United States Capitol

Following the extension of the Capitol in the 1850s-1860s, the grounds were enlarged in 1872. In 1874 Congress commissioned Frederick Law Olmstead to design landscape improvements, and he produced a plan that guided the project over the next two decades. He sought a very simple design subordinate to the Capitol’s architecture, creating a dignified park-like setting with groupings of trees and expansive vistas that set Capitol Square apart as an oasis from the surrounding developing city. Today the grounds have evolved into an arboretum with hundreds of mature botanical specimens, many rarely seen elsewhere. Olmstead’s design also included granite lamp piers with bronze gas-burning light fixtures and large granite basins with bronze fountains, constructed and cast in 1875, whose fine water sprays created rainbows by day and continued their effect under gas lights at night. The marble Olmstead Terrace, built from 1884 to 1892 on the north, west, and south sides of the Capitol, provided a strong visual platform, corrected the illusion that the building was sliding down Capitol Hill, and added needed space for storage, shops, and committee rooms. The Summerhouse, constructed from 1879 to 1889 and designed by Olmstead’s principal architectural assistant Thomas Wisedell, offered visitors a shaded place to rest, admire views of the Capitol, and drink water, while its carved and radial brickwork, hillside setting, grotto, running water, and central fountains provided cooling relief in summer.

Washington, District of Columbia · United States