The grandiose capitol in Washington. See what "Capitol (Washington)" is in other dictionaries Fresco on the dome of the rotunda of the American Capitol

Capitol in Washington (USA) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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Washington is the most honored city in North America. This is not only the capital of the United States, but also one of the national symbols of freedom, because the first American president, George Washington, who founded it, made a lot of efforts in the fight against the British colonists for the independence of his country.

Washington today is the main political center of America. It was in this city that the main representations of the judicial, executive and legislative branches of government, 174 foreign embassies, the headquarters of the largest banks and foreign exchange funds, and most importantly, the presidential residence, or the White House, were located. Washington itself is governed by a mayor, but the highest authority is Congress, which can amend council-approved laws and exercise control over the administration of the city. The building of the meeting of Congress - the Capitol - is located in the heart of the US capital and is one of the main attractions of America. We can say that the Capitol in Washington is a worthy monument on an honorary pedestal.

The Capitol is one of the tallest buildings in the city. Its height is 88 m. From the top floor, which can be reached by elevator, offers a stunning panorama of Washington.

History of the Washington State Capitol

The snow-white Capitol is located on the hill of the same name, which, in turn, was named after one of the seven ancient Roman hills. The history of the creation of the Capitol is quite impressive. This abode of representatives of the city authorities was built by more than one generation of architects, each of whom faced seemingly insurmountable difficulties.

It all began in the spring of 1792, when President George Washington announced a competition among architects for the best building design for a government building after the extravagant designer of the city, P. S. Lanfant, was removed from his duties. However, the jury members of the competition were quite disappointed when they were presented with a little more than a dozen worthless projects. At the very last moment, with a great delay, another work was sent - its author was a 33-year-old Scot, William Thornton. The most interesting thing is that this young man worked as a doctor, but, inflamed with the desire to win the competition of the president himself, he learned architecture in a matter of weeks. Thornton's design was recognized as the best, and the architect was instructed to oversee the construction of the Capitol, which began in September 1793. The first stone of this majestic building was laid by George Washington himself.

Already at the very beginning of the construction of the Capitol, problems arose: the material was supplied slowly, with long interruptions, there was an eternal shortage of funds and labor. Because of this, only the foundation of the building was laid for three whole years. Exactly 10 years after the start of construction, the government allocated about 50 thousand dollars for this project, and Thornton was replaced by Henry Latrobe, who by that time had established himself as the best architect in Philadelphia. He did his best: in 1800, Congress met for the first time in the unfinished Capitol.

Capitol

In 1813, Latrobe was forced to freeze construction because of the war with Great Britain, and exactly a year later, the unfinished Capitol was burned by the British. Almost everything was destroyed. 20 years of overwork became a pile of ashes and a pile of rubble. Nevertheless, Latrobe began work on the restoration of the building he had already fallen in love with. However, in an effort to make his brainchild even more beautiful than before, the architect got too carried away and began to spend exorbitant amounts on building materials. The best is the enemy of the good: Latrobe was excommunicated from project management.

In 1818, then-President of the United States, James Monroe, appointed Charles Bulfinch, who was widely known in Boston, as the chief architect of the Capitol. This man was much less sensual and did not have the design taste and flair of the genius Latrobe at all. Nevertheless, by 1823 the conservative Bulfinch, who had redesigned the designs of his predecessor, completely rebuilt the central part of the Capitol, keeping within 12 thousand dollars.

The pride of the architect was the large wooden dome he designed over the famous Rotunda, which connects the northern and southern parts of the building and symbolizes the unity of America. Today there is a painting gallery and a small sculpture museum.

In 1827, the main building work was completed. Approximately 7 years later, the Capitol had running water, and 10 years later, gas and electricity were installed. A little later, a luxurious library was made in the building, which burned down in the winter of 1851. Today, the library is located directly opposite the Capitol, literally across the street.

In the mid-19th century, famed Philadelphia engineer Thomas Walter was commissioned to "expand" the newly built Congress Building. After 9 years, the architect proposed to replace the wooden structure of Bulfinch with a large cast-iron dome more proportional to the size of the Capitol. Walter does it in the style of European cathedral architecture. Also at this time, he completes the northern, southern and western terraces of white marble. In 1863, a significant event took place - a 6-meter statue of Liberty, created by T. Crawford, was installed on the roof of the Capitol. Abraham Lincoln himself, the 16th President of the United States, was present at this historic moment. By 1865, the north and south wings of the government cloister were completed by Walter, thereby doubling their size.

