United States Capitol

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• The United States Capitol was originally designed by Dr. William Thornton, an amateur architect, who submitted a plan in 1793 that won him $500 and a city lot.
• The present Capitol was designed and constructed by Thomas U. Walter, 4th architect of the Capitol.
• Today's cast iron dome at its greatest exterior measures 135 ft. 5 in., and is topped by the bronze Statue of Freedom that stands 19.5 ft. and weighs 14,985 lbs.
• The capitol sits 88 feet above the Potomac River, and covers 175,170 square feet of area, or about 4 acres.
• The building has around 540 rooms, 658 windows, and 850 doorways.
• The capitol rotunda is 92' in diameter, and rises 180'-3" from the floor to the canopy. It contains 1.3 million cubic feet of space.
• President George Washington laid the cornerstone for the building in 1793, during a Masonic ceremony.