National buildings and monuments

The Capitol, which is the seat of the US Congress, is situated in Washington D.C., (District Columbia), and is located on a plateau about 30 metres above the level of the Potomac River. The building got its name from the temple in Rome. The construction of the Capitol was begun in 1793. The Capitol consists of a central building which is crowned by a great dome with the Statue of freedom on its top. The statue is of bronze and was put in its present position in 1863. The central building is connected at each end by galleries with a large wing, one of which contains the Chamber of the Senate, and the other — Hall of the House of Representatives. Beneath the dome there is a large monumental hall called the Rotunda where you can see works of art describing American history, and sculptures of famous Americans. In 1814 British troops burned the interior of the Capitol, but after the war the damage was repaired. Some other changes were made, and by 1865 the Capitol received the form we see today.

The capitol itself is situated in a large park of about 28 hectares, which was designed by Frederick Olmsted in the 19th century. There are free guided tours of the Capitol which include visits to the galleries in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

THE WHITE HOUSE, the official residence of the President, is at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. The place covering 7 hectares of land was chosen by President Washington and Pierre L’Enfant, the French engineer who planned the city of Washington. The first cornerstone was laid in 1792, and the first president who moved into the White House in 1800 was John Adams.

The building includes the mansion itself, the Executive Office, and the east and west terraces. The design of the White House was influenced by Leinster House situated in Dublin in Ireland (the place of the former Duke of Leinster).

British troops burned the building in 814 during the Anglo-American war (1812 — 1814). During the reconstruction after the fire, the building was painted white, and since then it became traditionally called the White House. From 1948 to 1952 the interior of the White House was rebuilt, and the outer walls strengthened.

The rooms for public functions are on the first floor; the second and the third floors are used as the residence of the President and His Family. The most famous public room is the East Room, where public reception take place. Other public rooms are the Red Room, the Green Room, and the Blue Room. The state Dining Room, where as many as 54 persons can sit at a table, is used for official dinners. There are 132 rooms in the White House. The Oval Office, which is the President’s Office, is in the west wing of the White House. It is also used figuratively, meaning the “US Presidency”.

THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL MONUMENT. This beautiful monument in honour of George Washington is located in the American Capital, and is visited by more than two million people every year.

It is a tapering white marble shaft 169 metres high. The work of construction was begun in 1848, and it was opened to the public in 1888. The monument looks like the obelisks of ancient Egypt. Memorial stones from the 50 States of the USA, foreign countries, cities and organizations, were put into the interior walls. The top platform is reached by a lift, and from there the visitor can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the American capital.

THE LIBERTY BELL was cast in England in 1752 for the Pennsylvania Statehouse (now named Independence Hall) in Philadelphia. It was recast in 1753. It is inscribed with the words, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land into all the inhabitants thereof.” The bell was rung on July 8, 1776, for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed the independence of the American colonies. This explains why the Bell is so dear to the American colonies. It is a symbol of their independence. During the War of Independence it was hidden from the British. After the war it as put back in Independence Hall. In 1976 the Liberty Bell was moved to a special building situated near Independence Hall in the city of Philadelphia.

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY stands on Liberty Island (before 1956 it was called Bedloe’s Island) in the harbour of New York City. It was presented to the American people by the French government on the hundredth anniversary of American independence. The French people collected 250,000 dollars to make this present, which expressed the friendship of the two nations in the American Revolution (the War of Independence).

The Statue of Liberty is the work of the French sculptor Frederick Bartholdi. It is a bronze female figure facing the ocean from Liberty Island. The right hand holds the torch of liberty 60 metres above the harbour, and it can be seen at night for many km. A new American Museum of Immigration was opened at the base of the statue by President Richard Nixon on 26 September, 1972.

Here are some interesting statistics about the statue:

pedestal height: 47 metres

statue height: 46.05 metres

statue weight: 204 metric tons

The statue is hollow and a stairway runs inside the figure to its top. From there you can enjoy the beautiful panorama of New York and the harbour.

Combined height: 92.99 metres from base of the pedestal to the top of the torch

torch arm: 13 metres

face: 3 metres from ear to ear

across each eye: 8 metres

Inside the pedestal there is a tablet with the famous poem written by Emma Lazarus (1849 — 1887). You can read the following words:

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest — tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door! ”

In 1984 restoration work began on the statue and the light of the torch was put out. After two years of hard work the statue became all anew and the torch was relit with much ceremony on Independence Day (July 4), 1986. Every person who enters New York harbour from the ocean is much impressed by this monument which has become the symbol of American independence.