The United States Capitol Building, located on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., is the seat of the U.S. Congress and the legislative branch of the federal government. Construction began on September 18, 1793, with President George Washington laying the cornerstone. The building has undergone several major periods of construction, including rebuilding after being burned during the War of 1812 and expansions in the 1850s and 1860s.The Capitol is designed in the neoclassical style, featuring a prominent dome completed in 1866. It houses the chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as various important offices and historical artifacts. The building is not only a functional legislative space but also a symbol of American democracy and history.

The western facade of the United States Capitol, a Neoclassical building, stands atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. In 1960, the Capitol was designated as a National Historic Landmark.

The U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C.

The north front is the principal façade of the White House and consists of three floors and eleven bays. The ground floor is hidden by a raised carriage ramp and parapet, thus the façade appears to be on two floors. The central three bays are behind a prostyle portico (this was a later addition to the house, built circa 1830), serving, thanks to the carriage ramp, as a porte cochere. The windows of the four bays flanking the portico, at first-floor level, have alternating pointed and segmented pediments, while at second-floor level, the pediments are flat. The principal entrance at the center of the portico is surmounted by a lunette fanlight. Above the entrance is a sculpted floral festoon. The roofline is hidden by a balustraded parapet. The mansion's southern façade is a combination of the Palladian and neoclassical styles of architecture. It consists of three floors, all visible. The ground floor is rusticated in the Palladian fashion. At the center of the façade is a neoclassical projected bow of three bays. The bow is flanked by five bays, the windows of which, as on the north façade, have alternating segmented and pointed pediments at first-floor level. The bow has a ground-floor double staircase leading to an Ionic colonnaded loggia (with the Truman Balcony at second-floor level), known as the south portico. The more modern third floor is hidden by a balustraded parapet and plays no part in the composition of the façade.

The British forces burned the White House during the War of 1812, leaving only weakened exterior walls, most of which had to be rebuilt. A few items taken during the sack were later returned, while others were believed lost in a shipwreck. President James Madison lived in temporary residences until reconstruction, overseen by Hoban and Latrobe, was completed in 1817. During the War of 1812 British attack on Washington, D.C., Dolley Madison famously saved a full-length portrait of George Washington from the White House. She ordered her servant to save or, if needed, destroy the painting to keep it from enemy hands. The portrait remains part of the White House collection today.

The South Portico was designed by Hoban, with decorative stonework carved by Italian artisans brought to Washington.&nbsp;

The North Portico was designed by Hoban. The North Portico’s Ionic variation included carved rose swags to harmonize with earlier designs. During John Quincy Adams’ presidency (1825-1829), an iron garden pump with “nine spout holes” was attached to a well at the nearby Treasury Building and provided water to the White House Grounds.&nbsp;

Running water iron pipes in the Ground Floor Corridor for drinking and fire protection under Andrew Jackson, as well as a "bathing room" (early bathroom) was added in the East Wing. &nbsp;There was no indoor plumbing before this. Servants carried water from an off-site well.&nbsp;

The first flushing toilet was installed under Millard Fillmore. Later Franklin Pierce added a more modern bathroom, including a bathtub. Records indicate that the Second Floor of the White House had central plumbing, including hot and cold water taps.&nbsp;

President James Buchanan, encouraged by his niece and hostess Harriet Lane, added a wooden greenhouse to the White House’s West Terrace, designed by Edward Clark. Intended mainly for enjoyment rather than utility, it offered fresh flowers and a serene retreat for presidents and their families. Harriet Lane, Mary Todd Lincoln, and Julia Grant—who kept orchids—were among its admirers. Rutherford and Lucy Hayes, avoiding alcohol, often ended dinners with guest strolls through the greenery. The conservatory also housed historic plants, including a sago palm once owned by George Washington. The conservatory burned down in 1867. It took four fire companies several hours to contain the blaze and ensure that it did not spread to the rest of the mansion. Over time, the White House conservatory was rebuilt and expanded into a complex of greenhouses on the west side.

