Splendid Hall
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.
Colonnade of the House of Representatives, 1815 Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820) Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.
This drawing by Benjamin Latrobe depicts the design plan for the north wall of the Old House Chamber. There are four columns with a door in the center and the sculpture of Clio, the Car of History, above. Three people appear in the second-floor gallery next to Clio, providing a human perspective of the drawing.
Plan of the Hall of the House of Representatives Drawn by David H. Burr, engraved by J.V.N. Throop. 25th Congress, second session, 1837-1838. Gift of the U.S. Capitol Historical Soc.
The drawing of the floor plan depicts an alternative plan designed to alleviate the noise problem in the Old House Chamber. The desks are arranged in a semi-circular pattern facing the north wall of the Chamber with the Rostrum in front of the main door to the Capitol Rotunda.
