Talk:United States Capitol

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[edit] Lady Freedom

The statue on top of the Capitol building's dome is Lady Freedom.

Well, "the Statue of Freedom" or "Freedom" according to http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/freedom.htm.
--wwoods 20:14, 9 Jun 2004 (UTC)
Can anyone find a good quality photo of this statue? Chadlupkes 20:01, 29 December 2005 (UTC)

Can anyone add anything about the Frieze of American History that is the on the dome when you walk inside. It is a great work of art and has a great story about the man who ended up painting it. --198.8.16.1 10:57, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)

[edit] images

Right now this page has four images of the present dome, and a fifth showing it under construction. But there are no pictures of the original Bulfinch dome. If anybody has access to historical pictures, it would be great to swap one in....Doops | talk 07:12, 17 July 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Anthem

Can anyone tell me the name of the tune that the bells play at the US Capitol? Pigeonshouse 20:16, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

PS I don't mean Ding Dong Ding Dong! I;m sure when I was walking past it, that it started to play a patriotic American song. Pigeonshouse 20:47, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Oh, so you're not talking about the "bells" which are used to call Congress to vote. There are bells outdoors? (SEWilco 04:38, 7 October 2005 (UTC))
There are no bells on the Capitol itself. The music comes from the Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon [1], located across Constitution Avenue from the Capitol, but still on Capitol Grounds. In addition to chiming the quarter-hours, it plays a variety of patriotic and folk tunes — everything from the service songs ("Anchors Aweigh," etc.) to "I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair." As SEWilco pointed out, there are bells inside to let folks know what's happening on the floors of the House and Senate. - Virginian74 13:17, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Lying in State

In the article there is a partial list of those who have lain in state in the Rotunda of the Capitol, which includes Officer Chestnut and Detective Gibson, who were shot in the Capitol in 1998. However, they did not lay in state, they lay in honor. They were not due a state funeral, so they could not lie in state. I'm fairly new here, so I'll let one of the more experience hands make the change to the article. A couple of references are from CNN [2] and Slate [3] - Virginian74 14:02, 26 October 2005 (UTC)


Did not Gerald R Ford lie in state? And if so should he not be included on the list? Mashtato (talk) 19:31, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

He did and he should. ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 01:55, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Razings/Seiges

How many times has the capitol been attacked during wartime? I have some who say 3x, the war of 1812, American Revolution, & Civil War but I'm having trouble finding corraboritive stuff. Anyone got a definite answer? --Duemellon 17:16, 23 November 2005 (UTC)

Once. During the War of 1812 the British invaded Washington and, on August 24, 1814, burned the Capitol, White House and othfer public buildings. The Capitol wasn't constructed until after the Revolutionary War, and the Confederate army didn't enter the City of Washington during the War Between the States. Washington was never attacked during the Mexican or Spanish-American wars, nor during World War I or II or any later wars. Virginian74 16:04, 28 November 2005 (UTC)


Technically, during the attack on the capitol in 1814, the White House wasn't there. The building that was to become the White House was attacked and partially burned, becoming the White House later on. Kebbe7 18:32, 4 February 2008

[edit] Renovation?

Have there been any renovations for the Capitol in the 20th Century, and will there be any renovations in the near future?

As mentioned in the main article, the East Front was extended in the late 1950's and early 1960's which provided additional office space and provided a more stable visual base to the dome. In the early 1990's, the courtyards inside the west terrace buildings were filled in with new meeting rooms and office space. Also in the 1990's the painting "Apotheosis of Washington" that occupies the interior of the top of the dome was renovated. Renovations to the building's historical artwork (which includes a vast amount of decorated wall and ceiling spaces), and the mechanical, electrical, communications and ventilation systems go on almost continuously. Virginian74 20:35, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Flags

From 2 to 4 flags fly over the capitol daily. How often do they change them? Must be very often since it's so easy to obtain one that has been flown there. Sen. Ted Steven's site offers them for sale from $13.05 plus $4.00 shipping. Do they really fly NYLON ones?? Yopienso 05:08, 4 April 2006 (UTC)

As a Hill staffer, I did once ask an employee of the capitol building. He said they raise it and count to three or four and bring it down, so not much actual flying time. As to the types of flags you can order different sizes and materials, so both Cotton and Nylon are flown.--Themanfromlamancha 15:04, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for your response, Quixote. Yopienso 03:10, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

Note that you're very unlikely to get a flag flown on one of the 4 visible flag poles. They have short, "production line", flagpoles on the roof that are out of sight from the ground (see article). I wonder if the article needs a spoiler or disillusionment warning.--J Clear 00:14, 25 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "Capitol" vs. "Capitol Building"