Subsequently, landscaping work was carried out near the Capitol: F. L. Omstead, the best qualified "gardener" in America, worked on the landscape design. Several outbuildings also appeared, central heating was installed and elevators were launched. And in the 70s of the 20th century, the facade of the eastern side of the central part of the Capitol was extended by as much as 10 meters.

Visit to the Capitol

About 4.5 million tourists visit the famous Congress Building every year. In total, there are 540 rooms in the Capitol, but tourists will be able to see only 2 rooms. The first and second floors house the offices of the Congress, while the third is occupied by the House of Representatives, the Rotunda, and the Senate. Guided tours of the Capitol are absolutely free.

Getting to the Capitol is not difficult. The main building of the country stands in the very center of Washington, and all the main streets of the capital lead to it.

This government building with a rich past will impress neither history buffs nor art connoisseurs, nor those who are interested in architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries. The majestic Capitol, spectacularly illuminated at night, strikes with its monumentality and grace at the same time. During the day, he appears in the form of a divine abode, where the fate of the most important city in America is decided.

At the entrance to the Capitol, you will need to present a ticket, which will be given to you absolutely free of charge at a kiosk nearby after presenting your passport. Together with a tour group, you will be able to watch the meetings of the Congress and the Senate from special galleries. Of all the 540 rooms of the Capitol, the famous Rotunda is open to the public, where you can appreciate a small collection of paintings and sculptures.

The Capitol is the official seat of the United States Congress and one of the tallest buildings in Washington DC. The first stone of the Capitol was laid by George Washington himself. Today it is one of the most recognizable buildings in the United States.

How was the Capitol built?

Initially, the Capitol in Washington was planned to be built for the work of the House of Representatives and senators. As mentioned in the US Constitution, the structure must symbolize federal authority and fit in an area of ​​\u200b\u200bno more than 16 square meters. km. Pierre Lanfant, an architect of French origin, was involved in the construction. However, he did not find a common language with the board and his services were refused.

After that, a competition for the Capitol project was announced, but the jury was disappointed. At the very last moment, they came across the work of the Scot William Thornton, whose project was recognized as the best. An interesting fact is that Thornton was a doctor, but after learning about the competition, he quickly learned architecture and decided to try his luck. The newly minted architect was entrusted with the supervision of the construction, which started in the autumn of 1793.

From the very beginning of the construction of the Capitol, problems began - lack of hands, money, delays in materials. Only the construction of the foundation took 3 years. In 1803, $50,000 was allocated for the project. Henry Latrobe was already the chief architect.

Due to the war with England in 1813, construction was stopped, and a year later the building was burned almost to the ground. Latrobe did not give up and started all over again. However, in an effort to make everything perfect, the architect began to spend very large sums, which is why he was removed.

In 1818, Charles Bulfinch was appointed chief architect of the Capitol. Despite the fact that Bulfinch did not have a fine artistic taste, like his predecessor, by 1823 the central part of the structure was ready. At the same time, the architect kept within $12,000. The main work was completed by 1827. A few years later, the Capitol was equipped with running water and electricity.

The pride of Charles Bulfinch was the wooden dome located above the Rotunda, which symbolizes the unity of America. Now there is a sculpture museum and a painting gallery.

In the middle of the 19th century, the wooden dome was replaced with a cast-iron one. At that time, the project was led by Thomas Walter. He was also tasked with expanding the building. Under Walter's direction, the south, north and west terraces were completed. In 1863, the Statue of Liberty, 6 meters high, was erected on the roof of the Capitol. This historic moment was attended by the 16th President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln.

In the 1970s, the eastern side of the facade of the central part was extended by 10 meters.

The Capitol will be of interest to art connoisseurs, history lovers and those who are interested in the architecture of past centuries. The monumental building is beautifully illuminated at night, admiring its grandeur. If you are just planning a trip, take a look at our catalog.

From May 28, 2004 to March 31, 2005, the Russian-American Exhibition " Two great domes". The exhibition told about the history of creation and design features of the domes of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg and the Capitol in Washington.
Among the exhibited materials were demonstrated unique archival documents from the libraries of architects of the American Capitols, as well as rare documents from the collections of the State St. Isaac's Cathedral.
The exhibition was held with the participation of the US Consulate General in St. Petersburg, the Library of Congress, architects of the Capitols of 12 US states.

