The Capitol is the official residence of the US Congress in Washington D.C. It was designed by William Thornton in Neoclassical style, and its cornerstone was laid in 1793 by President George Washington, who also selected the site for the building with city planner Pierre L’Enfant. In 1800, Congress moved into the building, even though only the north wing was finished. During the War with Britain, in 1814 British troops invaded the federal capital and burned down the unfinished Capitol. The restoration and the center building was finally completed in 1829. Between 1851–1870, the building was significantly extended and remodelled: the current Dome, the most easily recognizable part of the Capitol, was constructed at this time. Until 1935, the Supreme Court also held its sessions in the Capitol.

The Capitol is placed on a small hill, and it is considered the centre of the District of Columbia: all addresses in Washington are divided into four quadrants – NW, NE, SW, SE – relative to the Dome. Today, the south wing houses the Chamber of the House of Representatives, while the north wing contains the Chamber of the Senate. In the center under the Dome is the Rotunda, a circular ceremonial space that also serves as a gallery of paintings and sculpture depicting significant people and events in the nation's history. For more information about the Capitol, visit http://www.aoc.gov/