I was always taught that the phrase "capitol building" is a redundant expression, as a capitol is by definition a building. I can understand using it in spoken discussions due to the homonym "capital", but not in a written article. — Eoghanacht talk 13:27, 4 April 2006 (UTC)

→In many contexts the two terms may be interchangable, but "the Capitol" can also refer to the whole Capitol complex (that is, the Capitol Building itself, plus the six main office buildings and other congressional departments on Capitol Hill). Also, "Capitol" can be used to refer to the congress in much the same way "the White House" can mean the president (eg. 'The White House called for swift passage of the bill, but there's been no response from the Capitol'). Liffer 09:09, 3 December 2006 (UTC)


there is no way there are 365 steps leading up to the capitol building. Is there a cite for that?141.154.140.63 20:25, 19 April 2006 (UTC)dennis

[edit] Ben Franklin

I'm not sure if this is in/should be in a different article, but I remember hearing something about Ben Franklinfinding a spot under the dome of the capitol and at that precise spot you could hear the whispers across the room, which caused his political opponents to believe he was a very skilled politician when he was really just a very clever person. sorrry i dont have a credible source for this, a teacher told me, but if any of you guys do know a source you should definitly put it in the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.37.137.178 (talk • contribs) 17:46, 23 April 2006

Benjamin Franklin died in 1790, well before construction of the Capitol even began. —Zero Gravitas 02:18, 24 April 2006 (UTC)
The anecdote you're referring to takes place in National Statuary Hall, I believe. KevinPuj 15:04, 14 May 2006 (UTC)
It was John Quincy Adams and definately Statutary Hall. They have markers on the floor that show you where the spots are and at one JQA had his desk Cranor 18:07 UTC May 14 2006

[edit] $50 bill

The Capitol is depicted on the reverse of the U.S. $50 bill.

This was in the "Features" section. Since it is not a feature of the Capitol itself, I moved it here. Perhaps this tidbit could be worked in somewhere else in the article. - furrykef (Talk at me) 02:50, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Height

I'm looking but I'm not seeing any indication here of how TALL the building is. --Golbez 22:21, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Request for plan

Any chance anyone could add a plan? Wilchett 05:03, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] 2nd-to-last paragraph in the "Present Capitol" section

This section is written in a British dialect of English. Should it be re-written in American English, given the subject matter of the article? Words in the paragraph include "queue" (in reference to a line of people), "thence", "whereupon", "massive" —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.212.186.1 (talk) 05:48, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

[edit] Statue

I don't see any mention of the statue on the capitol building's very apex. I've read that it is of Persephone, goddess of the underworld, but know very little other than that. Wujamie 11:48, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

The US declared independence in 1776, and this was recognized by the British in 1783. What happened in 1780 for it to be considered the "year of American independence" Bastie 16:07, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Capitol Image

The small image in the right column of what purports to be the Capitol in 1800 is, I'm pretty sure, the White House just before its first occupants arrived in 1800 and before its staircases were installed. I do not believe the Presiden't House was ever used as a gathering place for legislators. This image is available at the Library of Congress. CORRECTION-- I WAS MISTAKEN. IT IS THE NORTH WING OF THE CAPITOL . THE IMAGE IS CORRECT


71.165.27.69 16:59, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Some Questions about the Capitol

The article does not tell us what the capitol was made of: marble, limestone, steel, bricks ...a combination of these? It only mentions the dome, which is made of cast iron. Also, does this ediface conform to a specific style of architecture such as Neo-Classical or Baroque? In my own observations, the East Front is more ornate (note the pediments over the columned porticos) than the West Front.Buddmar 23:38, 22 May 2007 (UTC)buddmar

[edit] masonic architecute of capitol hill?

http://www.incapabledesetaire.com/edito/secretwash.htm this website proves that the entire Washington dc area and the capitol hill is masonic and is actually a calender which ends in dec 23 2007. do add it in the article manchurian candidate 14:09, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

And have à look at the owl! http://forums.gamershell.com/index.php?act=ST&f=17&t=13165 here: owl at capitol hill
This is not notable and should not be inthe article, but I've reverted you twice and don't want to be acused of 3RR, so I'll let someone else deal with it.
Reverted. A gaming forum, first, is no place to be locating cites for edits concerning the United States Capitol. Second, the poster of the information on that site makes several inaccuracies, such as stating that the Statue of Freedom is a statue of Persephone, and placing its creation in the 20th century, when it was 1865. So lets not perpetuate ignorant statements here. ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 16:04, 19 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Live Shots of Capitol Hill