By the Civil War, the White House was overcrowded and its location—near a canal and swamp—raised health concerns. Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Michler proposed relocating the president’s residence to Meridian Hill or Metropolis View, but Congress rejected both plans.By 1876, a 2,000-gallon tank was installed in the attic to supply water throughout the White House.When Chester A. Arthur became president in 1881, he ordered extensive renovations, bringing in Louis Comfort Tiffany’s designers. Over twenty wagonloads of furnishings were auctioned, saving only busts of John Adams and Martin Van Buren. In 1882, decorative updates included gold and silver accents in the main corridor, a new red-and-gold design for the Red Room, and a 50-foot jeweled Tiffany glass screen separating the corridor from the north vestibule.

President Benjamin Harrison and First Lady Caroline proposed major White House extensions—a National Wing on the east for a historical art gallery and a west wing for official functions—but the plan, developed by Col. Theodore A. Bingham, was not adopted. The Harrisons also began the tradition of the White House Christmas tree.

Theodore Roosevelt hired McKim, Mead &amp; White to renovate the building in a neoclassical style, removing Victorian additions and creating the West Wing to house executive offices. William Howard Taft later expanded the West Wing, adding the Oval Office. &nbsp;The conservatory/Green house were all demolished to make way for the West Wing, as moving or recreating them was too costly, and architect Charles McKim believed they clashed with the White House’s neoclassical style.

In 1925, Congress allowed the White House to accept donated furniture and art. After a 1929 fire damaged the West Wing, Herbert Hoover oversaw its repair. In the 1930s, a second story and larger basement were added, and Franklin Roosevelt moved the Oval Office to its current location by the Rose Garden.

During Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, the White House was among the first government buildings in Washington, D.C. to become wheelchair accessible, accommodating his use of a wheelchair due to paralysis. In the 1990s, Hillary Clinton approved adding a ramp in the East Wing corridor to improve wheelchair access for public tours and events entering through the secure east entrance.

By 1948, decades of neglect, structural changes, and added features had left the White House near collapse. President Truman ordered a full reconstruction, relocating to Blair House from 1949–1951 including extensive plumbing renovations. Contractor John McShain’s team dismantled the interior, installed a steel frame, and rebuilt the rooms, adding central air, two sub-basements, and repositioning the grand staircase. The $5.7 million project (about $69 million in 2024) preserved the structure but replaced many historic finishes with generic ones. Damaged original plasterwork and Beaux Arts paneling were lost, though Truman repurposed timber from the old frame to panel several rooms.

Congress declared the White House a museum, allowing the president to designate its furniture, fixtures, and decorative arts as historic or artistically significant, protecting them from being sold. The house was accredited as a museum in 1988

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy led a major White House restoration (1961–63), working with Henry Francis du Pont to acquire historic furnishings and artifacts, many once in the house, and with Paris designer Stéphane Boudin to style rooms in historically inspired themes: Federal (Green Room), French Empire (Blue Room), American Empire (Red Room), Louis XVI (Yellow Oval Room), and Victorian (Treaty Room). Antique furniture, period-accurate fabrics, and notable artworks were added, creating a more authentic, elegant interior. Mrs. Kennedy also installed the 1834 Vue de l'Amérique Nord wallpaper in the Diplomatic Reception Room, salvaged from a demolished mansion. She oversaw the first White House guidebook, with sales funding the project, and presented the restored home to the public in a televised 1962 tour.

During the Nixon administration (1969–74), First Lady Pat Nixon refurbished the Green, Blue, and Red Rooms with curator Clement Conger, adding over 600 artifacts—the largest acquisition by any administration. President Nixon converted FDR’s old swimming pool into the modern press briefing room and added a single-lane bowling alley in the White House basement.

The official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Designed in the neoclassical style using Aquia Creek sandstone painted white. Hoban modelled the building on Leinster House in Dublin, a building which today houses the Oireachtas, the Irish legislature.It has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. The term "White House" is often used as a metonym for the president and their advisers.

