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The interior of the Summerhouse offers stone benches and can seat twenty people. A fountain in the center of the building held either ladles or cups on a chain. Owing to modern sanitation standards, water is now provided by individual drinking fountains. There is a small&nbsp;grotto and waterfall outside the Summerhouse that can also be seen through a small window within the structure. Architect Olmstead wanted to make the structure close enough to the Capitol without intruding upon its grandeur&nbsp;but he also wanted to make sure there was enough foot traffic in the park to "prevent its use for improper purposes."&nbsp;

Capitol Architect Frederick Law Olmsted originally planned to create two of these structures-one on the southern side of the Capitol in addition to this one on the northern side. 

The central fountain is now only for aesthetic purposes and parched visitors can drink from the individual fountains in the center of the Summerhouse. 

More information from the U.S. Capitol Historical Society

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 Construction on this hexagonal brick structure that is built into the sloping hillside of the front lawn of the Senate side of the Capitol began in 1879. The building was part of Frederick Law Olmsted's plan to improve the Capitol Grounds, a task that he had been appointed to by Congress five years prior. Dubbed the Summerhouse, the hexagon building was a response to parched and overheated visitors to the capitol and featured shady spaces and water fountains along with wrought-iron gates and decorative landscaping. The Summerhouse utilized an open-air design to maximize breezes while the benches are covered and protected from the sun and rain. 

Summerhouse, U.S. Capitol 

This walking tour begins at the Capitol and includes stops at the leading monuments and fountains on the Capitol Grounds. It also includes the U.S. Botanic Garden and many of the public buildings that are located adjacent to the Capitol Grounds such as the Library of Congress and Supreme Court Building.

In 1791,&nbsp;French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant was chosen to plan the city Washington, the new seat of the United States government. Using his keen design skills, he believed&nbsp;that a&nbsp;small hill, then known as Jenkins' Hill, elevating the relatively flat landscape was a "pedestal waiting for a monument." It was there he decided Congress, the representatives of the people, would preside above the city.&nbsp;Dr. William Thornton, a physician in the British West Indies, submitted the winning design in 1793, which President Washington admired for its "grandeur, simplicity and convenience." Thornton is often considered the first "Architect of the Capitol," a&nbsp;title that now refers to both&nbsp;an individual Architect and an agency dedicated to caring for and developing the Capitol. Noted French architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the first professional architect in the United States, oversaw&nbsp;much of the early&nbsp;construction.1&nbsp;Construction began in 1793 and has been ongoing&nbsp;ever since. Tasks have&nbsp;ranged from building wings for the Senate and&nbsp;House of Representatives to installing art, from installing a cast-iron dome in the Rotunda to updating heating and cooling systems. Its purpose has also fluctuated.&nbsp;In 1800, for example,&nbsp;the Capitol housed Congress, the Supreme Court, the&nbsp;Library of Congress, and D.C. courts, all in cramped quarters. Today, the main Capitol building is home to the House and Senate chambers, though the entire Capitol Complex includes over a dozen office buildings&nbsp;and a visitors center. During the Civil War,&nbsp;the Capitol&nbsp;served as a&nbsp;military barracks, hospital and bakery.2&nbsp;Regular Sunday services took place until
after the Civil War. Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were notable
regulars at church services in the Capitol building.Whether having visited in person, seen pictures or witnessed
the Capitol building on television, most people are familiar with the sight of
the Rotunda, a circular room in the center of the building, and the dome above it. There is a “Statue of Freedom” on the top of
the dome. The Rotunda has often been on display following the death of a president.
Eleven presidents have lain in state in the Rotunda for public viewing. An area
below the Rotunda is called the Crypt and was designed to be the final resting
place of George Washington. Washington’s will, however, stipulated that he be
buried at Mount Vernon. The Crypt is open to visitors and does feature exhibits
on the history of the Capitol. 

Countless points of interest are found in the Capitol, &nbsp;the Visitors Center website can help guide visitors to what piques their interests. In the Hall of Columns, statues
from the National Statuary Hall Collection stand among&nbsp;28 beautiful fluted columnns. The&nbsp;basement is home
to an area that was a spa-like facility designed for members of Congress prior
to modern plumbing. Another point of interest is a metal staircase with 365
steps, one for each day of the year, that goes from the basement to an outdoor
walkway on top of the dome.History is made every day at the Capitol. It is the setting of important discussions, debates, and votes on legislation in the House and Senate chambers, on topics&nbsp;such as&nbsp;healthcare, budgets, foreign affairs, energy, education,&nbsp;and&nbsp;civil rights. Furthermore, the Capitol is a gathering place for momentous historical events including presidential inaugurations,&nbsp;the annual&nbsp;State of the Union addresses, Independence Day and Memorial Day events, and memorials in which prominent figures lie in state.&nbsp;

The United States Capitol building is the home to the United States Congress. As one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, the Capitol serves as a working office building and monument to American history. Visitors are welcome to attend tours and explore exhibits. The original portion of the building was completed in 1800 and has been expanded through the years.

