Blog

FUN FACTS around the Capitol:

(1) You may notice quite a few miniature doors while walking through the Capitol. Rather than a Willy Wonka style secret entrance to a room of flavored wallpaper, behind the doors are just enough room for a faucet and a pail. Odd, right? Well, the Capitol suffered from three fires (1814, 1825, and 1851) and this was the most efficient way to prevent fires from spreading.

(2) Corridors of the Senate wing were painted by an Italian artist named Constantino Brumidi. Brumidi left blank oval spaces throughout the hallway with the intention that, over time, we would document fantastic scenes throughout our nation's history to fill them in. A couple of them (pictured here) depict the moon landing in 1969 (painted by Allyn Cox) and the space shuttle Challenger mission crew in 1986 (painted by Charles Schmidt).

Being such a young country, Brumidi knew we would accomplish great things as we developed as a nation and left us room to document those accomplishments. From the first flight, the lightbulb, space exploration, etc. America is a nation full of ingenuity and contributions to the modern world.

I could go on and on but I'll leave the rest for you to explore around our nation's capital. My office would love to help you plan your trip and walking tours. Reach out to us at (202) 225-5501. We look forward to seeing you soon!