capitol,". 1808. Ink and water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (140)
Details of Library's Egyptian Columns
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Details of the Library of the Congress U.S. in the N. Wing of the Capitol Washington,". c. 1808 to 1816. Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (141)
Most Detailed Surviving View of Bulfinch's Library of Congress
Andrew Jackson Davis. "View Congress Library. Capitol. Washington,". 1832. Pen and ink and wash. I.N. Phelps Stokes Collection. Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs. The New York Public Library, New York. Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations (142)
White House's Architect Designs First House of Representatives Chamber
Attributed to James Hoban. [Projected Design of Hall for the House of Representatives], c. 1801. Ink and ink washes on paper. Thomas Jefferson Papers. Alderman Library. University of Virginia, Charlottesville (143)
American Bald Eagle Decorates House Chamber
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. [Letter to Charles Wilson Peale with eagle in entablature], April 18, 1806. Ink on paper. Benjamin Henry Latrobe Papers. Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (145)
Hippodrome Shape for House Chamber Revived
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. [Plan of the House of Representatives], c. 1808-1813. Ink and Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (146)
Latrobe Directed by Jefferson to Design Doric House of Representatives
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Sketch of a Section of the Capitol of the United States at Washington, of the Doric Order, Roman,". 1804. Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (148)
Rows of Skylights Alternate with Coffers in House Ceiling
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Plan of the Framing of the Roof of the Hall of Rep.[resentatives], Wash.[ington]" and "Ceiling of the Hall of Representatives, Capitol, Washington,". 1805. Ink and Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (149)
House of Representatives Colonnade in Ruins After Fire
Attributed to Giovanni Andrei. [The House of Representatives after the Burning of the Capitol by the British, 1814], c. 1815. Pencil, ink, and ink washes on paper. Architect of the Capitol (151)
Post-Fire Semicircular House Chamber
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Sketch of a Design for altering the plan of the House of Representatives in the Capitol U.S. Washington,". 1815. Ink and water color on paper. Architect of the Capitol (153)
Giant Corinthian Columns Used in House Chamber
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Design Proposed for the Hall of Representatives, U.S., Section from North to South,". 1815. Ink and Water color on paper. Architect of the Capitol (154)
Multiple-Faceted Rooms Surround House Chamber
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. "Plan of the Principal Floor of the South Wing of the Capitol as authorized to be built, 1817.". Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (155)
Muse of History Records Events in House Chamber
Benjamin Henry Latrobe. [Details of the Hall of Representatives], 1815. Ink and Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (158)
Watercolor of Composite Capital
Attributed to Charles Bulfinch. [Composite Capital], c. 1817-1829. Ink and wash on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (159)
Bulfinch Redesigns Center Building
Charles Bulfinch. "Ground Plan of the Capitol of the United States showing the Projection and Division of the Center," c. 1818-1821. Ink and Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (162)
Bulfinch Plans Rotunda for "Great Public Occasions"
Charles A. Busby. "The Capitol at Washington.Plan of the Principal Floor,". 1823. Copyprint from glass negative. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (163)
Grand Staircase Links Rotunda and Crypt
John Trumbull. Section through the Rotunda and Crypt with stairs, 1818. Pencil on paper. John Trumbull Album. Collection of The New-York Historical Society, New York (164)
Triple Ring of Columns Support Rotunda Floor
Charles Bulfinch. [Plan of Center Building with Crypt] c. 1818-1822. Ink on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (165)
Capitol's Crypt Similar to Those in European Churches
[Crypt of the Capitol], c. 1900. Copyprint. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (166)
Bulfinch's Alternate, Unexecuted Design of Capitol Rotunda
Charles Bulfinch. "No. 2" [Section of Rotunda], c. 1824. Ink on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (167)
Earliest View of Rotunda as Built
Alexander Jackson Davis. "Perspective View of Capitol Rotunda,". Pencil on paper. From the A.J. Davis Collection. Division of Drawings and Archives. Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library. Columbia University in the City of New York (168)
First Measured Drawing of Capitol's Basement Floor as Built
Alexander Jackson Davis. "Basement Plan of the Capitol,". 1832. Water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (171)
Detailed Measured Drawing of Capitol's Main Floor as Built
Alexander Jackson Davis. "Capitol of the United States. Plan of Principal Floor,". c. 1832-1834. Ink and ink wash on paper. From the A.J. Davis Collection. Division of Drawings and Archives. Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library. Columbia University in the City of New York (172)
Engraving of Measured Drawing of Main Floor
Alexander Jackson Davis, designer; Archibald L. Dick, engraver. "Capitol of the United States.Plan of the Principal Floor." c. 1832-1834. Ink and water color on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (173)
Engraving of Reflected Ceiling Plan of Capitol as Built
Alexander Jackson Davis. "Plan of the Ceilings of the Capitol of the United States, Washington," c. 1832-1834. Engraving on paper. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (174)
Davis's Engraving of House Chamber
Alexander Jackson Davis. "Interior of the Hall of Representatives," c. 1832-1834. Engraving on paper. From the A.J. Davis Collection. Division of Drawings and Archives. Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library. Columbia University in the City of New York (180)
