U.S. Capitol Gatehouses and Gateposts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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U.S. Capitol Gatehouses And Gateposts
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Gatehouse
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 Location in Central Washington, D.C.
Location in the District of Columbia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 7th, 15th, and 17th Streets, and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. |
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| Architect | Charles Bulfinch |
| Architectural style | Early Republic |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002120 |
| Added to NRHP | November 30, 1973 |
The U.S. Capitol Gatehouses and Gateposts are old stone buildings and posts. They were designed around 1827 by a famous architect named Charles Bulfinch. These structures first stood at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C..
Today, two of these gatehouses are special. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.
One gatehouse and three gateposts are now located at 15th Street and Constitution Avenue. This area is part of President's Park South. This park is just north of the National Mall. The other gatehouse is at 17th and Constitution Avenue. Four more gateposts were moved to the main entrance of the United States National Arboretum. This arboretum is a large garden for trees and plants.
Contents
A Look Back: Their History
Charles Bulfinch created these gatehouses and gateposts. They were part of his first plan for the Capitol building. The gatehouses were placed at the bottom of Capitol Hill. They marked a special entrance for carriages on the west side of the grounds.
Moving Day: 1874 Changes
The gatehouses were moved from the Capitol grounds in 1874. This happened because of new landscaping plans. These plans were made by Frederick Law Olmsted. He was a very famous landscape designer.
In 1880, the west gatehouse was moved to 17th Street NW and Constitution Avenue. The east gatehouse went to 15th Street and Constitution Avenue. They were placed to frame the view between the White House and the Washington Monument. This view runs along 16th Street, just south of The Ellipse.
Rebuilding the Gatehouses
Over time, the stone of the gatehouses started to wear out. Because of this, they had to be completely rebuilt in 1938. These rebuilding projects were managed by Thomas T. Waterman. He was an architect for the National Park Service.
Four of the original gateposts were also moved to Constitution Avenue. This happened at the same time as the gatehouses. These posts are quite large. They are about twelve feet tall and five feet wide.
What Do They Look Like?
The gatehouses look like small stone temples. Their sides and back have a rough, textured stone finish. This style is called rustication. The front of each gatehouse has a small porch. This porch is built in a simple, classic style called Tuscan order.
Stone and Style
The buildings are made from a type of stone called Aquia Creek sandstone. This stone was not the best quality. The east gatehouse has two special marks carved into its stone. These marks show how high floodwaters reached in 1877 and 1881. They are like a record of past floods.
