Skip to content
Ghosts of DC

Ghosts of DC

  • The Best Of
  • Neighborhoods
    • Southwest DC
      • Waterfront
    • Maryland
      • Gaithersburg
      • Rockville
      • Bethesda
      • Hyattsville
      • Silver Spring
      • Bladensburg
    • Virginia
      • McLean
      • Falls Church
      • Alexandria
      • Vienna
      • Arlington
    • Southeast DC
      • Congress Heights
      • Navy Yard
      • Capitol Hill
      • Anacostia
    • Northeast DC
      • Trinidad
      • Woodridge
      • Deanwood
      • Brookland
    • Northwest DC
      • Tenleytown
      • Park View
      • Friendship Heights
      • Brightwood
      • Crestwood
      • Sheridan-Kalorama
      • The Palisades
      • Logan Circle
      • Petworth
      • Glover Park
      • Bloomingdale
      • Georgetown
      • Woodley Park
      • Dupont Circle
      • Columbia Heights
      • Cleveland Park
      • Adams Morgan
      • Mt. Pleasant
      • Chevy Chase
      • Cathedral Heights
      • Chinatown
    • Lost Neighborhoods
      • Hell’s Bottom
      • Swampoodle
      • Murder Bay
  • Notable People & Places
    • Places
      • Washington Monument
      • Library of Congress
      • The White House
      • The Capitol Building
      • Dulles Airport
    • People
      • Franklin D. Roosevelt
      • Calvin Coolidge
      • Officer Sprinkle
      • Dwight D. Eisenhower
      • Warren G. Harding
      • William McKinley
      • Abraham Lincoln
      • John F. Kennedy
      • Teddy Roosevelt
      • Woodrow Wilson

Capitol Building

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.

A Stunning Photo of the Capitol Building Taken in 1921 From the Steps of the Library of Congress

January 20, 2022December 16, 2013 by ghostsofdc
Night view in rain [of Capitol] taken from steps [Neptune Plaza] of Library of Congress

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.

Categories Notable People & Places Tags 1920s, Capitol Building

Uncovering the Mystery of the Capitol from the Monument Photo

March 9, 2022December 13, 2013 by ghostsofdc

Can you help uncover the mystery of a photo of the Capitol from the Monument taken between 1900 and 1920? See the photo and learn more about it from the Library of Congress.

Categories Notable People & Places Tags 1920s, Capitol Building, Washington Monument 6 Comments

A Rare Glimpse into the Early 19th Century: A Painting of the Capitol Building

January 15, 2022November 22, 2013 by ghostsofdc
view down Pennsylvania Avenue toward Capitol 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

Categories Notable People & Places Tags 1810s, Capitol Building, Pennsylvania Avenue 2 Comments

A Cool Photo: Painting the Capitol Dome on August 26th, 1922

March 22, 2022November 18, 2013 by ghostsofdc
Capitol Dome being painted

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

Categories Notable People & Places Tags 1920s, Capitol Building 3 Comments

Recognizing Buildings in an Aerial View of Washington Circle

April 27, 2026November 4, 2013 by ghostsofdc
Aerial View of Washington Circle

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

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags Capitol Building, Landmarks 2 Comments

A Glimpse Into the Past: An Incredible Photo of the Capitol Building in 1924

February 1, 2022October 10, 2013 by ghostsofdc
Capitol Building in 1924

Take a look back in time with this incredible photo of the Capitol Building in 1924. See the amazing architecture and get a glimpse into the past with this amazing photo!

Categories Notable People & Places Tags 1920s, Capitol Building

The Red Capitol Dome: Photos from the 1950s Restoration

March 28, 2022September 26, 2013 by ghostsofdc
In late 1959 through 1960, the Capitol Dome underwent a significant repair and restoration effort and at the end of 1959 the exterior of the Dome was surrounded by scaffold.

Before the Capitol’s famous white dome was fully restored in 1959, it had taken on a reddish hue from decades of weathering.

Categories Notable People & Places Tags 1950s, 1960s, Capitol Building 2 Comments

J.P. Morgan, the Senate Reception Room Bombing & the Attempted Murder of J.P. Morgan in July 1915

November 27, 2021September 25, 2013 by ghostsofdc

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.

Categories Guest Posts, Historical Events Tags 1910s, Capitol Building 1 Comment

Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address: A Look at the Photo and the Document

April 27, 2026September 20, 2013 by ghostsofdc
Abraham Lincoln delivers his second inaugural address

Explore the photo of Abraham Lincoln delivering his second inaugural address and the original document. Learn about the confrontation between Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth that may have saved Lincoln’s life.

Categories Historical Events, Notable People & Places Tags 1860s, Abraham Lincoln, Capitol Building, John Wilkes Booth, Politics 1 Comment
Older posts
Newer posts
← Previous Page1 Page2 Page3 Page4 … Page8 Next →
Explore the Archive
The Best Of Old Ads & Classifieds Then and Now Lost History
GoDCers Love Maps From the Crazy Vault Faces & Places of Yesterday If Walls Could Talk
Historical Events Notable People & Places This Day in History Guest Posts
Three Things… A Personal Story Why Is It Named…? Featured
Ghosts of DC© 2012–2026 Ghosts of DC