Matilda Beckanovic
The Capitol Building
Capitol Building Being Built
In Washington, D.C. the Capitol building was being built. On September 18, 1793, the cornerstone for the U.S. Capitol was laid personally by President Washington. Frederick Law Olmsted was the landscape architect.
Facts About the Dome
On August 24, 1814 the Capitol was burned by a British raiding party during the War of 1812. The old dome was removed in 1856. The statue on top of the dome is called the "Freedom Statue". A black man was the one who figured out how to put a 19 1/2 foot,15,000 pound, plaster statue on top of the dome. The statue was installed in December 1863.
Designers
L'Enfant called the hill "a pedestal waiting for a monument." L'Enfant was dismissed in March 1792. William Thornton took over after L'Enfant.
Bibliography
Curlee, Lynn. Capital. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2003.
"Memorial Eyed for Slaves Who Helped Build the Capitol." Gale: Info-Bits Database. Gale. 10 April 2014.
Ed Peterson, pg.17.