The Capitol was conceived of by Thomas Jefferson and
Charles-Louis Clérisseau in France. The
design was modeled after the Maison Carrée at Nîmes in southern France, an
ancient Roman temple. It is one of only twelve Capitols in the United States
without an external dome.
Although it was completed in 1788 and is
currently 224 years old, the current Capitol is the eighth built to serve as
Virginia's state house, primarily due to fires during the Colonial period. It
survived the burning of Richmond in the American Civil War. In 1870 a structural defect caused a disaster
resulting in 62 dead and 250 people injured. In the early 20th century, two wings were
added, leading to its present appearance. In 1960, it was designated a National
Historic Landmark.
This postcard came from Sarah (28 May 2015) Postcrossing.
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