Washington’s Birthday at the Library of Congress
As one of the most unique institutions in our government, the Library of Congress serves as the repository of information and copyright for the United States. White not as outwardly ostentatious as its neighbors in the US Capitol and Supreme Court, the Jefferson Building plays host to one of my favorite holiday events in DC. Its annual President’s Day open house. While you can visit the Library any day it is open, only on President’s Day is the floor of the main reading room open to anyone without restrictions.
The ceiling of the great hall reaches 75 fee above the floor you walk up to from below. A blend of Beaux-Arts and Italian Renaissance styles, the hall and its mezzanine are just the amuse-bouche. Throughout the space the diverse influences on our early republic are represented - from the names of famous writers and thinkers of the day to the 12 zodiac symbols surrounding the inlaid compass rose on the floor. A move through the rather unassuming archways - past a minor work called the Gutenberg Bible take you to the main event.
Soaring 125 feet from the floor of the reading room, the Dome is set on an Octagonal plan with niches for the library materials set like chapels in a renaissance church. The semi-circular windows contain the seals of the states at territories at the time it was constructed. While you can’t peruse the collection, the opportunity to stand on the reading room floor without restriction is special. Among my favorite spaces in the city, its incredibly under visited.
