[Photo via Flickr user army.arch]
The United States Capitol building is about to undergo some changes (hello, scaffolding!), but it won't be the first time that it's had a major exterior overhaul. This photo from 1846, the first known photo of the Capitol Building, shows the Capitol prior to its more recognizable expansion. This version of the dome was added in the construction efforts between 1819 and 1826 after the British burned the building during the War of 1812. However, the dome we know to day was constructed in the 1850s and 1860s. Also, while there are still separate chambers for the House of Representatives and the Senate, those chambers had to be expanded to account for adding more states to the union. So enjoy the photo and appreciate that even in its early days the Capitol never quite looked like one of these designs.
· United States Capitol [Wikipedia]
· All Looking Back Posts [CDC]