20 photos that show how the Capitol building has changed over the years

Talia LakritzAug 17, 2020, 21:55 IST

The Capitol building, then and now.Photo 12/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images, Terraxplorer/Getty Images

The US Capitol was designed by William Thornton, and Congress met there for the first time in 1800.
The building underwent several restorations and expansions as more states joined the Union and the government grew.
The current structure spans 4 acres and includes the House and Senate chambers and congressional offices.

The US Capitol in Washington, DC, houses the entire legislative branch of the US government — the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as their members' congressional offices.

Since President George Washington laid the building's cornerstone in 1793, many architects have helped it take shape through their own designs, expansions, and restorations.

Here's how the Capitol building has changed since it was first built.

The Capitol building was designed by William Thornton, a doctor and amateur architect born in the British West Indies.

A watercolor drawing of the US Capitol by William Thornton, painted in 1795 or 1796. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

In 1814, British troops set the Capitol on fire during the War of 1812, leaving it in ruins.

A watercolor image of the ruins of the US Capitol building in 1814. Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Architects Benjamin Henry Latrobe and Charles Bulfinch made further improvements to the building's design during its restoration.

A drawing of the Capitol as it appeared in 1831 by John Rubens Smith. Photo 12/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images

By 1850, the Capitol had become too small to hold all of the elected officials from new states, and plans for expansion began.

The earliest known photo of the Capitol, from around 1846. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

As the building expanded to twice its length, the original dome looked out of place. It was removed in 1856 and replaced with a redesigned cast iron dome.

The Capitol Building under construction in 1859. William England/London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images

The Statue of Freedom was added to the top of the dome in 1863.

The Statue of Freedom being installed. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Over 100 rooms were added to the Capitol between 1884 and 1891 with the construction of new marble terraces.

The Capitol in 1890. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Inside the building, as part of architect Thomas U. Walter's expansion in the 1850s, the House chamber for the US House of Representatives was built.

A lithograph of the House of Representatives in 1866. Casimir Bohn/E. Sachse & Co./Library of Congress

The House chamber was redesigned from 1949 to 1950 in order to make the ceiling more structurally sound and update the Victorian-style decor.

The House chamber in 1951. AFP via Getty Images

The modern-day ceiling of the US House of Representatives still contains a nod to the old stained-glass design with the Seal of the House in the center.

The House chamber in 2020. Joshua Roberts/Reuters

The Senate chamber was built in 1859, also as part of Walter's expansion.

"The Senate as a Court of Impeachment for the Trial of Andrew Johnson," sketched by Theodore Russell Davis in 1868. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Like the House of Representatives, the Senate chamber was remodeled from 1949 to 1950.

The US Senate in session in 1955. Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Aside from minor decorative changes and technological updates, the Senate chamber has remained the same since then.

The United States Senate in 2010. Architect of the Capitol

The Supreme Court and its Law Library used to be housed in the Capitol Building.

The Supreme Court Law Library in the Old Supreme Court Chamber in 1870. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

The Library of Congress moved to its own building in 1897 after outgrowing its space in the Capitol.

The old Library of Congress inside the US Capitol. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

The Supreme Court also moved to their own building in 1935, and the Old Supreme Court Chamber was restored in 1975.

The restored Old Supreme Court Chamber in the Capitol. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

A subway system was added beneath the Capitol in 1909.

Riding the subway under the US Capitol. National Photo Company/Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

The modern subway system has three different lines.

A Capitol Hill subway car in 2010. Jason Reed/Reuters

The last large-scale restoration of the Capitol was completed in 2016.

The Capitol dome being restored in 2015. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Spanning 4 acres, the Capitol remains an iconic part of the Washington, DC, skyline.

Capitol Hill. Terraxplorer/Getty Images

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