The Summerhouse

Statue of Abraham Lincoln, by Vinnie Ream, 1870

Washington Morning Times, November 7, 1898

Library of Congress, Harper’s Weekly, February 27, 1897

After 1908, each member of Congress was entitled to at least one room as a personal office.

Soldiers of the 4th U.S. Colored Infantry

South Carolina seceded from the Union in December 1860, followed by 10 other Southern states.

Drafting Tools Belonging to Thomas U. Walter

While the Civil War raged, a great cast-iron dome was added to the Capitol, symbol of an enduring nation.

Confederates burned Richmond, Virginia, their capital, before it fell to Union forces in April 1865.