Old Brick Capitol
| Company type | Building |
|---|---|
| Industry | Government, Education, Prison |
| Founded | 1815 |
| Defunct | 1929 |
| Fate | Demolished |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | United States Congress, private education, Civil War prisoners |
The Old Brick Capitol in Washington, D.C. acted as the interim meeting venue for the Congress of the United States between 1815 and 1819 while the Capitol Building was undergoing reconstruction following the burning of Washington.
Beyond its legislative role, "Old Brick" also served as a private educational institution, a boarding facility, and during the American Civil War, it was repurposed as the Old Capitol Prison. The structure was ultimately demolished in 1929, with the U.S. Supreme Court building now standing on its former location.
Site history
Situated on Capitol Hill at the intersection of 1st and A streets NE, this property was obtained from the Carroll family to facilitate expansion of the U.S. Capitol complex. Its initial edifice was Stelle's Hotel, a red brick inn and lodging house constructed circa 1800, catering to a community of boarding houses primarily occupied by congressional members.
Temporary U.S. Capitol, 1815–1819
In August 1814, amid the War of 1812, British forces set fire to the nearby United States Capitol. Displaced by this event, Congress demolished Stelle's Hotel and erected a temporary brick capitol designed in the Federal style, with its cornerstone laid on July 4, 1815. This building housed Congress from December 8, 1815, until 1819 while reconstruction efforts on the original Capitol were underway. President James Monroe’s first inauguration occurred here on March 4, 1817.
The project was funded by Washington real estate investors who sought to keep Congress within the capital amidst speculation about relocating the federal government—thus safeguarding their property investments during uncertain times.
Old Brick Capitol, 1819–1861
From 1819 onward, after Congress and the Supreme Court moved back to the restored U.S. Capitol, the building became known as the "Old Brick Capitol." It functioned as a private school and later as a boarding house up until the Civil War. Among its notable residents was South Carolina Senator and former Vice President John C. Calhoun, who passed away there in 1850 during sessions of the Fourteenth Congress held at that location.
Old Capitol Prison, 1861–1867
With hostilities commencing in 1861, the Union government reacquired the structure to convert it into a detention facility for Confederate prisoners, political detainees, spies, convicted Union officers, and local prostitutes. Distinguished inmates included Rose Greenhow, Belle Boyd, John S. Mosby, and Henry Wirz, who was executed on site.
Following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, prominent prisoners such as Dr. Samuel Mudd, Mary Surratt, Louis Weichmann, and John T. Ford, proprietor of Ford's Theater, were incarcerated there. The neighboring Duff Green's Row was also integrated into this prison complex.
Post-War use and demolition
In 1867, ownership of Old Capitol Prison transferred to George T. Brown, then serving as U.S. Senate sergeant-at-arms, who transformed it into three rowhouses named "Trumbull's Row." During the twentieth century, these buildings accommodated the headquarters of the National Woman's Party. The property was later acquired through eminent domain in 1929 and razed to provide space for construction of the U.S. Supreme Court Building.
See also
External links
Sources
- James M. Goode, Capital Losses: A Cultural History of Washington's Destroyed Buildings, Smithsonian Institution (2003).
- Harold H. Burton and Thomas E. Waggaman, "The Story of the Place," Records of the Columbia Historical Society, vol. 51/52 (1951/1952).
- Former national capitol buildings in the United States
- American Civil War prison camps
- Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War
- Defunct prisons in Washington, D.C.
- Federal architecture in Washington, D.C.
- Demolished buildings and structures in Washington, D.C.
- Buildings and structures demolished in 1929
- 1815 establishments in Washington, D.C.
- 1929 disestablishments in Washington, D.C.