United States Capitol Building

James Abram Garfield was born in a log cabin on November 19, 1831 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Before his second birthday, his father died, forcing his mother to not only raise him and his siblings, but also manage the small, struggling family farm. A bright child, Garfield escaped his harsh reality by reading voraciously. Initially yearning to become a sailor and travel the world, he settled for a job as a mule team driver on the Ohio and Erie Canal. Somehow, Garfield scraped together enough money to enroll at Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (now Hiram College). After two years there, he attended Williams College in Massachusetts, graduating in 1856. Garfield then returned to Western Reserve Eclectic Institute to become a professor of classical languages. Only a year later, at the age of twenty-five, he became the school’s president. A member of the newly formed Republican Party, Garfield won a seat in the Ohio legislature in 1859. When southern slaveholding states began to secede, he advocated for the use of force to preserve the Union. Following the outbreak of the Civil War, Garfield received a commission as a colonel and helped organize the Forty-Second Ohio Infantry. Early in the conflict, he saw combat in eastern Kentucky and at the Siege of Corinth and the Battle of Shiloh. In the fall of 1862, Garfield was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Initially hesitant to resign his commission, he required some convincing. Garfield received it from none other than President Abraham Lincoln, who thought highly of him and was in search of effective Republicans in Congress. Before taking office, however, he became Chief of Staff for Major General William S. Rosecrans, commander of the Army of the Cumberland, and participated in the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863. Later that year, he left the U.S. Army at the rank of major general. Unlike his tenure in the military, Garfield’s time in Congress was lengthy. He won reelection eight times, serving for a total of eighteen years on Capitol Hill, eventually becoming the leading Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1880, the Ohio legislature elected him to the U.S. Senate, but Garfield never took his seat. That same year, the Republican Party selected him as their nominee for President of the United States. In the fall, Garfield won a close election, defeating Democratic nominee Winfield Scott Hancock, who also served as a U.S. Army general during the Civil War. Less than four months after his inauguration, on July 2, 1881, he was shot twice by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled officer seeker, while waiting at a train station in Washington, D.C. The first bullet merely grazed Garfield, but the second penetrated his back and lodged itself deep within his abdomen, settling behind his pancreas. For several weeks, Garfield languished in pain as doctors unsuccessfully searched for the projectile. Riddled with infection from the countless unsterile examinations, he passed away on September 19 at the age of forty-nine. He was buried in Cleveland’s Lake View Cemetery. Garfield’s death came as the Society of the Army of the Cumberland was holding its annual reunion in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Before adjourning, members of the Union veterans’ organization voted to create the Garfield Memorial Committee and charged it with erecting a monument to their former officer and fellow member in Washington, D.C. After fundraising proved challenging, the committee held a fair in the Capitol Rotunda in 1882, which raised nearly $15,000. The following year, Congress appropriated $30,000 for the project. At the 1883 reunion of the veterans’ organization, members selected esteemed New York sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward to design the monument. Dedicated near the U.S. Capitol on May 12, 1887, the monument consists of a larger-than-life sized bronze statue of Garfield on a marble pedestal, designed by prominent architect Richard Morris Hunt. Ward depicted Garfield standing, as if delivering a speech. Lounging around the base of the pedestal are three larger-than-life-sized bronze figures, each representing one of the three stages of Garfield’s life: scholar, soldier, and stateman.

Dedicated on May 12, 1887, this monument commemorates the twentieth President of the United States, James A. Garfield (1831-1881). A native of Ohio and U.S. Army general during the Civil War, he served for nine terms in the U.S House of Representatives as a Republican before being elected president in 1881. Less than four months after his inauguration, on July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot twice by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled officer seeker, while waiting at a train station in Washington, D.C. For several weeks, he languished in pain as doctors unsuccessfully searched for one of the projectiles. Riddled with infection from the countless unsterile examinations, he passed away on September 19. Garfield’s death came as the Society of the Army of the Cumberland was holding its annual reunion in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Before adjourning, members of the Union veterans’ organization voted to create the Garfield Memorial Committee and charged it with erecting a monument to their former officer and fellow member in Washington, D.C. After fundraising proved challenging, the committee held a fair in the Capitol Rotunda in 1882, which raised nearly $15,000. The following year, Congress appropriated $30,000 for the project. At the 1883 reunion of the veterans’ organization, members selected esteemed New York sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward to design the monument. Dedicated near the U.S. Capitol, the monument consists of a larger-than-life sized bronze statue of Garfield on a marble pedestal, designed by prominent architect Richard Morris Hunt. Ward depicted Garfield standing, as if delivering a speech. Lounging around the base of the pedestal are three larger-than-life-sized bronze figures, each representing one of the three stages of Garfield’s life: scholar, soldier, and stateman.

James A. Garfield Monument

George Washington proposed the creation of a garden and plant museum for the capital in 1796.&nbsp;

Established by the U.S. Congress in 1820, this botanic garden is one of the oldest in the nation and reflects President George Washington's vision for the nation's capital which included aesthetically pleasing buildings and gardens. The indoor exhibits and gardens take users through a variety of natural environments and include many endangered species. The outdoor spaces offer a variety of species that are native to the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. 

United States Botanic Garden Conservatory

A zinc coating protects the original cast-iron of the fountain which dates back to the Philadelphia exposition that celebrated the nation's centennial&nbsp;in 1876. At that time, the fountain was lighted by gaslights around the center pedestal that feature three young women that appear to be holding the fountain's large basin. Water spills into that basin from a crown at the top while sea creatures at the base shoot water from their mouths into the central reservoir.&nbsp;

This park is home to the U.S. Botanic Garden Administration Building and the Bartholdi  Fountain. The park was renamed in 1985 to honor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi who designed the Statue of Liberty.  The thirty-foot-tall Bartholdi Fountain was also renamed and was originally designed for Philadelphia's 1876 Centennial Exhibition. Capitol architect Frederick Law Olmsted purchased the fountain after the Philadelphia exposition was complete and placed it at the center of the National Mall which served as the home o the U.S. Botanic Garden until 1927. The statue was re-dedicated in 1932. 

