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The first Architect of the Capitol, William Thornton, was raised in England and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Keenly interested in art and architecture, William Thornton was skilled enough as a draftsman to create an innovative design for the Capitol that met with President Washington's ideas for the building.
After seven years of construction, only the Capitol's north wing was ready for occupancy. The wing accommodated the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Library of Congress when the seat of government was moved to Washington, D.C., in 1800.
Library of Congress
English-born Benjamin Henry Latrobe, one of the first professional architects to practice in the United States, was a brilliant designer and engineer.
White House Historical Association (White House Collection)
Latrobe designed the Old Supreme Court Chamber with its dramatic lobed vault in 1807.
Franz Jantzen, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States
Benjamin Latrobe's Corn Cob capital and bundled corn stalk columns carved by sculptor Giuseppe Franzoni, installed in the east vestibule of the north wing in 1809 survived the 1814 fire.
Benjamin Latrobe's rendering of a completed Capitol.
Library of CongressAbout this Gallery
Construction on the United States Capitol building began in 1793, and the first wing--housing the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Library of Congress--was completed in 1800. It was designed by the first Architect of the Capitol, Dr. William Thornton. Benjamin Henry Latrobe became Architect of the Capitol in 1815 and was responsible for the Capitol's rebuilding after it was destroyed in the War of 1812. He resigned on November 1817 because of what he felt was continued interference by his superiors. Before leaving Washington Latrobe restored the old House and Senate Chambers, considered today to be some of the finest neoclassical spaces in America, and produced drawings for the central rotunda section, partially followed by his successor Charles Bulfinch.
Native Americans hold a significant place in White House history. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples, including the Nacotchtank and Piscataway, lived in the Potomac Valley prior to the construction of the White House. Since that time, Native Americans have come to the Executive Mansion to share their cultural heritage, meet with presidents, protest, and advocate for Indigenous rights. In
The young national capital at Washington, D.C. became the center of the War of 1812 with Great Britain during the summer of 1814. The burning of the public buildings by the British was a humiliating defeat that struck at the symbolic heart of the country. Up from the ashes of that bitter blow, a resilient nation emerged stronger and more unified.
The collection of fine art at the White House has evolved and grown over time. The collection began with mostly presidential portraits, commissioned or purchased by Congress, or donated by presidential descendants. In the era before photography, some presidents invited painters to set up studios in the White House to record significant events and paint their likeness. In the late
