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The Capitol Building : A Part Of The American Public

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The Capitol Building is one of the most iconic building in the United States of America.
Along with holding Congress, the Capitol Building stands as a poster child for democracy. The building plays an integral role in the American public as a whole. From being a piece of symbolism, to having the public design it, the Capitol Building has been a part of the American public since the beginning.

The Capitol Building in Washington D.C. has been an integral part of the American public since is design conception 1792. In 1790 George Washington set aside land for the capital, and hired a Frenchman named Pierre Charles L’Enfant to survey to land and design the Capitol Building. L’Enfant refused to design the building, not wanting to have his …show more content…

The design consisted of a center section with a low dome and two wings on either side, and was commended by President Washington for its, “grandeur, simplicity, and convenience.” [Architects of the Capitol] This process of how the Capitol Building was designed exemplifies how it is engraved in America’s public, as the building is designed by a citizen similar to you or I. The U.S. Capitol building also symbolizes tenacity and hard work, with it’s many trials through the construction process. These trials began immediately in the building process, as two of the three original architects were dismissed “because of inappropriate design changes they tried to impose;”, according to Architects of the Capitol. Construction continued under James Hoban, who saw through the first phase of construction. The work itself was challenging, as the building had inadequate funding, and the materials used often required long travel to reach the build site. In 1803, Congress allocated more funds to build, and Benjamin Latrobe was hired as lead architect, who, according to Architects of the Capitol, was “The first professional architect and engineer to work in America,”. Latrobe saw through construction of the U.S. Capitol Building, as well as renovation of Dr. Thorton’s design. Latrobe did this until 1813, when lack of funding and work forced him to leave.

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