Existing comment:
History of the Site:
The site approved for the future Supreme Court Building encompassed squares 727 and 728 of Pierre L'Enfant's 1792 plan for the City of Washington. With the Capitol being built nearby, several small structures were erected on the squares, including a tavern. In 1814, the British burned the Capitol and a temporary structure to house Congress was built on the site. Designed by Benjamin Latrobe, it was dubbed the "Brick Capitol." This building later served as a boarding house. During the Civil War, the federal government converted it into a jail, known as the Capitol Prison. After the war, the interior of this building was gutted and it was remodeled into three large row houses, known as Trumball's Row,. In 1921, the National Woman's Party purchased Trumbull's Row. At the time, it was one of approximately 200 structures, mostly residential, on the Court's future site. |