On September 18, 1793, President George Washington laid the cornerstone to the United States Capitol building, the home of
the legislative branch of American government.
The formal Masonic ceremony was preceded by a parade and
followed by celebration and feasting when a 500 pound ox
was barbequed.
The building would take nearly a century to complete, as
architects came and went, the British set fire to it (above)
and it was called into use during the Civil War.
Today, the Capitol building, with its famous cast-iron
dome and important collection of American art, is
part of the Capitol Complex, which includes six
Congressional office buildings and three Library
of Congress buildings, all developed in the 19th
and 20th centuries.
Masonic Commemorative Cornerstone
Plaque.
