The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1884-05-14
The Washington Capitol.

The capitol fronts the east, and stands
on a plateau ninety feet above the level OF
the Potomac. The southeast cornerstone
of the original building was laid on Sep
TENDER IS. 1893, by President Washing
ton, aided by the Freemasons of Mary
land. It was constructed of sandstone,
painted white, from an island in Aqua
creek, Virginia, under the direction of
Stephen H. Hallett, James Hoban, George
Hadfield. and aftcrward of B. H. Latrobe,
architects. The north wing was finished
in 1900 and the south wing in 1911. a
wooden passage-way connecting them.
On August "a. 1914, the interior Of both
wings was destroyed by British inccn-
diaries, but they were Immediately re-
built. In 1918 the central portion of the
building was begun under the architec.
tural superintendent of Charles Bulfnch,
and the original building was finally COM
pletcd in 1927. Its cost, including the
grading of the grounds, alterations, and
repairs, up to 1927, was 81, 433, S44.1 10.
The cornerstone of the extensions to the
capitol was laid on July 4. 1851, by Presi-
dent Fillmore, Daniel Webster officiating
as orator Of tho day. Thomas U.
Walter was architect, and subsequently
Edward Clark, under whose direction the
work was completed in November, 1867.
The materials used for the extensions is
white marble from the quarries at Lee,
Massachusetts, with white marble col
umns from the quarrics of C%ockeysville,
Maryland. The dome Of the original
central building was constructed of wood,
but was removed in 1856, to be replaced by
the present %stupendous structure of cast
iron, which was completed in 1865. The
entire weight Of iron used is 1909. 200
pounds. The main building is $50 feet
four inches long in front and 121 feet six
inches deep, with a portico 100 feet wide.
Of twcnty-four columns on the east, and
a projection of eighty-three feet on the
west. embracing a recessed portico OF ten
coupled columns. The extensions are
placed at the north and~Aouth ends Of the
main building, with connecting corridors
forty-four feet long by ~tifty-six feet wide,
hankcd by columns. Each extension is
142 feet eight inches in front by 22S feet
ten inches deep, with p~orticos of twenty
ty-two columns each on their eastern
fronts, and with p~orticos of ten columns
on their ends and on their western fronts.
The entire length of the building is ISL
feet four inches, and the greatest depth,
including porticos and steps, is 324 feet.
The area covered by the entire building
is 1913, 112 square feet. The dome Is
crowned by a brown statue Of Freedom,
modelled by Crawford, which is nineteen
feet six inches high, and which weighs
ID, 0s5 pounds. The height of the dome
above the base line of the east front is
2S7 feet eleven inches; the height from
the top of the balustrade of the building
is 217 feet eleven inches. and the greatest
diameter at the base is 1875 feet five inches.
The rotunda is ninety-fve feet six inches
in diameter, and its height from the floor
to the top Of the canopy is 100 feet three
inches. The Senate chamber is liz feet
in length by cighty-two feet in width and
thirty feet in height. The supreme
court room was occupied by the Senate
until December, 1860, the court having
previously occupied the room beneath,
now used as a law library. The Library
of Congress was burned by the British in
1914, and was partially destroyed by al
accidental fire in 1851. The present cen
ter hall was finished in 1853, and the
wing halls were finished in 1867.