Capitol Hill - Washington, D.C.

The Temple of Liberty



The naming of this grand place was an idea of Thomas Jefferson, who in my opinion was the greatest influence to the New Nation.  Originally, the Capitol was to be called the Congress House, but Jefferson insisted on the title "Capitol" after the Capitoline Hill of Rome.

Capitoline was derived from the Latin word of 'capitolinus' which stems to 'caput' meaning "head".  The Temple of Jupiter crowned the head of Capitoline Hill just as our Capitol does on Capitol Hill today over the National Mall.

Thomas Jefferson wanted to give the People the right to the Seat of their New Government, thus he proposed a design competition for the New Capitol.  After much debate over the location of the 

Capitol, let alone the design, the American Neoclassical structure would be built overlooking the Potomac River under the plans of amateur architect William Thorton.

Crown of the National Mall

Out of the entire National Mall I would have to say the Capitol is my favorite place to visit.  One, you can virtually see the rest of the District from it!  That, and it is a very open area and it has a majestic aurora surrounding the whole area with the fountains outside the West Front and the trees which engulf the grounds surrounding the Capitol.

Walking down Pennsylvania Avenue

For all the hustle and bustle of Washington, one can easily get lost in the serenity walking in the courtyard with the reflecting pools and summer breeze.  An interesting fact about the East Front (right) is when walking around, you don't realize that you are walking on the top of the museum, numerous halls, and a system of tunnels.