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United States Capitol is the place where the members of
Congress meet to discuss and vote on proposed legislation. The
Capitol ranks among Washington's most magnificent buildings.
Tall Corinthian columns and an enormous dome beautify its white
marble exterior. A bronze Statue of Freedom 19,5 feet (5.94
meters) high stands on top of the dome. The Capitol, including the
statue, rises almost 300 feet (91 meters) above ground.
The Capitol has 540 rooms. Many of them contain beautiful
paintings, sculptures, and wall carvings that portray events and
people important in American history. Such works of art, along
with gorgeous furnishings, give the interior of the Capitol the
splendor of a fine museum or a palace.
Many people visit the Capitol just to enjoy its beauty and its
reminders of the country's past. But visitors may also attend
sessions of Congress. To do so, however, they must first get a pass
from one of the people who represent them in Congress.
Congressional office buildings. Six buildings provide office
space for the members of Congress. They are the Dirksen, Hart,
and Russell Senate office buildings, all north of the Capitol; and
the Cannon, Longworth, and Rayburn House of Representatives
office buildings, south of the Capitol. The members of Congress
welcome visits to their offices by people they represent.
Library of Congress is probably the world's largest library. Its
huge collection of about 100 million items includes books,
manuscripts, films, and recordings. The Library of Congress has
three huge buildings, all east of the Capitol. The main building, a
gray sandstone structure, is called the Thomas Jefferson Building.
The John Adams Building (formerly called the Thomas Jefferson
Building or The Annex) is of white marble. The third building, of
granite and marble, is called the Library of Congress James
Madison Memorial Building. It is the newest of the library
buildings.
The library serves the reference needs of Congress and the
research needs of countless scholars. The public may also use its
materials and tour the buildings. Items of special interest include
most of Mathew Brady’s Civil War photographs, a Gutenberg
Bible printed in the 1450’s, and two copies of Abraham Lincoln's
Gettysburg Address that were handwritten by Lincoln.
Supreme Court Building also stands east of the Capitol. In
this building, the nine justices of the Supreme Court of the United