The United States Capitol has stood at the center of Washington since the 1790s, and GoDC has spent years digging into its history. These posts cover everything from the Capitol’s construction and the British burning of 1814 to the dome’s completion during the Civil War and the debates, ceremonies, and controversies that have played out inside ever since.
Photographer Ernest Crandall captured the U.S. Capitol at night in 1907. The image comes from the Library of Congress and shows the dome before the exterior was lit the way it is today.
![Night view in rain [of Capitol] taken from steps [Neptune Plaza] of Library of Congress](https://ghostsofdc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2013/12/3b42062u.jpg)
Take a look at this stunning photo of the Capitol Building taken in 1921 from the steps of the Library of Congress. See the beautiful night view in the rain and learn more about the history of this iconic building.
Take a trip back in time with this rare painting of the Capitol Building from the early 19th century. Get a glimpse of the Capitol as it looked more than 200 years ago
Take a look at this cool photo taken on August 26th, 1922, when a gentleman was hanging from the top of the Capitol to paint it
Take a look at this aerial view of Washington Circle along K Street in Washington, DC. How many buildings can you recognize? With a bit of help, you can even spot the Capitol Building at the top right corner
A 1924 photograph of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
Before the Capitol’s famous white dome was fully restored in 1959, it had taken on a reddish hue from decades of weathering.
Learn about the attempted murder of J.P. Morgan in July 1915 and its connection to a bomb that exploded in the Senate Reception Room. Discover the backstory of J.P. Morgan in 1919 and its role in US foreign relations in Paris.
On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address. Somewhere in the crowd stood John Wilkes Booth, six weeks before Ford’s Theatre.
