A Digital Tour of the History and Significance of the U.S. Capitol

Before getting started with my final blog post, I would like to thank the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies one last time for creating and sponsoring the Gould Passion Project Program. I have enjoyed every second of creating this blog, and I am sad to finish my work. In this post, I will talk about the current House Chamber by discussing its history of construction, unique architectural features, use, and some famous events that occurred in the space.  Thomas U. Walter designed the House Chamber in the 1850s. He also renovated the Capitol Rotunda and added the Capitol Dome, and the House of Representatives used the new House Chamber for the first time in December of 1857. Walter designed the room, so there were no windows in the space. Walter did this with the goal of separating members of Congress from the outside world. The House Chamber originally had a Victorian style that included a stained-glass skylight. A 1938 report, however, found that the space needed significant renov...

  Before starting my fourth blog post, I would like to thank the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies again for sponsoring the Passion Project Program. I have only one more post left in the series after this post, but I have loved every second of creating this blog. In this post, I will talk about the Crypt by sharing its history of construction, some of the unique pieces in the room, the use of the room, and how it became known as the Crypt. Charles Bulfinch designed and oversaw the construction of the Crypt. He completed the Crypt in 1827 after he finished the rest of his work on the center area of the Capitol in 1826. Unlike other spaces I have covered in this blog with involvement from Bulfinch, people credit this space entirely to Bulfinch. Bulfinch’s design for the Crypt is solemn and sturdy. Bulfinch and his staff placed forty sandstone columns in the space that hold up the vaulted ceiling and all the weight above the room. They also used stone from Maryland for the floor, wh...

Before talking about the Old Supreme Court Chamber, I would like to thank the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies for creating and sponsoring the Passion Project Program. I love sharing the unique history of the Capitol Building, and it is only possible because of the Gould Center’s support. In this post, I will discuss the Old Supreme Court Chamber by highlighting its history of construction, unique architectural features, uses over time, and some important Supreme Court decisions that occurred in this room.  Just like some of the other spaces I have covered already, Benjamin Henry Latrobe proposed designs in 1806 to completely renovate the north area of the Capitol where the Senate resided at the time. Congress approved and funded the renovation, and Latrobe started the work. His designs for the renovation included a room he intended the Supreme Court to use. He planned the room to have a fireproof vaulted ceiling. His plans required very intricate architectural planning because ...

  Before talking about National Statuary Hall, I would like to thank the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies again for creating and sponsoring the Passion Project Program. I can create this blog because of the Passion Project Program, and I have loved creating this blog so far. In this post, I will go through Statuary Hall’s history of construction, its unique features, the uses for the space over time, and some famous events that happened in the room.  After the original chamber for the House of Representatives burned during the War of 1812, Benjamin Henry Latrobe designed a new chamber for the House of Representatives. Charles Bulfinch, the person who oversaw the construction of the original Rotunda, oversaw the Hall of the House of Representatives’ construction, and they completed the room in 1819. Latrobe wanted the room to resemble an ancient Greek amphitheater, which highlights a theme in the Capitol Building of portraying and trying to represent the classical western ci...