In May 2003, the family of US President Bush visited St. Petersburg, and Laura Bush drew attention to the similarity of the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral with the Capitol. Searches were launched, and in the same 2003, documents were found in the US Library of Congress that confirm the hypothesis of the direct influence of the St. Petersburg architectural design of the dome on the Washington one. In particular, it turned out that the architect of the final version of the project of the American Congress, Thomas Walter, used the drawings of the creator Isaac Auguste Montferrand. Initially, on the site of the Congress building, it was supposed to build a domed tomb for the first US President George Washington, but this idea had to be abandoned when the last will of Washington became known, who bequeathed to bury him on the territory of the family estate.

When analyzing the documents, it turned out that there is not only an external, but also a constructive similarity between the domes of the cathedral and the Congress. St. Isaac's Cathedral Montferrand built 40 years, because no one had built such temples before him. Walter, following Montferrand - 10 years after the completion of the cathedral in the Russian capital - used lightweight frame structures to create his dome, and not brickwork, as in the similar Peter and Paul Cathedral in London, which at that time was a technical revolution.

Alexander Kvyatkovsky, head of the St. Isaac's Cathedral branch, talking about the features and differences, noted: "The weight of the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral is 2.5 thousand tons. The dome of the Capitol is 4 thousand tons, although it is lower, and, it would seem, logically it should be lighter ".

From the history of the construction of the Capitol

The United States Capitol is a complex of monumental buildings in Washington DC, the seat of the US Congress. Located on Capitol Hill.

The history of the Washington State Capitol as a symbol of government authority dates back to the 1787 US Constitution. It spoke of the need to allocate a special territory not exceeding 10 square miles (16 square kilometers), the place - Jenkins Hill was chosen on the banks of the Potomac River by the French engineer Major Pierre Charles L "Enfant", who developed the urban plan for Washington in the early 1790s. In 1792 he was removed from business.
In March of the same year, a competition for projects for the construction of the American Capitol was announced, but all 16 proposed options were rejected, only in the fall of 1792 was the project of William Thornton, an amateur architect from the British West Indies, accepted. President George Washington praised it as "grandness, simplicity and convenience", and on September 18, 1793, he himself laid the first stone in the southeast corner of the foundation.
The north wing was completed in 1800, the south - seven years later, under the direction of Benjamin Latrobe (Benjamin Latrobe), who was the chief architect of the complex in 1803-1818. He built the hall of the House of Representatives and set about rebuilding the north wing, but in 1813, due to the second war with Great Britain (1812-1815), construction was stopped..

Photo: Public domai from the Capitol exhibition in 1800

In August 1814, British troops marched on Washington and most of it burned down in a fire.

Over the next few years, Latrobe worked to rebuild what had been destroyed.
Money was tight, and a disagreement over whether to make the ceilings of the Senate and the House of Representatives domed led to Latrobe's resignation.

The construction of the central part between the wings, over which the dome now rises, was already led by the Boston architect Charles Bulfinch (Charles Bulfinch). He also managed to rebuild the premises of the Supreme Court, the room for the Senate and the hall of the House of Representatives.
The last part of the Capitol, the East Open Gallery, was completed in 1826. For the next four years, work was going on here on landscape design, small architectural forms, fencing and the gate of the Capitol.

In 1830, the construction of the Capitol was officially completed. But alterations and completions were carried out in subsequent years.

Due to the fact that the territory of the United States grew, and the number of legislators increased, there was a constant need to expand the Capitol. The tender for this work was won by the famous Philadelphia architect Thomas Walter.
Thomas Walter Photo: Public domain
In 14 years, he managed to more than double the size of the Capitol, erect an iron dome and decorate the interior.

Photo: Public domain The Capitol in 1846
The original dome was modeled after the Roman Pantheon. New (hemispheric) - with the help of steam cranes was installed in 1859. From the inside, the dome of the Capitol is decorated with the first fresco in the United States - "The Apotheosis of Washington" by the Italian artist Constantino Brumidi (Constantino Brumidi).

In the photo: the construction of a connecting corridor between the "old" and "new" wing of the building, 1857.