Tom, Peter, Ben, Harry and Daniel. Tom, Peter, Ben, and Harry were owned by White House architect James Hoban. Daniel was owned by Hoban’s assistant, Pierce Purcell. In many payrolls related to federal construction projects, the enslaved person is listed either listed only by their first name, with their owner’s last name, or with a mark like “N” to indicate their enslaved status. Their owner typically signed for their wages on the opposite side of the payroll, allowing researchers and historians to learn about their enslavement. White wage laborers usually signed for themselves.

working at the President's House; Simon, Jerry, Jef, Charles, Len, Dick, Bill, and Jim. Enslaved workers were typically noted in the payrolls with an "N" or "Negro" to indicate their status.

A 1793 elevation by James Hoban. His 3-story, 9-bay original submission was altered into this 2-story, 11-bay design.

[London]- Published by G. Thompson No. 43 Long Lane

This painting by Tom Freeman for the White House Historical Association shows the burning north and west facades of the White House when it was set aflame by the British soldiers on August 24, 1814 during the War of 1812. British soldiers can be seen in the foreground. It was commissioned during George W. Bush's presidency, but depicts events that occurred during James Madison's.

This artist’s rendering acknowledges the roles of many participants in the portrait rescue. Jean Sioussat packs Cabinet papers, Paul Jennings holds a ladder, Thomas Magraw and Jacob Barker pass by the Washington portrait, Dolley Madison gives directions, Robert De Peyster collects baggage, and enslaved maid Sukey prepares to leave.&nbsp;

This 1962 color photograph was taken by National Geographic Society staff for inclusion in the first edition of "The White House, An Historic Guide." A circa 1817 Deniére et Matelin gilded bronze mantel clock sits above the fireplace. Above the mantel is David Martin's 1767 portrait of Benjamin Franklin. Hanging on the wall to the left are two portraits by Paul Cézanne, "House on the Marne" (above) and "The Forest" (below).

This black and white photograph of the Red Room from the Detroit Publishing Co. was taken around 1904 during the Theodore Roosevelt administration. The Red Room is one of three state parlors on the State Floor of the Executive Mansion named after a color, with the designated red dating as far back as 1845 and the James K. Polk administration. In1902, President Roosevelt oversaw the first major renovation of the White House under the direction of renowned architect Charles Follen McKim of the New York firm McKim, Mead and White.

This circa 1889 black and white photograph by Frances Benjamin Johnston depicts the Entrance Hall of the White House, including the Tiffany Screen. In 1882, Louis Comfort Tiffany created this glass screen to separate the Entrance Hall from the Cross Hall. The glass screen featured topaz, ruby, and amethyst jewels set into the glass alongside four eagles and a shield with the initials "US." The glass screen was removed during the Roosevelt renovation, and portions of it were auctioned off in 1903. No known surviving example of the glass exists today. The surviving glass was destroyed in a fire in 1923.

This is a photograph taken ca. 1903 of guests waiting in line to be received by President Theodore Roosevelt during the New Year's Day reception. This annual tradition started in 1801 during the Adams administration and ended in 1932 during the Hoover administration.

This black and white photograph of the Red Room was taken around 1884-1885, during the Chester A. Arthur or Grover Cleveland administration. In 1882, President Arthur commissioned designer Louis Comfort Tiffany to redecorate a number of the rooms on the State Floor, including the Red Room. Comfort's redesign of the Red Room was decorated inline with the Aesthetic movement of the 19th century.

This photograph is a portrait of the entire Roosevelt family: President Theodore Roosevelt, First Lady Edith Roosevelt, and their six children. Left to right: Quentin, President Roosevelt, Theodore III (Ted), Archibald (Archie), Alice, Kermit, First Lady Edith Roosevelt, Ethel.

This black and white photograph depicts the Grand Staircase of the White House as it appeared between the Roosevelt renovation (1902) to the Truman Renovation (1948-1952). Note the heavy iron gates at the bottom of the stairway.

A detail from a watercolor of the White House grounds about 1826 entitled "President's House, Washington." Shown with the White House are Jefferson’s stone wall; the orchard and vegetable garden, fenced in rails; and several workmen’s shanties left over from the reconstruction.