Hi, EarthCam has a cool webcam that shows live views of the Capitol Building and the surrounding grounds. I think it would be a great link to add the the External Links section, but as an employee of EarthCam, I really can't be objective. I was hoping a third party would consider adding the link. Thanks!
TelcontarOfBree 17:53, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

You'd be surprised how many "great links" poeple would like to add. We don't have room for all of them, and we're not a link directory. Thanks anyway. ·:·Will Beback ·:· 18:36, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Article re-organization

Looking over the article, I feel like it could be better organized. For example, rather than throw a list of former capitols at the reader, we should launch right into the history of the present Capitol building. Place the list at the end of the article, as the subject material is not relevant to the focus of the article which is the present Capitol building. Long lists also serve to disrupt the article, such as the long list for the House chamber, could this be better placed in the article, re-structured, or even removed and placed on an article page specifically for the House chamber? Not to mention the absence of any information on the Senate chamber makes the article appear unfinished and incomplete. Other than the above, the actual construction history of the building needs to be expanded and clarified, something I'll attempt to do that doesn't require input like the re-organization. ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 15:37, 10 June 2007 (UTC)

We now have a link to the "List of U.S. capitals" in the section, which includes all the information from the list on this page. Let's get rid of the list and make that the main article link. --Aude (talk) 15:49, 10 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 1998 Shooting, Calhoun statue

After reading the Wiki article, and several of the referenced articles for the 1998 shooting, I cannot find much evidence that actually places the shooting in the Crypt, itself. The shooting appears to have happened in a corridor adjacent to the Crypt. Can anyone find any evidence at all that supports that the John C. Calhoun statue WAS hit by stray bullets during the shooting? Right now, I'm doubting this story, and unfortunately, there are plenty false stories about the Capitol, and this may be one of them. If this does prove false, it should be removed from the article. I will ask around tomorrow to find out more at work. I do know that there is a memorial plaque to the two officers located in a hallway around the corner from the Crypt. ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 00:11, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

After some personal investigation, speaking with folks who were working at the Capitol at the time, it turns out Calhoun's statue was in the area of the shooting and later moved to the crypt. This, thus explains the issue that had me boggled. ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 21:12, 7 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Inspiration

Could someone who know the history of this building check out this edit here [4]. Thanks Giano 18:36, 7 July 2007 (UTC)

When I head into work on Monday, I'll check our reference library to see if I can offer better clarification on the matter of Thorton's inspiration. ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 21:17, 7 July 2007 (UTC)
I took it out. Can't find any sources, including in various books I have, nor by searching on Google Books and elsewhere. If someone finds a reliable source for it, we can restore that edit. --Aude (talk) 21:25, 7 July 2007 (UTC)
Don't worry - I doubt you will find a reliable source for it. Giano 21:27, 7 July 2007 (UTC)
Agree. His inspiration for the design, appears to be the Pantheon for the center portion of the design, as well as the east front of the Louvre. [5] --Aude (talk) 21:39, 7 July 2007 (UTC)
I also have concerns about the Barbaro family article. As noted on User talk:Tiki-two, I found some problematic, non-notable articles created by the user which needed to be speedy deleted. Some of the material in the article looked dubious to me, but I don't know enough to really deal with the article. --Aude (talk) 21:50, 7 July 2007 (UTC)
I don't think you are the only one with concerns there :-) Giano 21:52, 7 July 2007 (UTC)
Problem averted, I'll rest easy on Monday, then! ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 14:25, 8 July 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Cites

Anybody have cites for the first paragraph of the Security section? Murderbike (talk) 17:17, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

I think I've cleared up the issue of responsibility for the 1983 bombing. The article originally stated that the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee was responsible, but the group that claimed responsibility was actually the Armed Resistance Unit. Three members of the group later pleaded guilty. There was certainly some overlap in membership, but it's not quite accurate to say that the JBAKC was responsible. However, six members of the group were found in contempt for refusing to testify in the case. Unfortunately, the stories are pre-Internet, so the original sources are only available on paper or through Lexis/Nexus.Mycota 16:58, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] the "front" of the Capitol

According to the professional Capitol tour guides, it is not correct to state that either side of the Capitol is the "front." The west front, however, is the side that was designed for receiving important visitors to the Capitol, and it is the site of the presidential inauguration ceremonies. Moreover, L'Enfant chose this location for the Capitol because of its commanding view of the National Mall. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 143.231.249.141 (talk) 21:30, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Building Height in DC