Photo: Public domain Rotunda superstructure in 1861

Model of the Capitol Photo: Architect of the Capitol
Work on dismantling the old dome began in 1855. With the outbreak of civil war, the contractor was notified of the suspension of funding, but the company decided to continue work nonetheless. The last part of the Statue of Liberty was installed on December 2, 1863, and the interior was completed in 1866. The total cost of the dome was $1,047,291.

In the middle of the 19th century, additional wings were added on both sides of the Capitol - for the House of Representatives and for the Senate. In 1865 the complex was equipped with a steam heating system, in 1874 with elevators, in 1882 with electric lighting. The office buildings for both chambers were completed in 1908-1909.

On the construction of the Capitol, 1907

July 1931

modernization of the exterior of the Capitol, 1960

The huge dome of the Capitol has been a symbol of Washington, the capital of the United States of America for many years. This imposing building serves as the seat of Congress, the highest legislative body in the United States.
Construction of the Capitol began five years after the adoption in 1788 of the US constitution. The "fathers of the nation" George Washington and Thomas Jefferson attached special importance to this building: it was supposed to become a visible embodiment of the new state, its political system and social structure. It is not surprising that in society, and among statesmen, and among architects, disputes were in full swing: how, by what means can best be embodied in stone and metal, the ideals of American democracy? All participants in the discussion understood that they had to build the most important public building in America.

In those years, the ideas of classicism brought from the Old World were already widely spread in North American architecture. Thomas Jefferson called for the construction of the Capitol to refer to the image of the Roman Pantheon - a rotunda topped with a dome. In 1791, the architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant suggested that the House of Congress should be located on the top of Jenkins Hill, which, in his opinion, was best suited for this purpose: "It stands like a pedestal, waiting for a monument." L'Enfant also proposed a variant of a centric building, round in plan, with a facade facing west. This idea was destined to become the most fruitful.
In March 1792, an announcement appeared in American newspapers about a competition for the best project for the building of the US Congress. Both professionals and amateur architects were invited to participate in it; at the same time, there were no requirements for the choice of style, symbols, building material.

Characteristically, all participants in the competition considered their country as the heir to European civilization, so any influence of the local, Indian tradition was completely rejected. All projects submitted for the competition corresponded to European architectural trends. Three of the projects presented were clearly inspired by antique classical buildings. The authors of other projects turned to the experiences of Renaissance architects or looked for sources of inspiration in English architecture of the 18th century.
The winner of the competition was the gifted amateur architect William Thornton. He proposed a variant of the classical building, inspired by the architecture of Andrea Palladio, consisting of a rotunda topped with a high dome (its image is reminiscent of the domes of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome and St. Paul's Cathedral in London), to which two wings adjoin to accommodate the two chambers of Congress: - for the Senate, south - for the House of Representatives. The east and west entrances are marked by imposing central porticos. The logical, compact and monumental Thornton Capitol fit well into the landscape - the top of Jenkins Hill served as a successful "pedestal" for it.

So, the choice was made, and in 1793, President George Washington laid the cornerstone in the foundation of the future building. However, construction progressed slowly, and architects succeeded each other with kaleidoscopic speed. The construction of the Capitol was begun by Stephen Hallet, two years later he was replaced by George Hadfield (1795-98), and then the construction was headed by James Hoban (1798-1802). Under him, the wing of the Senate was completed (1800), and on November 17, 1800, the first session of the US Congress took place here. The House of Representatives wing was completed only in 1811. At this stage, the work was led by the architect Benjamin Latrobe.

In 1814, the newly completed Capitol building was partially burned down by British soldiers during the Anglo-American War. Reconstruction of the building began in 1815. In 1818, the work was headed by the Boston architect Charles Bulfinch, and they were completed only fifteen years later. However, almost immediately it became clear that in this form, the Washington Capitol is too small to fully meet its functions. In addition, its huge wooden dome was too flammable.

During the 1830-1840s. several proposals were discussed as to how the Capitol should be reconstructed: add new wings to the east and west, or expand the existing north and south. The disputes ended with the announcement of a new design competition, which took place in 1850-1851. And in 1855, Philadelphia architect Thomas W. Walter embarked on an ambitious task: he had to actually rebuild the wings of the Senate and the House of Representatives and crown the Capitol Building with a new dome - three times the size of the previous one.

