1793 : Capitol cornerstone is laid
On this day in 1793, George Washington lays the cornerstone to the
United States Capitol building, the home of the legislative branch of
American government. The building would take nearly a century to
complete, as architects came and went, the British set fire to it and
it was called into use during the Civil War. Today, the Capitol
building, with its famous cast-iron dome and important collection of
American art, is part of the Capitol Complex, which includes six
Congressional office buildings and three Library of Congress
buildings, all developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.
As a young nation, the United States had no permanent capital, and
Congress met in eight different cities, including Baltimore, New York
and Philadelphia, before 1791. In 1790, Congress passed the Residence
Act, which gave President Washington the power to select a permanent
home for the federal government. The following year, he chose what
would become the District of Columbia from land provided by Maryland.
Washington picked three commissioners to oversee the capital city's
development and they in turn chose French engineer Pierre Charles
L'Enfant to come up with the design. However, L'Enfant clashed with
the commissioners and was fired in 1792. A design competition was then
held, with a Scotsman named William Thornton submitting the winning
entry for the Capitol building. In September 1793, Washington laid the
Capitol's cornerstone and the lengthy construction process, which
would involve a line of project managers and architects, got under
way.
In 1800, Congress moved into the Capitol's north wing. In 1807, the
House of Representatives moved into the building's south wing, which
was finished in 1811. During the War of 1812, the British invaded
Washington, D.C., and set fire to the Capitol on August 24, 1814. A
rainstorm saved the building from total destruction. Congress met in
nearby temporary quarters from 1815 to 1819. In the early 1850s, work
began to expand the Capitol to accommodate the growing number of
Congressmen. In 1861, construction was temporarily halted while the
Capitol was used by Union troops as a hospital and barracks. Following
the war, expansions and modern upgrades to the building continued into
the next century.
Today, the Capitol, which is visited by 3 million to 5 million people
each year, has 540 rooms and covers a ground area of about four acres.
history.com/tdih.do
1634 : Anne Hutchinson arrives in the New World
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5355
1961 : Hammarskjold dies in plane crash
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=7024
1975 : Patty Hearst captured
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5356
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On this day in 1793, George Washington lays the cornerstone to the
United States Capitol building, the home of the legislative branch of
American government. The building would take nearly a century to
complete, as architects came and went, the British set fire to it and
it was called into use during the Civil War. Today, the Capitol
building, with its famous cast-iron dome and important collection of
American art, is part of the Capitol Complex, which includes six
Congressional office buildings and three Library of Congress
buildings, all developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.
As a young nation, the United States had no permanent capital, and
Congress met in eight different cities, including Baltimore, New York
and Philadelphia, before 1791. In 1790, Congress passed the Residence
Act, which gave President Washington the power to select a permanent
home for the federal government. The following year, he chose what
would become the District of Columbia from land provided by Maryland.
Washington picked three commissioners to oversee the capital city's
development and they in turn chose French engineer Pierre Charles
L'Enfant to come up with the design. However, L'Enfant clashed with
the commissioners and was fired in 1792. A design competition was then
held, with a Scotsman named William Thornton submitting the winning
entry for the Capitol building. In September 1793, Washington laid the
Capitol's cornerstone and the lengthy construction process, which
would involve a line of project managers and architects, got under
way.
In 1800, Congress moved into the Capitol's north wing. In 1807, the
House of Representatives moved into the building's south wing, which
was finished in 1811. During the War of 1812, the British invaded
Washington, D.C., and set fire to the Capitol on August 24, 1814. A
rainstorm saved the building from total destruction. Congress met in
nearby temporary quarters from 1815 to 1819. In the early 1850s, work
began to expand the Capitol to accommodate the growing number of
Congressmen. In 1861, construction was temporarily halted while the
Capitol was used by Union troops as a hospital and barracks. Following
the war, expansions and modern upgrades to the building continued into
the next century.
Today, the Capitol, which is visited by 3 million to 5 million people
each year, has 540 rooms and covers a ground area of about four acres.
history.com/tdih.do
1634 : Anne Hutchinson arrives in the New World
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5355
1961 : Hammarskjold dies in plane crash
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=7024
1975 : Patty Hearst captured
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5356
##########################################
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