United States Capitol

===Construction===
[[File:USCapitol1800.jpg|thumb|left|An 1800 portrait of the Capitol by [[William Russell Birch]])]]
[[File:U.S. Capitol and Pennsylvania Avenue before 1814 LCCN00522050.jpg|thumb|The Capitol from [[Pennsylvania Avenue]] drawn in 1814 from memory by an unknown artist after the [[Burning of Washington|burning of the city]]]]
[[File:Samuel Finley Breese Morse - The House of Representatives (1822).jpg|thumb|[[Samuel Morse]]'s 1822 painting of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House]] in session showing the interior design of the original House chamber, now the [[National Statuary Hall]]]]
L'Enfant secured the lease of [[Quarry|quarries]] at [[Public Quarry at Government Island|Wigginton Island]] and along [[Aquia Creek]] in [[Virginia]] for use in the [[Foundation (architecture)|foundation]]s and outer walls of the Capitol in November 1791.<ref name="morgan-p120">{{cite journal | author=Morgan, J.D. | title=Maj. Pierre Charles L'Enfant | journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society | year=1899 | volume=2 | page=120}}</ref> Surveying was under way soon after the Jefferson conference plan for the Capitol was accepted.<ref name="Allen 2001, p. 23"/> On September 18, 1793, President Washington, along with eight other Freemasons dressed in [[Freemasonry|masonic]] regalia, [[United States Capitol cornerstone laying|laid the cornerstone]], which was made by [[silversmith]] [[Caleb Bentley]].<ref>Hazelton (1907), p. 84</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Allen | first=William C. | title=In the Greatest Solemn Dignity: The Capitol's Four Cornerstones | publisher=Government Printing Office | year=1995 | page=7}}</ref>

Construction proceeded with Hallet working under supervision of [[James Hoban]], who was also busy working on construction of the "President's House" (also later known as the "Executive Mansion"). Despite the wishes of Jefferson and the President, Hallet went ahead anyway and modified Thornton's design for the East Front and created a square central court that projected from the center, with flanking wings which would house the legislative bodies. Hallet was dismissed by Secretary Jefferson on November 15, 1794.<ref>Frary (1969), p. 37–39</ref> [[George Hadfield (architect)|George Hadfield]] was hired on October 15, 1795, as Superintendent of Construction, but resigned three years later in May 1798, because of his dissatisfaction with Thornton's plan and quality of work done thus far.<ref>Frary (1969), p. 44–45</ref>

The Senate (north) wing was completed in 1800. The Senate and House shared quarters in the north wing until a temporary wooden pavilion was erected on the future site of the House wing which served for a few years for the Representatives to meet in, until the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] (south) wing was finally completed in 1811, with a covered wooden temporary walkway connecting the two wings with the Congressional chambers where the future center section with rotunda and dome would eventually be. However, the House of Representatives moved early into their House wing in 1807. Though the Senate wing building was incomplete, the Capitol held its [[History of the United States Congress|first session]] of the U.S. Congress with both chambers in session on November 17, 1800. The National Legislature was moved to [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] prematurely, at the urging of President [[John Adams]], in hopes of securing enough [[Southern United States|Southern]] votes in the [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College]] to be re-elected for a second term as president.<ref name="carter-p139">{{cite journal | author=Carter II, Edward C. | title=Benjamin Henry Latrobe and the Growth and Development of Washington, 1798–1818 | journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society | date=1971–1972 | page=139}}</ref>