Bartholdi Park and Fountain

&nbsp;The center
attraction a star shaped pool of water with a single flame in the middle of it
that lights reminds of the past and pushes us forward to the future. "A
single ceremonial flame floating on a star-shaped reflecting pool forms the
centerpiece of the Memorial. As it attracts the eye, the still water subtly
touches the heart, creating a profoundly moving experience.",avdlm,.&nbsp;This memorial not only took the vision of
different types of artist that include: Iron sculptures, glass painters, to
designers and landscapers. but also the creative genius of talent engineers to
not only make water on fire but to make the smoke filtered away. 
&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;In 1997&nbsp;before these talented people got together to
make this beautiful, captivating, serine place. Three people got together to
discuss the problems of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://theclio.com/web/entry?id=11419">disabled veterans</a>&nbsp;and there families. They were&nbsp;Lois Pope, a prominent philanthropist
with a strong interest in veterans’ causes,&nbsp;Art Wilson, the&nbsp;National
Adjutant of the Disabled. Who were
brought together by Jesse Brown, who was the&nbsp;Secretary of Veterans Affairs
in the Clinton Administration. Who along with two other volunteer staff members
created the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://theclio.com/web/entry?id=11419">non profit</a>&nbsp;organization of&nbsp;The Disabled Veterans’
Life Memorial Foundation, Inc. where they would spend
months&nbsp;preparing&nbsp;for the&nbsp;rigorous process of getting a memorial
placed within the United States Capital.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;First to create the seamless look of the reflecting pool the
water doesn't set still but actually is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://theclio.com/web/entry?id=11419">constantly moving</a> from one side of the
pool to another. which was designed flawless so when the water would circulate
it would get filtered and cleaned before it was pushed out of the other side
again. this kept the wind form making any part of the pool bare by blowing away
the water and kept the water clean. The was contributed by the CEO of Technifex, the company that
designed, engineered&nbsp;and fabricated the complex stainless steel framework
and electronically controlled flame system. They installed many safety
features&nbsp;in case&nbsp;of any&nbsp;emergency.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp;The hardest thing for the memorial to get ready for were the 48
stained glass paintings that held the excerpts from wounded veterans lives,
called the&nbsp;Voice&nbsp;of the Veterans,&nbsp;with paintings that grab your attention.
Each individual layer is 48x106 inches and weighs 360 pounds.
The&nbsp;lamination of t&nbsp;the Memorial’s panels are strong enough to
withstand hurricane-force winds without bending, breaking or leaning. 
&nbsp;
&nbsp;Finally the almost life sized bronze &nbsp;cut outs of wounded veterans
that are throughout the memorial show just how hard it can be for not only the
veterans but also for the families. This memorial isn't just one little thing,
it is an experience that contains feelings and stories that can change your
prescriptive.&nbsp;<h3> </h3>

This memorial is dedicated to American soldiers who became disabled for life during their service. The memorial was dedicated in October 2014, and stands as reminder of the four million men and women who have been seriously injured in the line of duty. 

American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial

The building is named after our fourth president,
James Madison.&nbsp; As a founding father of
the United States, he composed drafts of the Constitution and the Bill of
Rights.&nbsp; He oversaw the Louisiana
Purchase as secretary of state for Thomas Jefferson.&nbsp; During Madison’s presidency, he led the U.S.
into the War of 1812.

The James Madison Building is the biggest library
structure in the world with its impressive 1.5 million square feet of
space.&nbsp; This makes it one of the three
biggest building in Washington D.C.&nbsp; The
building was designed under the architecture firm of Roscoe DeWitt, who was a
Monuments Man during WWII.&nbsp; The statue of
Madison that sits inside the building was sculpted by Walker K. Hancock, who
was a fellow Monuments Man.&nbsp; The Monuments Men was a special forces group of American and British museum directors, curators, and art historians who preserved European artwork from being destroyed during the Nazi reign in Europe.&nbsp; Since this
building was designed to help preserve our nations cultural treasures, it makes
it fitting for these two men to be involved with the experience they had doing
the same for Europe’s culture.

There are many sights to see inside and out of the
building.&nbsp; Over the main entrance is a
four story bronze relief of falling books.&nbsp;
Madison was a man of books which played a major role in how he formed
important American documents and coming up with the idea for a Library of
Congress.&nbsp; Inside you find the statue as
mentioned above, Madison as a young man, holding a copy of the eighty third
volume of Encyclopedie Methodique.&nbsp; At
the end of the hall there are two medallions showing Madison in different
ways.&nbsp; One being his profile, and the
other showing him at work.&nbsp; 

Long before Madison became president, he was born in
Port Conway, Virginia on March 16, 1751.&nbsp;
He was raised on the family plantation, but left for the College of New
Jersey when he turned 18.&nbsp; After he graduated
his interest peaked in what was about to become the Revolutionary War.&nbsp; He was given the rank of Colonel in the
Orange County militia, but gave up his military role for a political one.&nbsp; In 1776, he represented Orange County in the
Virginia Constitution Convention and organized a new state government not under
British rule.&nbsp; During this time he met
lifelong friend Thomas Jefferson, and grew farther into politics,
essentially leading him to become the fourth President of the United States.

