Existing comment:
One of the icons of world architecture, the U.S. Capitol has been the meeting place of Congress since 1800. President George Washington laid the cornerstone on September 18, 1793. While under construction, the the building was damaged by British troops during the War of 1812 and subsequently restored. The Capitol was enlarged and the present cast-iron dome built in the 1850s and 1860s. Further additions included the Olmsted terraces on the west front in the 1880s and the east front extension in the 1950s. The most recent addition is the underground Capitol Visitor Center. |