United States Capitol
Seat of the California state government in Sacramento.
via Wikipedia: California State Capitol · see source
The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, serves as the meeting place for the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. Situated on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the building is the origin point for the city’s street-numbering system and its four quadrants, though it no longer sits at the geographic center of the capital. Its neoclassical design, featuring a white exterior, mirrors the principal buildings of the executive and judicial branches. The central sections were completed in 1800, allowing the 6th U.S. Congress to convene there on November 17 of that year, moving the national capital from Philadelphia. The structure was partially destroyed during the 1814 Burning of Washington by British forces but was fully restored within five years. During the 19th century, the building was enlarged by extending its wings to accommodate the chambers of the bicameral legislature as more states joined the union: the House of Representatives occupies the south wing, and the Senate the north wing. The iconic massive dome was finished around 1866, shortly after the American Civil War. The east front portico was extended in 1958, and a Visitor Center opened in the early 21st century. Both the east and west elevations are formally called fronts; the east was originally intended for visitors and dignitaries, while the west front is now used for presidential inauguration ceremonies. The architect of the Capitol oversees the building, its grounds, and the surrounding Capitol Complex.
- Location
- Sacramento, California
- Completed
- between 1861 and 1874
- Architectural style
- Neoclassical
- Architects
- Reuben S. Clark
- Function
- Seat of the California state government
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The structure was completed between 1860 and 1874, designed by architect Reuben S. Clark of Clark & Kenitzer, one of San Francisco's oldest architectural firms, founded in 1854. Although not generally considered earthquake country, Sacramento was hit by two earthquakes within days of each other in 1892 which damaged the Capitol. The Capitol was remodeled, adding seventy rooms and elevators, between 1906 and 1908. Between 1949 and 1952, the Capitol's apse was demolished to make way for the building's expansion with the construction of the Capitol Annex adjoining the historic Capitol building to its east. The offices of the governor of California were housed in the Capitol Annex. The Capitol and grounds were listed on the office of the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and listed as a California Historical Landmark in 1974, with a re-dedication on January 9, 1982, to commemorate the close of the bicentennial restoration project. The building underwent a major renovation known as the California State Capitol Restoration, from 1975 until 1982, involving an architectural restoration and structural reconstruction for earthquake safety. In 2012, many protesting cuts to higher education stormed the building and were arrested. The Capitol Annex was vacated in 2021 in preparation for its demolition and replacement with a new Annex on the same site, due to its obsolescence and decayed state. Demolition was delayed until 2023 by lawsuits about the project's environmental impacts to the trees in Capitol Park, which is immediately adjacent to the Annex site. The offices and personnel previously in the Annex moved into the newly constructed Capitol Annex Swing Space building until the new Annex is constructed.
Reader's Guide
The building is based on the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The west facade ends in projecting bays, and a portico projects from the center of the building. At the base of the portico, seven granite archways brace and support the porch above. Eight fluted Corinthian columns line the portico. A cornice supports the pediment above depicting the Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva, surrounded by allegorical figures representing Education, Justice, Industry and Mining. Above the flat roof with balustrade are two drums supporting a dome. The first drum consists of a colonnade of Corinthian columns; the second, Corinthian pilasters. Large arched windows line the drum walls. The dome is 64 m (210 ft) high, and supports a lantern with a smaller dome capped with a gold-leafed orbed finial. The California Senate chamber seats its forty members in a large chamber room decorated in red, which is a reference to the British House of Lords. The chamber is entered through a second-floor corridor. From the coffered ceiling hangs an electric reproduction of the original gas chandelier. A hand-carved dais caps off a recessed bay framed by Corinthian columns. The Latin phrase 'Senatoris est civitatis libertatem tueri' ('It is the duty of the Senator to guard the civil liberties of the Commonwealth') lines the cornice. A portrait of George Washington by Jane Stuart, the daughter of Gilbert Stuart, is on the wall above. The State Seal hangs above. Statues of Minerva once overlooked both chambers; however, today, Minerva, sculpted by Michael H. Casey, appears only in the Senate chamber. Gilded Corinthian columns support the gallery above, and dark red curtains that can be drawn for privacy are tied back along the columns. High arched windows run along the bottom below rectangular pane windows. Behind the rostrum, there are two chairs with red velvet cushions, reserved for the president pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly, but they are never used. The California Assembly chamber is located at the opposite end of the building. Its green tones are based on those of the British House of Commons, the lower house. The dais rests along a wall shaped like an 'E', with the central projection housing the rostrum. Along the cornice is the Assembly motto, in Latin: 'Legislatorum est justas leges condere' ('It is the duty of legislators to establish just laws').
Did You Know?
- Sacramento was hit by two earthquakes within days of each other in 1892 which damaged the Capitol.
- The Capitol was remodeled between 1906 and 1908, adding seventy rooms and elevators.
- The Capitol's apse was demolished between 1949 and 1952 to make way for the Capitol Annex.
- The dome is 64 m (210 ft) high and capped with a gold-leafed orbed finial.
- The Capitol Annex was vacated in 2021 and its demolition was delayed until 2023 by lawsuits about environmental impacts to trees in Capitol Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the United States Capitol?
The building was shaped by a long line of architects, beginning with William Thornton as the original designer and later carried forward by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Charles Bulfinch, Thomas Ustick Walter, August Schoenborn, and Edward Clark.
What is the United States Capitol's role?
It functions as the meeting hall for the U.S. Congress, housing both the Senate and the House of Representatives as the legislative branch of the federal government.
When was the United States Capitol completed?
The central sections were finished in 1800, and Congress held its first session there on November 17 of that year. The famous dome, however, was not added until roughly 1866.
What architectural style is the United States Capitol built in?
The structure is a Neoclassical design, drawing on grand columns, symmetrical proportions, and a towering central dome that echo classical Greek and Roman temple forms.
Why is the United States Capitol important?
As the physical home of the nation's legislature, it stands as one of the most recognizable symbols of American representative democracy. Its perch on Capitol Hill at the eastern edge of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., cements its status as a defining landmark of the capital.
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