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Capitol NW (Pennsylvania Avenue)
This is a view up Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol. It's supposed to be a clear shot (so to speak) to the White House but that columned building at the end of the street is the US Treasury Building which blocks everything. The first Treasury Building was burned down by the British when they invaded in 1814. The second one burned down in 1833. Indecision about where to put the third Treasury Building led President Andrew Jackson to storm out of the White House and slam his walking cane on the spot where he demanded it be built immediately. The building thus blocked Pennsylvania Avenue, screwing up one of L'Enfant's original visions for the city.
The building itself wasn't completed until after the Civil War, the grounds serving as a stable for the US Cavalry during the war. Originally, the State Department was on the same site but that moved to the ornate Old Executive Office Building in 1875.
The oddly shaped building in the foreground on the right of Pennsylvania Avenue is the Canadian Embassy.
On the left side of Pennsylvania Avenue, you can see the Old Post Office tower as well as the front-most tip of the red-roofed Federal Triangle buildings. This particular building is the Federal Trade Commission.
The large white building to the left of that is the National Gallery of Art's East Wing. The building was designed by I.M. Pei and completed in 1978. The reflecting pool stands in front of the gallery.
The large white statue to the right of the reflecting pool is the Peace Monument. |