The process of erecting this building began in 1957 by L. Quincy Mumford, who was the Librarian of Congress.  After congress made plans to fund the construction in 1960, it wasn’t until five years later that they received approval of 75 million dollars for building.  The foundation was laid in June of 1971, and superstructure was completed in 1976.  The building did not officially open until May 28, 1980, twenty-three years after plans were made to construct the building

James Madison Building

Located at the entrance to the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, the Court of Neptune features the Roman god of the sea with a variety of serpents, turtles, and sea nymphs astride horses. The fountain was designed by Roland Hinton Perry who at the age of 27 had impressed the designers of the library after creating relief medallions for the building's entrance. The fountain and building were dedicated in 1898. 

Neptune Fountain 

The Library of Congress was created early on in our nation’s
history as a store of reference materials for Congress.&nbsp;It was established in 1800&nbsp;as Congress moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, when the British set fire to the Capitol in 1814, some of the material held by the Library of Congress was lost. In response, Thomas Jefferson sold his personal collection of 6,487 books to Congress in order to create the basis of a new library.&nbsp;Jefferson's diverse collection mirrored his interests in a broad spectrum of subjects from history and language to art and science. Jefferson's personal library jump-started what would become one of the&nbsp;world’s largest libraries. Thomas Jefferson said, “There is, in fact, no
subject to which a member of Congress may not have occasion to refer.”1&nbsp;Therefore, from its founding in 1800, the Library of Congress&nbsp;housed books on an array of
subjects.&nbsp; When the British burned the Capitol in 1814, the original&nbsp;library collection was lost. After the fire,
Jefferson sold his vast and varied collection of 6,487 books to Congress for
$23,950, helping to jump start another incarnation of the Library of Congress.2

The mid 1800s saw the Library of Congress becoming not only
a storehouse of thousands of books in many languages and covering a variety of
topics, but also a collection of government documents as well. The library evolved into much more than just a book and document depository.&nbsp;In 1870, the Library of Congress&nbsp;was under the direction
of head librarian, Ainsworth Rand Spofford, who brought
all copyrights under the umbrella of the Library of Congress. One of the conditions of obtaining a
copyright in the United States is for a copy of the item to be housed at the Library of
Congress. From the late 1800s on, countries
such as China, Turkey, and others also gifted special collections rooted in their
countries’ culture. These all
contribute to the enormous international collection the library holds today.3 

In 1897, the Library of Congress moved from the Capitol Building to the Thomas Jefferson Building. Since then, it has further spread to also include the John Adams Building (1939)
and the James Madison Building (1980). The Library of Congress now holds over
164 million items in 460 languages, making it the second largest library in the world. Since its establishment in 1800, the Library of Congress&nbsp;has become a symbol of international
learning. Most research libraries also follow the Library of Congress cataloging system.&nbsp;This library is the second largest in
the world and its influence on learning, copyright laws, and cataloging systems
makes it a historical treasure.4 &nbsp;

The Jefferson Building is the oldest of three Washington structures that house the collections of the Library of Congress, established in 1800 as a depository for reference material that might be useful to legislators. The Jefferson Building opened in 1897 and was named in honor of the third President, whose personal library was used as the basis of the Library's collections. Prior to the construction of this building, the Library of Congress was housed in a wing within the United States Capitol Building. The Jefferson Building was a response to a sudden increase in the library's collection, which was spurred by an 1870 law requiring all publishers to send the library two copies of new works as part of the process of obtaining a copyright. As the Library's collection continued to grow, Congress authorized the construction of the John Adams Building, which was completed in 1939, and the James Madison Memorial Building, which was completed in 1976. These two buildings are adjacent to the Jefferson building along Independence Avenue. In addition to its massive collection of books and research materials, many of which are one-of-a-kind, the Library of Congress influences the practices of publishers and libraries throughout the world. In addition to its massive collection of books and research materials, many of which are one-of-a-kind, the Library of Congress influences the practices of publishers and libraries throughout the world. The Library of Congress is the largest library in the United States and second-largest in the world, after the British Library in London.

Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building

The Folger Shakespeare Library opened in 1932. It was established by Standard Oil executive Henry Clay Folger in association with his wife, Emily Jordan Folger. The Folgers purchased the Capitol Hill lot, originally intended as an expansion of the Library of Congress, to house their extensive collection of Shakespeareana. The cornerstone of the Folger Shakespeare Library was laid in 1930, and the building was dedicated two years later on April 23, the anniversary of Shakespeare's date of birth. The library is home to the world's largest collection of printed works by William Shakespeare, as well as numerous other rare books, manuscripts, and works of art from the early modern period (1500 to 1750). The Folger Library building is an Elizabethan monument with a marble, neoclassical exterior. Paul Philippe Cret, a well-known Philadelphia architect, designed the structure, with Alexander B. Trowbridge as the primary consultant. The interior decor is evocative of Tudor England, featuring oak paneling, ornamental tile floors, and high plaster ceilings. On the exterior, nine Shakespeare bas-reliefs by sculptor John Gregory line the north façade, depicting scenes from Shakespeare's plays. The most prominent decorative elements in the Folger are the numerous quotations by Shakespeare, which can be found throughout the building and the grounds. The Folger is notable as an internationally-recognized leader in innovative conservation techniques and in digital humanities research. It also produces publications and resources (both printed and digital) on the works of one of the West's most influential authors. The Folger Editions of Shakespeare's plays are the most popular Shakespeare texts read and taught in classrooms across the country. As a dedicated center of research and scholarship in the humanities, The
 Folger Institute provides multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural programs, 
and residential research fellowships to students and academics. Henry Folger considered the library collection “a fine kit of tools for scholars.”1 Included in the Folger's collection are about 160,000 printed books; 60,000 manuscripts; 90,000 works of art; and numerous examples of performance history, ranging from playbills to films, recordings, and stage costumes. A first Folio of Shakespeare is on permanent display, and many of the rare works are accessible to scholars and researchers in the reading rooms. Some other notable works in the collection are the only extant complete copy of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus first quarto, published in 1594; the False Folio; and the Macro Manuscript. The Folger Library also serves as a venue for numerous events, performances, and activities, from poetry readings to talks. Live performances of Shakespeare's plays take place at the Folger Theater, the first Elizabethan theater in North America. The Folger Consort, a musical ensemble-in-residence, offers listeners the opportunity to experience music from the medieval, Renaissance, and baroque periods. Additionally, free docent-guided tours are available daily at the Folger Library. See the official website for ongoing exhibitions and programs.

The Folger Shakespeare Library is an independent research library located on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. It houses the world's largest collection of works by William Shakespeare, in addition to other rare examples of Renaissance literature and works of art. The Folger is a leader in the preservation of rare materials and engages in numerous initiatives which promote the legacy of one of most influential writers of all time. In addition to providing ample educational resources, the Folger Library also has a theater which serves as a venue for live performances, including plays and concerts, and a garden.

Folger Shakespeare Library

The United States Supreme Court was established by the Judiciary
Act of 1789, the first bill introduced by the United States Senate. It was to be
situated in the nation’s capital, which was formally established in Washington,
D.C. until the Residence Act of 1790. However, the Supreme Court did not move
to Washington, D.C. until 1800. Until then, the Supreme Court met in the
Merchants Exchange Building in New York City and in Philadelphia’s Independence
Hall and City Hall. Once in Washington, D.C., the Supreme Court was situated in
the United States Capitol Building, where over the next century and a half,
they would move chambers six times. Most notably, the Supreme Court was located
in the Old Supreme Court Chamber from 1819 to 1860 and the Old Senate Chamber
from 1860 to 1935. It took 146 years for it to become reality, but in 1935, the
Supreme Court received its own home in a beautiful, neoclassical building on
First Avenue.&nbsp;

It was Chief Justice William Howard Taft, former United
States President from 1909 to 1913, who convinced Congress that the Supreme Court
needed its own building, which was authorized in 1925. Taft chose his old
friend and distinguished architect Cass Gilbert to design the building. Gilbert
designed the Woolworth Building in New York and Washington, D.C.’s Treasury
Annex Building, U.S.
Chamber of Commerce Building, and First Division Monument. At the age
of 70, Gilbert embarked on one of his most important projects. The Supreme
Court Building, like the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and National Archives,
featured neoclassical architecture. Its symmetry, large columnns, marble,
statues, bas-relief panels depicting the history of law, and open space
referenced ancient Greek and Roman structures that once housed systems of
government and democracy the United States also embodied. Gilbert designed an
imposing structure that asserted the powers of law and justice. &nbsp;

Gilbert advocated for the Supreme Court Building to be
situated on Capitol Hill within close proximity to Union Station and a variety
of federal buildings. This site had originally been occupied by the “Brick
Capitol,” built as a temporary space for Congress after the Capitol Building suffered
fire damage in the War of 1812. From 1815 to 1928, the Brick Capitol served a
number of other purposes, including a lodge for visitors, a public school, a
federal military prison, and headquarters for the National Woman’s Party. Once
the site was selected for the Supreme Court Building, the National Woman’s
Party opposed destruction of their historic building, though D.C. eventually
paid the National Woman’s Party a large sum of money to relocate in order to
acquire the property. 

The
United States Supreme Court Building held its first session in the fall of
1935, in which they debated New Deal-era projects. Their first decision, United States v. Butler et al., killed the
Agricultural Adjustment Act, which, according to one historian, “replaced the
Capitol and the White House as the political storm center of the nation.”1 Since
then, the Supreme Court Building has heard cases related to fundamental topics
including civil rights, healthcare, environmental protection, right to privacy,
censorship, and the five freedoms of the First Amendment: religion, speech,
press, assembly, and petition.

The United States Supreme Court is part of the Judicial Branch,
one of three branches of the United States government. Initially, the Supreme Court
consisted of one Chief Justice and five Associate Judges, though over time,
this number has fluctuated. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court consists of the Chief
Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices. The President of the
United States nominates Justices and appointments are made with the advice and
consent of the Senate. Justices are appointed for life and only leave the
position by death, retirement, or impeachment. No Justice has ever been
impeached. The Supreme Court hears 100 to 150 of the 7,000 cases filed each
year. Most are requesting the Supreme Court review decisions made by the U.S.
Court of Appeals or district courts, while others are original jurisdiction cases
and cases from the state courts. Deciding which case to take is, according to a
court historian, According to a court historian, "arguably the most
important stage in the entire Supreme Court process."2

If you’re visiting the Supreme Court Building, you’ll want to
explore the exhibitions that delve into the history of the Supreme Court. These
are located on the ground floor and highlight the work of the Court, the lives
of the Justices, and the architecture of the building. Look for the millions of
dollars’ worth of marble used in the construction and the American quartered
white oak wood that is used in the trim, the walls and some parts of the floor.
Look for the many sculptures that depict real and allegorical figures.

