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Encyclopedia > National Statuary Hall
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National Statuary Hall
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National Statuary Hall

The National Statuary Hall is an area in the United States Capitol devoted to statues of people and symbols important in American history. The hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is the large, two-story, semicircular room south of the Rotunda. The meeting place of the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly 50 years, and now the main exhibition space for the National Statuary Hall Collection, this room is one of the most historic chambers in the Capitol. National Statuary Hall (sideview); http://www. ... National Statuary Hall (sideview); http://www. ... Jump to: navigation, search United States Capitol For other uses of Capitol Hill, see Capitol Hill (disambiguation). ... United States Capitol . The United States Capitol is the building which serves as home for the legislative branch of the United States government. ... Jump to: navigation, search Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Congress of the United States, the other being the Senate. ... The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is comprised of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. ...


Description of the Hall

The Hall is built in the shape of an ancient amphitheater and is one of the earliest examples of Greek revival architecture in America. While most wall surfaces are painted plaster, the low gallery walls and pilasters are of sandstone. Around the room's perimeter stand colossal columns of variegated breccia marble quarried along the Potomac River. The Corinthian capitals of white marble were carved in Carrara, Italy. A lantern in the fireproof cast-steel ceiling admits natural light into the Hall. The chamber floor is laid with black and white marble tiles; the black marble was purchased specifically for the chamber, while the white marble was scrap material from the Capitol extension project. The four fireplaces on the south side of the room, in conjunction with an ingenious central heating system, warmed the room during cold months. The name amphitheatre (alternatively amphitheater) is given to a public building of the Classical period (being particularly associated with ancient Rome) which was used for spectator sports, games and displays. ... Greek Revival was a style of classical architecture which became fashionable in the and United States in the early 19th century. ... Breccia, derived from the Latin word for broken, is a sedimentary rock composed of angular fragments in a matrix that may be of a similar or a different material. ... The Potomac River at Great Falls, MD from Olmstead Island, water relatively low The Potomac River flows into Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Corinthian order as used for the portico of the Pantheon, Rome provided a prominent model for Renaissance and later architects, through the medium of engravings. ...


Only two of the many statues presently in the room were commissioned for display in the original Hall of the House. Enrico Causici's neoclassical plaster Liberty and the Eagle looks out over the Hall from a niche above the colonnade behind what was once the Speaker's rostrum. The sandstone relief eagle in the frieze of the entablature below was carved by Giuseppe Valaperta. Above the door leading into the Rotunda is the Car of History by Carlo Franzoni. This neoclassical marble sculpture depicts Clio, the Muse of History, riding in the chariot of Time and recording events in the chamber below. The wheel of the chariot contains the chamber clock; the works are by Simon Willard. Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture. ... Representative Dennis Hastert of Illinois is currently the Speaker of the House of Representatives. ... Frieze of the Tower of the Winds. ... An entablature is a classical architectural element, the superstructure which lies horizontally above the columns, resting on their capitals. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Clio - detail from The Allegory of Painting, Vermeer For other uses of the word Clio, see Clio (disambiguation). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...


A Brief History

This chamber is the second built for the House of Representatives in this location. An earlier Hall, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, was completed in 1807; however, it was destroyed when invading British troops burned the Capitol in 1814 during the War of 1812. The Hall was rebuilt in its present form by Latrobe and his successor, Charles Bulfinch, between 1815 and 1819. Unfortunately, the smooth, curved ceiling promoted annoying echoes, making it difficult to conduct business. Various attempts to improve the acoustics, including hanging draperies and reversing the seating arrangement, proved unsuccessful. The only solution to this problem was to build an entirely new Hall, one in which debates could be easily understood. In 1850, a new Hall was authorized, and the House moved into its present chamber in the new House wing in 1857. Benjamin Henry Latrobe (May 1, 1764 - September 3, 1820) was an architect best known for his design of the United States Capitol. ... 1807 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The War of 1812 was a conflict fought on land in North America and at sea around the world between the United States and United Kingdom from 1812 to 1815. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Massachusetts State House, designed by Charles Bulfinch and completed in 1798. ... The Battle of New Orleans 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1819 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...


