United States Capitol Complex

United States Capitol Complex
Aerial view of the United States Capitol Complex from the northwest
Website
http://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-hill http://www.capitol.gov

The United States Capitol Complex is a group of about a dozen buildings and facilities in Washington, D.C., that are used by the United States government. The buildings and grounds within the complex are managed and supervised by the Architect of the Capitol.

While the Capitol is the central feature of the complex, other parts of the Capitol Complex include the:

In addition to the buildings listed above, several monuments, sculptures, and other works of art are located in and around the Capitol Complex. These include the National Statuary Hall Collection and the Statue of Freedom among many others.

The westernmost part of the grounds is the Capitol Reflecting Pool, which reflects the Capitol and the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial.

Construction of the Capitol began in 1793. When built, it was the only existing building for the use by the nation's legislature. In addition to Congress, the building was also designed to house the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, the district courts, and other offices.

Following the completion of the building and as the nation grew, so did the size of the Congress. The Capitol and its grounds were enlarged accordingly, and by 1892 the building had reached essentially its present size and appearance (with the exception of the east front extension 1958–1962 and courtyard infill areas 1991–1993).

Even with the enlargements, Congress eventually grew too big for the building and new facilities had to be constructed to meet the needs of the government. With the moving of the Library of Congress into its own building in 1897, and with the construction of new office buildings for the House and Senate in the early 20th century, the Capitol Complex was born.