The United States Supreme Court Building houses the highest federal court in the nation. Prior to the building’s completion in 1935, the Supreme Court has occupied various places, including in New York City and Philadelphia while the capital was being built, and inside the U.S. Capitol Building and in public and private spaces around Washington, D.C. After pressed by Chief Justice William Howard Taft, Congress approved a Supreme Court Building where landmark cases in American history would be heard. It designed by Cass Gilbert, who chose a neoclassical style that complements courts across the country and other federal buildings in D.C.

U.S. Supreme Court Building

The Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument has been the home to the National Women’s Party for more than 200 years. The original house at this location was built by Robert Sewall, one of Maryland's most influential residents, in 1800.&nbsp;Sewall rented that house to Jefferson and Madison's Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin from 1801 to 1813. The house was destroyed by the British during their invasion and occupation of Washington in the War of 1812. Sewall rebuilt the house and construction was done before his death in 1820. The house was purchased by Senator and Mrs. Porter Dale of Vermont.&nbsp;This property has had several name changes. Known as the&nbsp;Sewall House at the time the NWP acquired the property, it was later known as&nbsp;the Alva Belmont House. Belmont was a wealthy socialite and a key figure in the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Belmont donated money to suffrage organizations&nbsp;in the United Kingdom and the United States. She also&nbsp;founded the Political Equality League in 1909. this organization&nbsp;merged with the Congressional Union in 1913. With Alva Belmont’s financial support, the National Women’s Party bought the home from the Senator. They renamed the home the “Alva Belmont House.” The National Woman’s Party was founded in 1917, during the Women’s Suffrage Movement, largely due to the work of Alice Paul.Alice Paul was a leading suffragist and worked with the National Women’s Party to push for both state and national legislation that would recognize the political rights of women as citizens. Alice Paul was a key figure in the revival of the movement after the deaths of two of its best-known figures, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Paul created the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (CU), which was part of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). However, the NAWSA leadership viewed Paul’s political methods as too extreme. So, the CU split from the NAWSA in 1914.&nbsp;Alice Paul, along with many other suffragists, spent time in prison due to her political actions. As a manner of protesting the harsh conditions in prison, where the women received no special treatment as political prisoners, she famously began a hunger strike. Because of this, she was moved to the prison’s psychiatric ward and force-fed through a tube. In 1916, the Congressional Union created the National Woman’s Party.&nbsp;The Congressional Union formed the Woman’s Party in 1916, and a year later they merged to form the National Women’s Party. The National Women’s Party advocated for women’s right to vote even when some men reacted violently to their non-violent protests. For example, men tore&nbsp;banners from the hands of suffragists and many women were physically attacked. Suffragists such as Paul were also arrested but found ways to continue to publicize their issue by launching&nbsp;hunger strikes while in prison. After decades of organized protest against their exclusion from the ballot box beginning with the Seneca Falls convention in 1848, Congress recognized women’s right to vote through the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1919. Paul and others worked to secure ratification of the Amendment the following year. In 1923, Paul wrote the Equal Rights Amendment which was passed by Congress in 1972 but never ratified.<div>After it ceased being a lobbying organization in 1997, the NWP became a 501c3 organization whose main focus is now education. The museum’s permanent exhibit tells the story of the National Woman’s Party. The museum is also home to one of the first feminist libraries. Among the materials archived in the library are the complete collection of NWP publications (The Suffragist, 1913-1921 and Equal Rights, 1923-1954), over 2,000 pieces written by and about women archived from 1880 to the present day, and scrapbooks made by NWP members chronicling the Woman’s Suffrage and Equal Rights Movements (1909-1960). The house was renamed from the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum to the&nbsp;Belmont- Paul Women's Equality National Monument on April 12, 2016 when&nbsp;President Barack Obama designated it as a national monument. </div>

This building has been the home of the National Women's Party since 1929. This historic structure is also the home of the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument which preserves and shared the histories of women who dedicated their lives to the promotion and advancement of equal rights for women. Permanent exhibit galleries, the first feminist library, and hundreds of artifacts are on display in addition to special programs and events throughout the year. The monument is named after women's suffrage leaders Alva Belmont and Alice Paul, and visitors can explore the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument free of charge thanks to the National Park Service and others who helped to make this building a national monument in 2016.

The Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument 

The fountain consists of three main components: the reflecting pool, the lower basins with bubbler&nbsp;fountains above a 30,000-gallon surge tank,&nbsp;and the main hexagonal basin with six lion head spouts and the large and small water jets. A series&nbsp;of 114 underwater lights work in conjunction with the jets to provide a program that repeats three times per hour.&nbsp;

Dedicated on July 16, 1932, the Senate Fountain features a hexagonal granite base with high jets of water surrounded by six smaller water jets and underwater light fixtures. Both the lights and the jets operate through a computer program that repeats the display every twenty minutes. Water from the fountain is circulated by pumps to and from the 180 foot by 80 foot reflecting pool that serves as the central point of Senate Park. 

