Navigate to Homepage
Search
Main navigation
  

        
              Explore the Capitol Campus
                          Art
                            Buildings & Grounds
                            Capitol Hill Facts
                            Visitor Resources
                            Our Blog
                            What We Do
                          Areas of Expertise
                            Programs & Ceremonies
                            Projects
                            Publications
                            Strategic Objectives
                            About Us
                          Who We Are
                            History of the AOC
                            News & Notices
                            Organizational Structure
                            Partnerships & Recognition
                            Work With UsSearch Breadcrumb
    HomeExplore the Capitol CampusBuildings & GroundsU.S. Capitol BuildingHouse Wing
Hall of Columns
        
                  Buildings and grounds
  

        
              U.S. Capitol Building
                                        Capitol Dome
                                                Capitol Rotunda
                                                Capitol Subway System
                                                Crypt
                                                House Wing
                                                Senate Wing
                                                U.S. Capitol Grounds
                                                U.S. Capitol Visitor CenterThe Basics
      
Location
    First Floor, House (south) wing of the U.S. Capitol

Date Occupied
    1900

Size
    100 feet long

AOC Jurisdiction
    House Office BuildingsThe Hall of Columns is a dramatic, high-ceilinged corridor over 100 feet long, directly beneath the Hall of the House of Representatives.

The hall takes its name from the 28 fluted, white marble columns that line the corridor. The capitals in the Hall of Columns are a variation on the Corinthian order, incorporating not only classical acanthus leaves but also thistles and native American tobacco plants. Earlier uses of American vegetation in the building's capitals include Benjamin Henry Latrobe's corncob capitals in a first-floor vestibule and his tobacco-leaf capitals in the small Senate rotunda.

The hall was constructed in the mid-19th century as part of architect Thomas U. Walter's extension of the Capitol, which added the present House and Senate wings and the dome. The marble for the columns was quarried at Lee, Massachusetts. Walter's annual report indicates that by October 1855 approximately half of the columns and pilasters had been set in place and the carving of the capitals was under way. By November 1856 all of the columns were in place, and the entablature and cast-iron ceiling were also complete.

The ceiling was cast in Baltimore at the foundry of Hayward, Bartlett, and Co. The walls between the pilasters are finished in scagliola, an imitation marble made of finely ground gypsum and glue. Originally, the floor was laid with Minton tiles from England. These eventually became too badly worn for further use, and they were replaced in 1920–1924. The present floor is composed of square tiles of white marble from Alabama and black marble from New York.

Since 1976, the hall has housed part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. These bronze and marble portrait sculptures have been donated to the U.S. Capitol by individual states in commemoration of notable citizens.
          
    
      Image
    Bronze statue of a person standing.
  The Art Collection
        Samuel Jordan Kirkwood Statue
        This statue of Samuel Jordan Kirkwood was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Iowa in 1913.
        About the Piece
        VIEW ALL ART

Background Image

House Wing
Explore More
            
          Mural.Cox Corridors
    Crowd in stands.House Chamber
    Interior of a building.Small House Rotunda
    Columns in a room with statues and a chandelier.National Statuary Hall Serve. Preserve. Inspire.

              Contact Us
                            Accountability
                            Hill Staff Resources
                            AOC Staff Resources
Utility
  

        
              Privacy Policy
                            Image Terms of Use
                            Inspector General
                            U.S. Botanic Garden
                            U.S. Capitol Visitor CenterFacebook
	Twitter
	Flickr
	YouTube
	Instagram
	Subscribe