Capitol Building History

Picture of Capitol Building under construction in 1860.

1793 - 1829

The Capitol Building history began when a cornerstone was laid by President Washington in the building's southeast corner on September 18, 1793.

Construction was a laborious and time-consuming process: the sandstone used for the building had to be ferried on boats from the quarries in Virginia. Workers had to be induced to leave their homes to come to the relative wilderness of Capitol Hill and funding was inadequate.

By August 1796 the entire work effort was focused on the building's north wing so that it at least could be ready for government occupancy as scheduled for 1800.

In 1808, as work on the south wing progressed, Bejamin Latrobe (the buildings architect) began the rebuilding of the north wing, which had fallen into disrepair. Rather than simply repair the wing, he redesigned the interior of the building to increase its usefulness. Among his changes was the addition of a chamber for the Supreme Court.

By 1811 he had completed the eastern half of this wing, but funding was being increasingly diverted to preparations for a second war with Great Britain. By 1813, Latrobe had no further work in Washington and so he departed, leaving the north and south wings of the Capitol connected only by a temporary wooden passageway.

The War of 1812 left the Capitol, in Latrobe's later words, "a most magnificent ruin". On August 24, 1814, British troops set fire to the building, and only a sudden rainstorm prevented its complete destruction.

Latrobe returned to Washington in 1815, when he was rehired to restore the Capitol. However, he came under increasing pressure because of construction delays and cost overruns. He resigned his post in November 1817.

On January 8, 1818, Charles Bulfinch, a prominent Boston architect, was appointed Latrobe's successor. Bulfinch redesigned and supervised the construction of the Capitol's central section. The copper-covered wooden dome that topped this section was made higher.

1830 - 1868

The Capitol Building was by this point already an impressive structure. At ground level, its length was 351 feet and its width was 282 feet.

By 1850 the Capitol Building size could no longer accommodate the increasing numbers of senators and representatives from newly admitted states. New wings were constructed, more than doubling the length of the Capitol,

In 1856 the old dome was replaced by a cast-iron dome that was lifted into place by steam-powered derricks.

In 1863 the Statue of Freedom was placed at the top of the Capitol Dome.

1869 - 1902

In 1874 the first elevator was installed, and in the 1880s electric lighting began to replace gas lights.

Between 1884 and 1891, the marble terraces on the north, west, and south sides of the Capitol were constructed.

1903 - 1970

The most significant modification made to the Capitol during this time was the east front extension. Begun in 1958, it involved the construction of a new east front 32 feet 6 inches east of the old front, faithfully reproducing the sandstone structure in marble.

The old sandstone walls were not destroyed, but were left in place to become a part of the interior wall. Other elements of this project included repairing the dome, constructing a subway terminal under the Senate steps. The project was completed in 1962.

1971 - Present

Restoration and modernization work on the Capitol building is an ongoing task.

The underground, 3-level, 580,000 square foot U.S. Capitol Visitor Center opened in December 2008. The Visitor Center has a cafeteria, restrooms and an exhibit hall.

The estimated final cost is $621 million. The Visitor Center had long been in the planning stages, but the 1998 killings of two Capitol Police officers provided the impetus to start work. Construction began in the fall of 2001.