I've heard that the US capitol building is used as a reference for the maximum height of buildings allowed in the DC area (none may exceed it) with special exceptions (Washington Monument), and this is why there are no 1000' skyscrapers in DC. I haven't been able to find any good references online, so I'm not sure if this is true or not, or what the laws are governing building height in DC. If there are any, it might be interesting to put on the page, here or at Washington DC -- atropos235 ✄ (blah blah, my past) 22:09, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

I recall it as a figure based on the width of the streets - unrelated to the Capitol. Tedickey (talk) 22:27, 10 March 2008 (UTC)
That is correct. Its a calculation based off the width of the streets.~ (The Rebel At) ~ 23:46, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Capitol vs. Capital

Since there appears to be confusion:

Cap·i·tol Audio Help /ˈkæpɪtl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kap-i-tl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun 1. the building in Washington, D.C., used by the Congress of the U.S. for its sessions. 2. (often lowercase) a building occupied by a state legislature.

cap·i·tal1 Audio Help /ˈkæpɪtl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kap-i-tl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun 1. the city or town that is the official seat of government in a country, state, etc.: Tokyo is the capital of Japan. 2. a city regarded as being of special eminence in some field of activity: New York is the dance capital of the world.

Before 1800, at least eight other buildings and eight other cities have hosted Congress, going back to the First Continental Congress. Since the ratification of the United States Constitution, Congress has only met in two other buildings. The capitol/capital was first located in New York, with Congress meeting in City Hall (Federal Hall) from 1785 to 1790. Philadelphia served as the Capitol/Capital from 1790 to 1800. During that time, Congress met at the Philadelphia County Building (Congress Hall).

I think the argument here is based entirely on a mix up on the inference of the words used and the situation. Since this article is about the United States Capitol, not Capital, and this paragraph is referring to earlier capitol buildings, I think its clear that the first line concerns the building, not the seat of state. The first line, I believe, is obviously referring to the building that Congress met in, in New York, hence, the capitol of the time. The second one, I believe should be Capital, since its modifying Philadelphia as the Capital of the nation (a fact I overlooked earlier and was incorrect in changing the latter word, my apologies on that one). I'll be making the edit to reflect the rationale of above, if it appears wrong, please offer your own logic here to reflect any change. In fact, I'll simply modify the paragraph to be clearer.~ (The Rebel At) ~ 22:48, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

A lot of words to gloss over the fact that you've decided to reword the sentence to prop up your POV. Start by finding reliable sources to support it. Tedickey (talk) 23:20, 8 April 2008 (UTC)
First, nice way to dismiss my discussion of what I did and why I did it and not address any of the points raised. Second, reliable source provided. More so, this is a discussion of grammar, what the noun capitol is, not if or not capitol was used as a title. Regardless, I found you a publication from the Architect of the Capitol with the building in New York referred to as "capitol."~ (The Rebel At) ~ 00:21, 9 April 2008 (UTC)
While I'm appreciative that you opted to retain the edit, I'm completely baffled by your methodology. Requesting a source from 1790 where someone referred to the building as a capitol is completely irrational. If applied to any form of modern historical study of any subject, it would prevent any reference to or description of any subject that was not contemporary to that subject. I.E., you could not write about Independence Hall as Independence Hall until it was labeled such. If the sentence in dispute concerned if Congress at that time called the Federal Hall the U.S. capitol, then a cite to a source from the 19th century would be suitable. However, that is not the case, as the sentence is simple describing Federal Hall per its purpose as the gathering place of Congress, which would make it a capitol. If the Architect of the Capitol, recognizably one of the top experts on the history of our nation's capitols claims it as such, that is more than sufficient for the case.~ (The Rebel At) ~ 12:12, 9 April 2008 (UTC)
But the Architect of the Capitol will always use "capitol" even in cases where other sources will use the location or prevailing nomenclature for the building. The original sentence was reasonably neutral, was easily understood by most readers, and did not make claims about the thinking (or evolved thought) of the people building the US Capitol. Tedickey (talk) 12:43, 9 April 2008 (UTC)
The Architect of the Capitol is easily considered one of the top authorities on the issue, the very fact that he uses it is controlling. It isn't a POV of an editor, but the NPOV on the subject. For the same reason, why David McCullough would be considered a top expert on John Adams. More so, the other sentence was not neutral or easily understood, or there would have been no confusion arising from the matter to begin with. The new sentence clearly delineates the status of the Federal Hall as a capitol, and notes Philadelphia as a capital, and location of yet another capitol. Otherwise, the very paragraph heading, "Previous Capitols" would need to be changed to "Previous Capitals." More so, if it were Capitals, then it would be re-located to the article on Washington, D.C., as the nation's capital.~ (The Rebel At) ~ 15:22, 9 April 2008 (UTC)