The published guidelines stipulated matters of fact -- size and number of rooms and materials -- not issues of taste, such as style of architecture, historical association, or symbolic meaning. Thus the competitors themselves proposed ideas of how to convey America's new political structure and social order. Their suggestions, ranging from simple to complex, economical to expensive, reflected commonly held beliefs about America's governing population -- primarily farmers and merchants -- or promoted benefits promised by the Constitution.
Most competitors drew upon Renaissance architectural models, either filtered through the lens of eighteenth-century English and American Georgian traditions or based directly on buildings illustrated in Renaissance treatises. The Capitol competition coincided with nascent Neoclassicism in America, in which forms and details from Greek and Roman architecture were revived. Three of the competition entries were inspired by ancient classical buildings.
The Roman Pantheon -- the circular domed rotunda dedicated to all pagan gods -- was suggested by Jefferson, who later shepherded it through several transformations.
Portrait of Washington From Life Jean-Antoine Houdon Bust of George Washington Marble c[copyright symbol] 1994 Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington Gift of Robert L. McNeil, Jr., in Honor of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art (26)
Portrait of Jefferson from Life
After Jean-Antoine Houdon
Bust of Thomas Jefferson
Plaster
Library of Congress (27)
Photograph by Franz Jantzen, Copyright 1995
Jefferson's Pragmatic Design for the Federal City Thomas Jefferson [Proposed Plan of Federal City], March 1791 Ink on paper Thomas Jefferson Papers, Manuscript Division Library of Congress (28)
Domed Rotunda for Capitol First Proposed by L'Enfant Pierre Charles L'Enfant "Plan of the City of Washington," March 1792 Engraving on paper Geography and Map Division Library of Congress (29)
Capitol Competition Guidelines Thomas Johnson and Thomas Jefferson [Announcement of Capitol Design Competition] Dunlap's American Daily Advertiser (Philadelphia), March 24, 1792 Newspaper Serial and Government Publications Division Library of Congress (30)
Ancient Roman Pantheon Inspires Jefferson's Capitol Design Antoine Desgodetz "Elevation de la face du Pantheon, a Rome," in Les edifices antiques de Rome. Paris: Claude-Antoine Jombert, 1779 Engraving in book Rare Book and Special Collections Division Library of Congress (33)
German Engineer's Entry in Capitol Competition Charles Wintersmith [Section, Elevation, and Plan of Capitol Design No. 1,] 1792 Ink and water color washes on paper Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore (34)
Octagonal Irish House of Commons Source of Small's Conference Room Rowland Omer "A Section of the House of Commons, Dublin," 1767 Engraving on paper Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, Dublin (36.1)
Modest Capitol Design with Courtyard Based on Renaissance Palace James Diamond "Section of the back Front on the Court Side," and "Back Front or Flank, to Plan No. 1 for a Capitol," 1792 Ink washes on paper Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore (39)
Giant Eagle Identifies Capitol as Congress's Building James Diamond "An Elevation for a Capitol," 1792 Ink and ink washes on paper Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore (40)
Palladio's Basilica in Venice Model for Capitol Giacomo Leoni, after Andrea Palladio [Basilica, Venice] The Architecture of Palladio in Four Books, 3rd. ed. vol. 1. London: 1742, Plate XX Engraving from book Rare Book and Special Collections Division Library of Congress (42)
First Renaissance House with Dome and Giant Porticoes Andrea Palladio [Villa Rotunda] I Quattro Libri de l'Architecttura, Venice: Bartolomeo Corampello, 1601, "Libro Secundo," p. 19 Prints and Photographs Division Library of Congress (44.1)
Rare Book in Harvard Library Inspires Capitol Design Colen Campbell "The First Design of the West Front of Wansted" Vitruvius Britannicus, vol. 1. London: 1715, Plate 22 Engraving in book Rare Book and Special Collections Division Library of Congress (47)
Pre-Competition Design Shown to Jefferson Stephen Hallet [Elevation of First Design of Capitol] "Plan B 2.", c. 1791 Ink and Water color on paper Prints and Photographs Division Library of Congress (51)
Classical Temple Proposed for Capitol Stephen Hallet [Plan of Capitol Competition Entry], 1792 Ink on paper Prints and Photographs Division Library of Congress (55)
Washington Advises on Capitol Design Stephen Hallet [Elevation of Fourth Design for Capitol], 1793 Ink and Water color on paper Prints and Photographs Division Library of Congress (58)
Dome Serves as Belvedere Tower Stephen Hallet [Section of Fourth Design for the Capitol], 1793 Ink and Water color on paper Prints and Photographs Division Library of Congress (59)
Winning Design of Capitol Competition Robert King "A Map of the City of Washington in the District of Columbia," 1818 Engraved map Geography and Map Division Library of Congress (62)
Winning Design's Mall Facade Reconstructed Don Alexander Hawkins Reconstruction of Thornton's West Front Copyprint from silver-gelatin print Courtesy of Don Alexander Hawkins (63)
Principal Floor Plan of Winning Design Don Alexander Hawkins Reconstruction of Thornton's Principal Floor Plan Copyprint from silver-gelatin print Courtesy of Don Alexander Hawkins (64)
Sculptural Panels Celebrate America's Discovery Stephen Hallet [Elevation of Fifth Design for Capitol], 1793 Water color on paper Prints and Photographs Division Library of Congress (65)
Elliptical Rooms for Legislative Chambers Stephen Hallet [Principal Floor, Plan of Fifth Design for Capitol], 1793 Ink and Water color on paper Prints and Photographs Division Library of Congress (67)
Plan From Which Capitol's Foundations Were Laid Stephen Hallet [Conference Plan], 1793 Ink on paper Prints and Photographs Division Library of Congress (68)
Cornerstone Ceremony Recreated After Thomas Crawford, [?] Nolley, maker [Laying the Cornerstone of the United States Capitol], c. 1853-1857 Plaster relief sculpture Architect of the Capitol (70)
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