Where is the front of the Capitol building?
Where is the front of the Capitol building? It is located at the far eastern end of the National Mall beyond the Capitol Reflecting Pool. The Capitol Visitor Center, the main entrance to the U.S. Capitol, is located beneath the East Front plaza of the U.S. Capitol at First Street and East Capitol Street.
Why is the Capitol on a hill?
The commissioners, in turn, hired the French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant to plan the new city of Washington. He located the Capitol at the elevated east end of the Mall, on the brow of what was then called Jenkins' Hill. The site was, in L'Enfant's words, a pedestal waiting for a monument.
Why is the front of the Capitol covered?
Why is part of the Capitol Building covered in scaffolding? The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is preserving the building's exterior stone and metals. The project will prevent water infiltration, slow deterioration of the stone and corrosion of the metals, repair damage and remove soil and stains.
Which side of the Capitol is the front?
The Capitol's East Front was planned, and still serves, as its principal entrance (being the only front on level ground), and the statue faces those who arrive from this direction.
What are the sides of the Capitol building?
The grounds immediately surrounding the U.S. Capitol are bordered by a stone wall and cover an area of 58.8 acres. Its boundaries are Independence Avenue on the south, Constitution Avenue on the north, First Street NE/SE on the east, and First Street NW/SW on the west.
Is that an Indian on top of the Capitol building?
Thomas Crawford's Statue of Freedom (figure 1), the colossal bronze statue atop the U.S. Capitol dome, dominates the Capitol and the city of Washington, D. C., by virtue of its size and placement so far above the ground. Yet this symbol of freedom is often misidentified as an Indian.
Who is on the horse in front of the Capitol?
At two and one-half times life size, the figure of Grant mounted on his horse forms the monument's apex atop a pedestal that is over twenty-two feet high.
What is underneath the Capitol building?
The United States Capitol crypt is the large circular room filled with forty neoclassical Doric columns directly beneath the United States Capitol rotunda. It was built originally to support the rotunda as well as offer an entrance to Washington's Tomb.