The cornerstone of the Capitol was laid by George Washington on September 18,1793.Mr. Washington in a masonic ceremony spinkled some corn on the cornerstone for plenty, wine for the health of the workers and oil for everlasting peace. Capital first opened for business November 17, 1800. President John Adams was the first president to address a joint session of Congress. It would not be until President Woodrow Wilson i 1913 would another president address a joint session.The bronze stsue on top of the Capitol is called Freedom.The statue of Freedom is 19ft 6 in tall and weighs over 15000 pounds. The statue of Freedom was cast by a slave named Phillip Reid
Interesting Facts
- Slaves , European , Americans , and skilled workers help prepare the foundation of the cornerstone of the Capital
- The dome was completed 1863 at the cost of 1,047,291
- The dome weigh 90 million pounds
- The Capitol has 540 rooms and 658 windows
- August 24,1814 the British set fire to the Capitol building
