Ghosts of DCThe lost and untold stories of Washington

Try an address, a neighborhood, a name or a year, like “14th and U” or “1968.”

Not sure where to start?
Best OfThe stories readers come back toAtlasOur stories, on a mapPodcastOur stories, told aloudAboutWho writes this, and how
Notable People & Places

The Library of Congress Inside the Capitol Building in 1866

Before the Library of Congress moved to its own building in 1897, it occupied a room inside the Capitol. This 1866 photograph shows the interior of that original space, with its cast-iron shelving and gallery.

Posted Updated 1 min read
Atlas
Stereograph showing an interior view of the Library of Congress with reading room and stacks in the U.S. Capitol building (1866)
Stereograph showing an interior view of the Library of Congress with reading room and stacks in the U.S. Capitol building (1866)

This is an amazing old photograph from 1866. This shows the interior of the old Library of Congress in the Capitol Building before the current one was constructed.

Stereograph showing an interior view of the Library of Congress with reading room and stacks in the U.S. Capitol building (1866)
Stereograph showing an interior view of the Library of Congress with reading room and stacks in the U.S. Capitol building (1866)

The building that replaced this cramped space was designed by John Smithmeyer and Paul Pelz, who won a 28-firm competition in 1873. They were fired before it opened.

The Email

Lost Washington stories, in your inbox.

The newest story, plus a few from the archive.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime.

We use AI to help research, write and edit stories across our sites. Here’s how we use AI.Suggest a correction

Filed underNotable People & Places

Topics1860s · Library of Congress

Pass it on

Know someone who’d like this?

Send it to them.

Email it

Readers’ favorites

Abraham Lincoln colorized (1865)Colorized Photo of Abraham Lincoln, 18653 min readMurder Bay in 1855 (Smithsonian)Where Was Murder Bay in Washington, DC?6 min readAerial view of the Pentagon and the roads around it, about 1947Why Does the Pentagon Have Five Sides? The 1941 Story6 min read
On the Atlas

See where this happened.

U.S. Capitol (old Library of Congress)

Open the map

Keep reading

President Roosevelt in carriage en route to CapitolLibrary of CongressTheodore Roosevelt’s 1905 Inauguration: Cowboys, Chiefs, and a Lincoln Hair Ring8 min readLibrary of CongressThe Architects the Library of Congress Forgot8 min readUlysses S. Grant driving the trotter Dexter at speed in a light carriage, with Robert Bonner beside him, 1868 lithograph1860sThe Policeman Who Arrested President Grant for Speeding9 min readBest OfEpisode