Capitol

in American history, the official building at Washington occupied by Congress. A state capitol is occupied by a legislature and, ordinarily, by state officers. The term corresponds to Parliament House in England and the colonies. The capitol of Rome stood on the Capitoline Hill. It was the central temple in which Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva were worshiped.

The United States Capitol is situated on a low hill ninety-seven feet above the Potomac and one and one-third miles from the White House. The corner stone of the central building was laid by George Washington September 13, 1793. The building was partially destroyed by the British in 1814. The damage was repaired and the building completed by 1827. This portion consists of a rotunda and two short wings. It faces the east with a rear entrance on the west. The rotunda is an immense circular hall ninety-seven feet in diameter, springing from the floor to the vaulted ceiling of the dome overhead 180 feet in the clear. The outside height of the dome, including the statue of Freedom, is 307 1/2 feet. The dome itself, the crowning glory of the city, is made of iron and weighs nearly 9,000,000 pounds. It is so constructed that it may contract and expand with change of temperature like the folding and unfolding of the petals of a lily. It may be ascended by a spiral stairway for a view of the city. In 1851-9, an extension, almost as large as the main building, was constructed on the south for the House and one to balance on the north for the Senate. They are connected with the main building by corridors. The old Senate chamber is occupied by the supreme court. Congress has directed an enlargement of the main building toward the east to provide more committee rooms. The central part of the building is of Virginia sandstone. The extensions are of Massachusetts marble; the columns of the grand portico are single stones of Maryland marble. The sandstone has been painted white to harmonize.

The historical paintings, statues of public men, bronze groups, corridors, and stairways are most instructive. The entire building, including the halls of Congress, except when actually in use, is open to visitors freely. Every effort is made to have the people feel that it is their own.