Capitol Square

At Capitol Square, the Summerhouse, constructed in 1879-1880, was designed by Olmstead's principal architectural assistant Thomas Wisedell as a shaded hillside retreat where visitors could rest, admire views of the Capitol, and drink water. Built as a tribute to the bricklayer's craft, it uses carved and radial brick to create elaborate architectural features and includes a grotto with running water that, together with central fountains, produces a cooling effect during summer. The Olmstead Terrace, constructed between 1884-1892, surrounds the Capitol on the north, west, and south sides with a marble platform that strengthens the building's visual base and corrects the illusion that the massive structure might slide down the hill. Its monumental cascading stairs increase the building's apparent height and imposing character, while the space beneath the terrace was divided into 93 rooms for offices and meeting spaces to meet growing Congressional needs. Between the grand stairs, a semi-circular exedra contains arranged trees and flowers in an elevated bed around an octagonal fountain. Although Olmsted led the vision for the terrace, architects Thomas Wisedell and C. Howard Walker completed its detailed design. The terrace's Romanesque Revival detailing, popular at the time, contrasted with the neo-classical architecture of the Capitol above and caused some controversy. In 1890, Schultz Co. of Baltimore, Maryland, cast the 18 bronze urns atop the balustrade piers; although a more highly decorated urn had first been envisioned, that design was not used, and a prototype of the more ornate urn now stands at the front of the Botanic Garden Conservatory along with seven recent cast bronze replicas.

Washington, District of Columbia · United States