By the turn of the 20th century, the U.S. Capitol Building had been undergoing construction and repair for more than 100 years. In 1793, President George Washington lauded a neoclassical design proposal by William Thornton for its grandeur, simplicity and convenience,� and the cornerstone of the building was laid. It opened for the first meeting of Congress in 1800, but fires and annexations would force its continuous reconstruction over the next century.
