Original photo by Wiliam Perry/ Alamy Stock Photo
When George Washington died in 1799, Congress could think of no better way to honor the first president than by laying him to rest in the U.S. Capitol. The building had been under construction since Washington himself laid the cornerstone in 1793, and plans were quickly approved to add a burial chamber two stories below the rotunda with a 10-foot marble statue of Washington above the tomb. Visitors would be able to view the grave via a circular opening in the center of the rotunda floor. There was just one problem: Washington had already designated his Mount Vernon estate to be his final resting place, meaning neither he nor anyone else is actually buried in what’s still called the Capitol Crypt.
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It's a factHe ran essentially unopposed in both 1788 and 1792, thereby winning every available electoral vote — 69 the first time, 132 the second — in each election.
This crypt, which was finally completed in 1827, has gone by a few different names over the years. The 1797 plan by architect William Thornton labeled the space the “Grand Vestibule,” whereas architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe’s 1806 plan referred to it as the “General Vestibule to all the Offices” and an 1824 report of the Commissioners of Public Buildings simply called it the “lower rotundo.” For those who’d like to see the crypt today, it’s included in most tours of the Capitol.
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The Capitol Crypt’s sandstone floor was sourced from a quarry in ______.
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The Capitol Crypt’s sandstone floor was sourced from a quarry in Seneca, Maryland.
The U.S. Capitol was burned down in the War of 1812.
The United States has engaged in many international conflicts, most of which haven’t been fought on the country’s own soil. One exception to this is the War of 1812, a kind of sequel to the Revolutionary War in which the U.S. once again went to battle against its British frenemies across the pond.
Mostly spurred by violations of maritime rights, the war reached a retaliatory pitch when, in response to American troops burning the Canadian capital, York (now Toronto), British troops made their way to D.C. and burned everything they could — including the Capitol. This happened on August 24, 1814, a day that also saw the White House set ablaze. Restoration began immediately, and though the Library of Congress’ 3,000-volume collection was ultimately lost, the Capitol was rebuilt and a new library was begun with the donation of Thomas Jefferson’s personal collection of 6,487 books.
Michael Nordine is a writer and editor living in Denver. A native Angeleno, he has two cats and wishes he had more.
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