Thomas Jefferson Building

Brief Information

The Thomas Jefferson Building came into being because the library had become cramped in the Capitol wing. After the copyright law of 1870, mandatory copies of books, pamphlets, maps, music, engravings, and photographs began arriving at the Library of Congress. The new building was constructed in 1890-1897 as a separate home for this growing mass of materials.

Outside and inside, it speaks not only of book storage, but also of the state self-representation of the late nineteenth century. The Beaux-Arts style, the classical pediment, the rich interiors, and the sculptural program turned the library into a national monument. In 1980, the building was named after Thomas Jefferson, whose personal book collection became an important part of restoring the library after the Capitol fire.

What to Notice Right Away

It is worth comparing several details that show how the library was designed as a solemn public building. The classical pediment gives the facade an official tone. In front of the central entrance stands the Neptune Fountain: it was conceived to evoke the Roman Trevi Fountain, so the entrance takes on an almost palatial scale.

Inside, the decorated halls and the busts above the window niches are important. These busts depict great people from different nations and are connected with the interior's overall purpose: to show the progress of civilization through recognizable figures. A separate detail is the copper dome, initially covered with gilding. It was criticized for its resemblance to the Capitol dome, and this changes how one sees the building: the library, standing beside power, received a form that visually competed with the chief symbol of the state.