To the old sandstone building, Walter added huge neoclassical white marble wings of the Senate and House of Representatives (1855-1859). After this restructuring, the building stretched 214 meters long and 107 meters wide. A new huge dome with a diameter of 30 m and a height of 82 m rose above it. When designing this gigantic structure, Walter, who visited France in 1838, took as a model the dome of the Cathedral of the Invalides in Paris, created in 1679-1706. J. Hardouin-Mansart. Like the dome of the Les Invalides Cathedral, the dome of the Washington Capitol is double - the smaller shell is inside the larger one, which creates an additional sense of height. The outer, large dome is very thin and is supported by 36 cast iron ribs. Under it is a smaller dome with an oculos - an open central part through which a large pictorial composition "The Apotheosis of Washington" is visible. The total weight of the cast-iron parts of the dome is over 4,000 tons.

In December 1863, the dome of the Capitol was crowned with a 6-meter bronze statue "Armed Liberty". This date is considered the date of final completion of construction. Meanwhile, already in the 1810s. The Washington State Capitol has become one of the main attractions of Washington. The majestic building, which has become a symbol of American democracy, quickly gained popularity. In the 1st half of the XIX century. countless engravings and colored lithographs with views of the Capitol were released. The silhouette of the Capitol has become a kind of symbol of America, it was depicted on chinaware, tapestries, embroideries, cast in bronze, and even used as a screen saver for notes of patriotic songs and marches. For more than a century and a half, the Washington Capitol has been depicted on American banknotes.

The interior of the Capitol is decorated with an abundance of sculptures, frescoes and mosaics made by famous American artists Horatio Greenug, Randolph Rogers and John Trumbull. Its 540 rooms contain an extensive collection of works of art. The Hall of the National Sculpture Assembly is a real portrait gallery, which contains sculptural portraits of historical figures from different countries, donated to the US Congress by representatives of fifty states of the world.
In addition to the halls and offices of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the walls of the Washington Capitol until 1897 housed the Library of Congress and until 1935 the Supreme Court.

The United States Capitol rotunda is the central rotunda of the Washington State Capitol in the District of Columbia, United States. Located under the massive dome of the Capitol (English). The room was conceived as the "symbolic and physical heart" of the building. The rotunda is surrounded by a network of corridors connecting the half of the Capitol, occupied by the House of Representatives, with the half belonging to the Senate. To the south is the semicircular National Statuary Hall, where the House of Representatives met until 1859. Adjacent to the north of the rotunda is the Old Senate Office, where the latter held meetings until 1857. The diameter of the rotunda is 29 meters, the height to the ceiling is approx. 55 meters. The place is very popular among tourists. Among other things, official events are held in the rotunda, up to public farewells to famous people, including US presidents.

Architecture

In 1793, there was a competition for the best design for the Capitol. The winner was American physician and architect William Thornton. He also owned the idea to build a rotunda in the Capitol. However, due to lack of funds and resources, as well as due to the British attack on Washington (English) during the Anglo-American War of 1812, the architect's plan was not realized. Work on the building continued only in 1818. The construction of the rotunda was completed in 1824 under the direction of the architect of the Capitol, Charles Bulfinch, in time for the visit of the French revolutionary Marie-Joseph Lafayette. At that time, the dome and rotunda, like the entire Capitol, were built in neoclassical style and resembled the Roman Pantheon. The height of the sandstone walls of the rotunda from the floor is 15 meters (48 feet). Soon this height increased. In 1854, at the initiative of the fourth architect of the Capitol, Thomas Walter, work began on the superstructure of the building. In particular, the construction of an unprecedented dome for those times began. The rotunda was also expanded. The reconstruction was carried out according to the original project developed by Thomas. According to the architect's plans, two domes were erected over the rotunda: internal and external. The outer one was planned to be completed, with a colonnade across the drum. The outer dome was to resemble the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The inner one did not have a top, a kind of opening was formed in the shape of a circle, so that through it one could see the fresco applied to the inner surface of the outer dome. Thomas Walter asked the historical painter Brumidi "to paint in that opening a picture 65 feet (20 meters) in diameter, executed as a mural on the concave canopy of the eye of the new dome of the US Capitol." By 1859, watercolor sketches of various scenes of the future mural were already ready. The dome of the Capitol was ready by the middle of the Civil War. The frame of the dome is constructed of cast iron, which excluded fires. During the Civil War, the rotunda was adapted as a hospital for the allied forces. Complete work on the dome was completed in 1866. After the superstructure, the Capitol began to resemble the Parisian Pantheon ...