This lithograph published in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper in 1858 depicts the newly added White House Conservatory. In the print, presumably, is Harriet Lane, President James Buchanan's niece who served as White House hostess during his administration, standing in the Conservatory. The Conservatory was built during Buchanan's administration and stood on the grounds of what is today the West Colonnade and West Wing. The Conservatory had a small, 12 foot passage between the glass room and the Executive Mansion and served as a private space for first families of the era. P. Hall Baglie is credited with the tinting of this lithograph.

This hand-colored wood engraving of the State Dining Room by an unknown artist was made during the Ulysses S. Grant administration. The wood engraving captures a State Dinner held for the Joint High Commissioners on March 9, 1871. The Commission was made up of delegates from the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States and eventually led to the signing of the Treaty of Washington in 1871, which settled disputes between the three nations.Harriet Lane’s successors followed her lead and expanded the use of flowers in the White House. President Ulysses S. Grant and First Lady Julia Dent Grant entertained lavishly, employing impressive floral displays to awe their guests.

On the evening of March 27, 1952, in a small ceremony at the entrance door, President Truman received a gold key to the newly renovated White House. After spending more than three years living in the smaller quarters of the Blair House across the street, the first family returned to the mansion for their first night back in residence. It was both the same house they had left three years earlier and a new and larger home as well. Its original 48 rooms had expanded to 54, not including two entirely new sub-basement levels containing service areas and other support facilities.In a live television special, the president proudly toured the renovated house, telling of events in its history. President Truman's renovation was the most radical in the history of the White House. His goal was to rebuild the house for all time. It remains today, redecorated, but essentially as he left it.

The White House

The design of the U.S. Capitol went through several revisions before construction began. One of the leading submissions came from Stephen Hallet, a French architect who had worked as a draftsman for Pierre L’Enfant on the original plan for Washington, D.C. Although Hallet’s design included the idea of a large circular room and dome, it was considered too elaborate, heavily influenced by French architecture, and too expensive to build.In January 1793, amateur architect William Thornton submitted a new design that received praise from President George Washington and Thomas Jefferson for its grandeur, simplicity, and beauty. Inspired by the Louvre in Paris and the Pantheon, Thornton’s design was officially approved on April 5, 1793, making him the first architect of the Capitol.Hallet was later appointed to review Thornton’s plans and supervise construction, but disagreements arose when he made significant changes to the approved design. In 1794, he was dismissed by Jefferson. Construction continued under other architects, including George Hadfield, while Benjamin Henry Latrobe and Charles Bulfinch later made substantial modifications to Thornton’s original design.

The current cast-iron dome, the House's new southern extension, and the Senate's new northern wing were designed by Thomas Ustick Walter and August Schoenborn in the 1850s, and were completed under the supervision of Edward Clark.

The 1850 expansion more than doubled the length of the United States Capitol; it dwarfed the original, timber-framed, copper-sheeted, low dome of 1818, designed by Charles Bulfinch which was no longer in proportion with the increased size of the building. In 1855, the decision was made to tear it down and replace it with the "wedding-cake style" cast-iron dome that stands today. Also designed by Thomas U. Walter, the new dome would stand three times the height of the original dome and 100 feet in diameter, yet had to be supported on the existing masonry piers.

The East Front of the Capitol building was rebuilt, following a design of the architects Carrère and Hastings, who designed the Russell Senate and Cannon House office buildings earlier that year.

In 1958, the next major expansion to the Capitol started, with a 33.5-foot extension of the East Portico.[citation needed] In 1960, two years into the project, the dome underwent a restoration. A marble duplicate of the sandstone East Front was built 33.5 feet from the old Front. In 1962, a connecting extension repurposed what had been an outside wall as an inside wall. In the process, the original sandstone Corinthian columns were removed and replaced with marble.&nbsp;

United States Capitol

Benjamin Henry Latrobe, often called the “father of American architecture,” was a British-American architect who arrived in the U.S. in 1796. Known for introducing Greek Revival style, he designed landmarks such as the U.S. Capitol’s House and Senate chambers, the Baltimore Basilica, the Merchants' Exchange, and Decatur House. Influenced by European Neoclassicism, he later worked on New Orleans’ waterworks, where he died of yellow fever in 1820.

Benjamin Henry Latrobe

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