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Design
of the Hall
This room is the second Hall of the House to occupy this space. The first
Hall, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe and constructed between 1803 and
1807, was gutted by the fire set by invading British troops in 1814. The
present chamber was redesigned by Latrobe and completed by Charles Bulfinch
between 1815 and 1819. It was first used by the 16th Congress.
The Hall is an early
example of Greek Revival architecture in America. Latrobe adopted the
shape and form of ancient amphitheaters for the new legislative chamber,
with a lantern in the ceiling to admit light. In addition to the four
fireplaces, Latrobe designed an ingenious central heating system to keep
the Members warm.
The Splendid Hall
had one famous flaw. As Members addressed the House, the sound of their
voices echoed through the chamber. The high, curving wooden ceiling created
a whispering gallery, and every noise reverberated through the room, hampering
the orderly conduct of business. Draperies were hung in the colonnade,
and desks were temporarily rearranged, but the acoustical problem continued.
It was one of the major reasons for the construction of a new chamber.
A fireproof cast steel ceiling (1901) and a marble floor (1864-65), among
other changes, eliminated most of the echoes, although the room still
has strange acoustical effects.
Architectural Drawings
This drawing of the north wall of the reconstructed Hall shows Latrobe's
design for the Car of History, carved in 1819 by Carlo Franzoni, an Italian
sculptor especially recruited to work in the Capitol. The sculpture represents
Clio, the Muse of History, recording events taking place below her. In
the wheel of her chariot, a clock, crafted by Simon Willard in 1837, still
keeps accurate time.
Latrobe, born in England, was the first professionally trained architect
and engineer to practice in America. Appointed surveyor of public buildings
by Thomas Jefferson in 1803, he constructed and designed the interior
of the House wing of the Capitol and rebuilt the Capitol after the 1814
fire.
Latrobe's Corinthian
columns were modeled on the 4th century B.C. monument in Athens, shown
at the right. The shafts of the columns in the Hall are made of breccia
marble quarried along the Potomac River, while the marble capitals were
carved in Carrara, Italy.
Plan of the Hall
of the U.S. House of Representatives
Architect Robert Mills experimented with a reverse seating arrangement
from 1833 to 1838 in a futile attempt to alleviate the noise problem in
the Hall, shown at the left.
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