Senate Fountain 

In the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s subsequent entry into the Second World War, officials within the U.S. War Department expressed concerns about the loyalty of Japanese Americans. They feared that people of Japanese ancestry living in the United States might actively undermine the American war effort by operating as spies or saboteurs for Japan. Sharing these feelings, some political leaders proposed the idea of forcibly relocating Japanese Americans living on the West Coast to inland detention centers, where they could be closely monitored. At the time, roughly 125,000 Japanese Americans were living on the U.S. mainland. Some, known as Issei, were born in Japan and later immigrated to the United States, while the majority, called Nisei, were born in the United States and therefore U.S. citizens.  Before long, the Department of Justice and the War Department clashed over how to handle the perceived threat. The latter advocated for forced relocation and internment, while the former strongly objected to the idea. In the end, the War Department’s stance won out when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. The following month, the War Relocation Authority (WRA) was established to oversee the relocation and internment of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast.  The WRA then ordered all Japanese Americans living on the West Coast to report to control stations and register their names and the names of all their family members. After completing the registration process, Japanese Americans learned of when and where they needed to report for relocation to an internment camp. The WRA provided them anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to settle their affairs and pack up their belongings, bringing with them only what they could carry. Many were forced to sell their businesses, homes, and automobiles.  Between 1942 and 1945, the WRA opened ten internment camps. Located throughout the American West in states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, the camps were surrounded by tall, barbed-wire fences patrolled by armed guards at all times. Inside the camps, Japanese Americans lived in uninsulated barracks and shared bathroom and laundry facilities. The WRA, however, permitted families to live together and allowed internees to setup churches and schools, play sports, and even publish their own newspapers. In all, approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans were interned during the Second World War.  Not surprisingly, legal challenges arose to the federal government’s actions. In 1944, the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Korematsu v. United States upheld Japanese internment. However, the Court ruled in an ex parte decision that the U.S. government could not detain a U.S. citizen without charge if it concedes that the citizen is loyal to the United States. Even before the ex parte ruling, the U.S. government had been investigating those Japanese Americans held in internment camps very closely. Those it deemed loyal were allowed—among other things—to enlist in the U.S. Army. Ultimately, more than 33,000 Japanese Americans served during the Second World War and over 800 made the ultimate sacrifice.  In December 1944, before the war had ended, the U.S. government announced that all internment camps would close by the end of 1945. It took until March 1946, however, for the last one to shutter. More than three decades later, President Gerald Ford officially repealed Executive Order 9066 in 1976. Twelve years later, in 1988, Congress issued a formal apology for Japanese internment and passed the Civil Liberties Act, which gave each survivor $20,000 as reparation.  One year before the passage of the Civil Liberties Act, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History opened a new exhibit entitled A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution. The exhibit inspired the formation of the Go For Broke National Veterans Association in 1989. The mission of the organization was to erect a national memorial dedicated to Japanese American war veterans. The National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission, however, ruled that the group’s proposal violated the Commemorative Works Act, which outlawed the construction of war memorials dedicated to specific ethnic groups. Months later, however, a compromise was reached. The commission would allow the memorial to be built so long as it dedicated to Japanese American patriotism during the Second World War, instead of specifically to Japanese American war veterans. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed a bill into law that authorized the construction of the memorial. In response, the Go For Broke National Veterans Association renamed itself the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation and forged ahead with planning the memorial. Ultimately, the organization raised $13 million for the construction of the memorial and selected D.C. architect Davis Buckley to design it.  Located on a three-quarter-acre plot of land at the intersection of Louisiana Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, and D Street NW, the memorial was dedicated on November 9, 2000 and opened to the public several months later. It features a bronze sculpture of two cranes breaking free from barbed wire, a reflecting pool with five granite boulders, a sixteen-foot-long tube-shaped bell, and many large stone panels that serve to enclose the space. The sculpture was designed by artist Nina Akamu, a third-generation Japanese American. Inscribed into the panels are the names of the ten internment camps, the number of Japanese Americans held there, and the names of those Japanese Americans who gave their lives while serving in the U.S. military during the war.

Dedicated fifty-five years after the end of World War II, this memorial recognizes the approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast who were forcibly relocated and held in internment camps throughout the American West during the war. The memorial also honors the more than 33,000 Japanese Americans who served in the U.S. military during the conflict, of whom over 800 made the ultimate sacrifice. Located on a three-quarter-acre plot of land at the intersection of Louisiana Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, and D Street NW, the memorial was dedicated on November 9, 2000 and opened to the public several months later. The monument features a bronze sculpture of two cranes breaking free from barbed wire, a reflecting pool with five granite boulders, a sixteen-foot-long tube-shaped bell, and many large stone panels that serve to enclose the space. The sculpture was designed by artist Nina Akamu, a third-generation Japanese American. Inscribed into the panels are the names of the ten internment camps, the number of Japanese Americans held there, and the names of those Japanese Americans who gave their lives while serving in the U.S. military during the war. 

Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II

The memorial was dedicated in 1959 by&nbsp;President Dwight Eisenhower, six years after Robert Taft died while in office. A crowd of five thousand attended the ceremony which included&nbsp;a eulogy by Herbert Hoover. The tower is 100 feet tall and includes a 27-bell carillon. The bells&nbsp;can be played mannually in addition to their automatic programming which marks the time on the quarter hour. The largest bell is seven tons and the memorial was funded by a collection authorized by Congress wherein each state solicited donations.&nbsp;

The son of President William Howard Taft, Senator Robert A. Taft represented Ohio in the Senate from 1938 to 1953. By 1952, Taft was known as "Mr. Republican" and would have likely been the GOP candidate for the Presidency that year had it not been for Dwight D. Eisenhower's decision to run on the Republican ticket. Taft represented the conservative wing of the Republican Party and sought a return to isolationism after World War II. Eisenhower was more liberal and felt strongly about the need to maintain a global military and alliances through organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization which had been formed in 1949. As a result, Eisenhower made Taft an offer in the months leading up to the election. If Taft would support a globalist position, Eisenhower would not run for President leaving the Republican nomination to the Ohio Senator. Taft also believed fervently in his position and refused, giving up a Presidential nomination in the process. Taft died in 1953 and most Republicans by that time endorsed Eisenhower's globalist vision of the United States as the leader of NATO.   

Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon 

The United States Navy were adamant in protecting the Union Army during the American Civil War which led to this monument being dedicated to their work. The original idea for the monument was conceived by Admiral David Dixon Porter, who was the commander of a fleet of boats during the Civil War. Porter made the first design for the statue and spent time raising money to erect the monument from private donors. He had a simpler idea for the statue in 1865 that only involved two figures. This idea would eventually evolve into what viewers see today in a complex monument with several figures and objects of meaning. On a stylus attached to the monument, it reads:<blockquote>“They died that their country might live.”</blockquote>The monument is a neoclassical Civil War monument designed and created by sculptor Frank Simmons. Simmons was born in Maine and was known for his portrait busts. Simmons sculpted the Peace Monument as well as several other pieces for display at the United States Capitol. The first thing a visitor of the monument will notice is the unique location of the monument as it sits inside Peace Circle surrounded by water. A visitor will also observe how the monument towers from above are standing at 44 feet tall. The monument is made out of marble from Carrera, Italy where it was sculpted by Simmons. Once finished and shipped to the United States, the monument was placed on a base of Maine blue granite. The top of the monument has two robed women. One of the woman (Grief) holds her head on the other’s (History) shoulder while weeping in mourning. History holds a tablet that has the previous quote mentioned above attached onto it. Below Grief and History is another figure of a woman who holds a laurel wreath high and an oak branch as symbols of strength. This figure is named Victory. Further down on the monument, visitors will see the figures of infant Neptune and infant Mars. Infant Mars is the God of War while infant Neptune is the God of Sea. On the opposite side, another figure of a woman stands only covered from the waist down holding a olive sprig. This woman is named Peace. The monument has several other symbols of peace and industry to include a sickle resting across a sword and a dove that is since missing nesting on a sheaf of wheat. Symbols of literature, science, and art also appear on the statue in the shapes of a book, gear, angle, and pair of dividers.

Dedicated in 1877, the Peace Monument stands in remembrance of members of the United States Navy who perished in battle in defense of the Union during the Civil War. The Monument is also known as the Naval Monument and the Civil War Sailors Monument. The monument is over 40 feet tall and is one of several large monuments in the nation. It also stands as apart of a trifecta of sculptures next to the James A. Garfield Monument and the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial.

Peace Monument

The three part marble and bronze memorial to our 18th President and general in the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant, sits on the National Mall, directly between the United States Capitol and the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. The Grant Memorial is part of a larger sculptural group, being the center sculpture in a group of three, with the Peace Monument to the north, and to the south, the James A. Garfield Monument.&nbsp;Grant's memorial faces west, toward the Lincoln Memorial, in order to honor President Abraham Lincoln, who was President of the United States when Grant was a commanding general of the Union Army during the Civil War.The artist, Henry Merwin Shrady, spent 20 years of his life sculpting the Ulysses S. Grant memorial. The platform for the sculpture is made out of Vermont marble and measures 252 feet long and 71 feet wide. There are three parts to the memorial, with the center featuring a statue of Ulysses S. Grant, riding horseback on his horse Cincinnati, resting on the large marble platform. He wears a calm expression on his face, as he often did in battle, being known for his levelheadedness. On the base of the pedestal are bronze reliefs featuring infantrymen, and four bronze lion sculptures surround the marble pedestal.The other two parts to the memorial feature bronze sculptures; an artillery group to the south, and a cavalry group to the north. The idea for the Grant memorial first occurred in 1890, however work did not begin until 1902. In 1909, construction began on site, with the installment of the marble base and the bronze lions.&nbsp; Three years later, in 1912, the artillery sculpture to the south of Grant was installed, and later in 1916, the cavalry sculpture was added. It wasn't until 1920 that the statue of&nbsp;Ulysses S. Grant on horseback was&nbsp;added to the three part&nbsp;monument. The memorial was set to be dedicated on the 100th anniversary of Grant's birth, April 27, 1922, however the sculptor, Shrady, died two weeks before it took place. At this time, the bronze reliefs on the base of the pedestal had not yet been added. Artist Sherry Fry was able to sculpt them using Shrady's sketches, and they were finally installed in 1924.

This memorial commemorates the life and legacy of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States and commander of US forces in the final years of the Civil War. The monument is situated between the United States Capitol and the Capitol Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. The statue of Grant faces west, looking toward the Lincoln Memorial, dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln, who was in office during Grant's successful career as General of the Union Army in the American Civil War.

U.S. Capitol Walking Tour

Summerhouse, U.S. Capitol

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information