Print Size: 24" x 36" (Frame Size: 24" x 36")
This reflected ceiling plan of the Old Supreme Court Chamber documents one of the earliest vaulted spaces in the United States. The chamber is located on the ground floor of the Capitol, in the building’s north wing which began with the laying of the cornerstone by George Washington in 1793. Upon its completion in 1800 the federal government moved from Philadelphia and officially took up residence in Washington. With the Senate, Supreme Court, and Library of Congress all located in the building, the North Wing suffered from heavy use and needed repairs by 1806. Benjamin Latrobe, then architect of the Capitol, seized the opportunity to create more space by dividing the chamber in two, assigning the upper half for use by the Senate and the lower half for the Supreme Court. He covered the latter 74’ x 50’ semicircular room with an umbrella vault that reinforces the central authority of the court with ribs that fan out from the judges’ bench to the jury box opposite. While still under construction, the vault collapsed and killed Latrobe’s assistant when its wooden centering was prematurely removed against the architect’s advice. The vault was rebuilt before the Supreme Court took occupancy in 1810, only to have British burn the Capitol in 1814. The fireproof vault survived the fire, but taking no chances, Latrobe ordered the vault to be rebuilt in 1815. It was completed by his successor, Charles Bulfinch, in 1819.