Many important events took place in this Chamber while it served as the Hall of the House. It was in this room in 1824 that the Marquis de Lafayette became the first foreign citizen to address Congress. Presidents James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and Millard Fillmore were inaugurated here. John Quincy Adams, in particular, has long been associated with the Chamber. It was here in 1824 that he was elected President by the House of Representatives, none of the candidates having secured a majority of electoral votes. Following his presidency, Adams served as a Member in the Hall for 17 years. It is said that Adams took advantage of the Hall's acoustics to eavesdrop on other members conversing on the opposite side of the room. He collapsed at his desk from a stroke on February 21, 1848, and died 2 days later in an adjoining room. 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Marie-Joseph-Paul-Roch-Yves-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (September 6, 1757–May 20, 1834), was a French aristocrat most famous for his participation in the American Revolutionary War and early French Revolution. ... Jump to: navigation, search James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was the fourth (1809–1817) President of the United States. ... Jump to: navigation, search James Monroe (April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831) was the fifth (1817–1825) President of the United States. ... Jump to: navigation, search John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth (1825-1829) President of the United States. ... Jump to: navigation, search Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845), one of the founders of the Democratic Party, was the seventh President of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. ... Jump to: navigation, search Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the thirteenth President of the United States, serving from 1850 until 1853, and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the nations highest office. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...


The fate of the vacated Hall remained uncertain for many years, although various proposals were put forth for its use. Perhaps the simplest was that it be converted into additional space for the Library of Congress, which was still housed in the Capitol. More drastic was the suggestion that the entire Hall be dismantled and replaced by two floors of committee rooms. Eventually, the idea of using the chamber as an art gallery was approved, and works intended for the Capitol extensions were put on exhibit; among these was the plaster model for the Statue of Freedom, which was later cast in bronze for the Capitol dome. The lack of wall space effectively prevented the hanging of large paintings, but the room seemed well suited to the display of statuary. Jump to: navigation, search Library of Congress, Jefferson building The Library of Congress is the unofficial national library of the United States. ... The Statue of Freedom is a bronze statue sculpted by Thomas Crawford, placed atop the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC. Freedom is a female figure who holds a sheathed sword in her right hand and her left holds a laurel wreath of victory and the shield...


In 1864, in accordance with legislation sponsored by Representative Justin Morrill, Congress invited each state to contribute two statues of prominent citizens for permanent display in the room, which was renamed National Statuary Hall. The legislation also provided for the replacement of the chamber's floor, which was leveled and covered with the marble tile currently in the Hall. This modification, along with the replacement of the original wooden ceiling (which was painted to simulate three-dimensional coffering) with the present one in the early 20th century, eliminated most of the echoes that earlier plagued the room. Jump to: navigation, search 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Justin Smith Morrill (April 14, 1810 – December 28, 1898) was a Representative (1855–1867) and a Senator (1867–1898) from Vermont. ... Jump to: navigation, search Perspectival effect created when looking up at a painting. ...


The first statue was placed in 1870. By 1971 all 50 states had contributed at least one statue, and by 1990 all but five states had contributed two statues. Initially all of the state statues were placed in the Hall. As the collection expanded, however, it outgrew the Hall, and in 1933, Congress authorized the display of the statues throughout the building for both aesthetic and structural reasons. Presently, 38 statues are located in National Statuary Hall. 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search For the Temptations album, see 1990 (Temptations album) MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...


The room was partially restored in 1976 for the bicentennial celebration. At that time, the original fireplaces were uncovered and replicas of early mantels were installed. Reproductions of the chandelier, sconces, and red draperies were created for the restoration project based on The House of Representatives, an oil painting by Samuel F.B. Morse done in 1822, which now hangs in the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Bronze markers were placed on the floor to honor the presidents who served in the House of Representatives while it met here. Jump to: navigation, search 1976 (MCMLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Portrait of Samuel F. B. Morse by Mathew Brady, between 1855 and 1865 Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American inventor, and painter of portraits and historic scenes; he is most famous for inventing the electric telegraph and Morse code. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1822 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museums main focus is American art. ...


Today Statuary Hall is one of the most popular rooms in the Capitol. It is visited by thousands of tourists each day and continues to be used for ceremonial occasions. Special events held in the room include activities honoring foreign dignitaries and presidential luncheons.


Statutes

The following is an alphabetical list of the people depicted in the statues, along with the state represented by each statue.

 

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