The Capitol

Another day up and gone early. Our Congressman, Representative McClintock, had arranged for us to be on a staff-led tour of the Capitol Building at 10 am, EDT, along with others from the district in California. One family, including two young boys, Mom, and Gramma and Grandpa, had just flown in from CA early this morning, and were having a tough time of adjusting to the time and lack of sleep, but they hung in there and enjoyed the tour.

We took the Metro to the Capitol, needing to meet our Congressman in his office in the Rayburn Building. On the way we caught a glimpse of the under-repair Capitol Dome.

And passed by one of the least used meeting rooms in the city.

Until we found the correct office.

All of the buildings in the Capitol complex are connected via tunnel, so we left the Rayburn Building, went into the Cannon Building, then into the Longworth Building, and finally into the Capitol itself, via the Visitors Center.

And then on to the no longer used Old Supreme Court Room. The lighting is kept at a level consistent with the original oil lamps, and the Justices' chairs and bench are original. The room drips with solemn and significant actions affecting the future of our nation.

Then to one of the Capitols basement floors. This is The Crypt. Originally to be used as a tomb for George Washington, it was not completed for years. President Washington specified in his will that he be entombed at Mt Vernon, and his wishes were honored. The small white compass rose in the floor of the center of the room is the single point from which all the streets in the District of Columbia originate. Laid out in such a fashion that the Capitol is the center of the Government, this rose represents the very center of our political nation.

The massive columns support the weight of the Rotunda above.

The Rotunda is undergoing extensive renovation at the moment, and is therefor shrouded with protective tarps. The tarps are in place to protect passersby from falling objects, and was tested with a 50 lb metal ball. The tarp survived the test, and, so far, all of the visitors have as well.

The painted frieze around the perimeter was done over many years by three different artists. Notice the different spacing of the figures, indicating different styles and techniques used. It was begun by Constantino Brumidi, who also created "The Apotheosis of Washington" in the center of the Rotunda canopy, 180 feet above the Rotunda floor. The frieze is a timeline of the country from the first encounters with Native Americans to Westward Expansion.

There were so many people in the Statuary Hall that photography was impossible, however, as the next point of interest after the Rotunda, the Hall represents a significant perspective on the people considered to have the most valuable historical impact in each state. Each of the 50 states contributes two statues of either bronze or marble to the collection, and may rotate them as desired. Eisenhower from Kansas, Barry Goldwater from Arizona, and Ronald Reagan from California are represented, along with a statue that will forever remain unidentified to me because of the crowds. It made a huge impression from across the room, being a large bronze sculpture of a mountain man in buckskins with a faraway look in his eye and a hand shading his face from the sun. The base of the statue was carved with the following phrase:

"My Plan Requires Time and Distance"

Well said.


Leaving the Capitol,

we made our way north toward Union Station, finding a great place for lunch on F Street, The Dubliner, an authentic Irish Pub serving Washington for over 40 years. On the patio, with soup and sandwiches, we watched Washington happen. In the background, the Smithsonian Post Office Museum called to us, so after lunch we wandered across the street.

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Several impressive collections are housed here,

including an original Pony Express letter cover.

Guarded by security, the worlds most valuable stamp is on display. Photographs are not permitted of the actual stamp, and light is limited to brief intervals. This is the only stamp of its kind in existence, and when last sold in the 70's commanded almost 300,000 dollars at auction.

The stamp is very small, perhaps 1/2 inch square, but it is the Holy Grail of stamps. This reproduction is as close as security will allow for photos, and the stamp is housed in a sealed, conditioned vault.

Perhaps the most interesting of the stamps on display from around the world is the Feather Stamp from Sweden. The feather was affixed to the letter and meant that a speedy delivery was expected.

No bar codes here!









And the rarest US stamp, the 1c Z Grill, so named because at the time, canceling of the stamp was done by a hand press that embossed a horizontal and vertical grid onto the paper stamp, giving it a raised texture resembling a grill.

Leaving this impressive structure and its magnificent museum,

we made our way across the street to Union Station and back home. Our trips into DC have been uneventful and reasonable in cost. The Metro fare has been less than five dollars per trip. Better than driving the car!