Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill: The Working Centre of American Democracy, With a Good Farmers’ Market

Capitol Hill is both a specific building (the United States Capitol) and the residential neighbourhood that has grown around it on the eastern end of the National Mall. The building is where both chambers of Congress meet. The neighbourhood has been home to congressional staff, lobbyists, lawyers, and working-class families since the 19th century. The two aspects of the Hill have a slightly uneasy relationship that makes it more interesting than a purely government district.

The Capitol Building

The United States Capitol sits on an elevated plateau 30 metres above the Mall, its dome (completed during the Civil War in 1868) visible from most of central Washington. Free tours of the interior are available through the Capitol Visitor Center at visitthecapitol.gov; advance reservations are required and the tour includes the Rotunda, the Crypt, the National Statuary Hall, and views of both chambers from the public galleries. Tours run Monday through Saturday and last about an hour.

The Rotunda is the interior of the dome. The fresco on the interior ceiling, The Apotheosis of Washington by Constantino Brumidi, depicts George Washington as a divine figure among classical deities. Brumidi spent 25 years decorating the Capitol and died after falling from scaffolding while working on the dome friezes in 1879. His work is everywhere.

Statuary Hall has two statues from each state, placed over time as states were admitted to the union. The acoustic peculiarity of the semicircular hall means a whisper at one spot is clearly audible at another point thirty feet away - a design quirk discovered by John Quincy Adams, who reportedly used it to eavesdrop on private conversations when the chamber was in use.

The Capitol Dome exterior is open for tours through congressional staff offices on a more limited basis; contact your congressional representative’s office if you want to climb the dome. Not easy to arrange but possible.

The Library of Congress

Immediately south of the Capitol on First Street, the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building (1897) is architecturally the most extraordinary building on Capitol Hill and one of the finest in Washington. The Great Hall and the Main Reading Room are open for public tours, free, and the Reading Room dome is 125 feet high, painted and gilded.

The Library holds the original Gutenberg Bible, Jefferson’s personal library, and 170 million items in total. It is the largest library in the world by number of items. Tours run throughout the day; the reading rooms require a reader identification card if you want to actually use the collections.

The Library of Congress Exhibition Hall on the ground floor displays permanent exhibits including the Giant Bible of Mainz and one of the original rough drafts of the Declaration of Independence. Free.

The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court building is across First Street from the Capitol. The courtroom is open for public viewing on a non-session basis (when justices are not hearing cases, which is most of the year); free guided and self-guided tours run Monday through Friday. When the court is in session (October through June), public seating for oral arguments is available on a first-come, first-served basis from the south plaza; arrive before 8am for cases with significant public interest.

Eastern Market

Eastern Market on Seventh Street SE, about six blocks south and east of the Capitol, is the last remaining 19th-century public market hall in DC. The indoor market has operated since 1873 with butchers, fishmongers, and produce vendors during the week. On Saturdays the outdoor section expands to include arts and crafts vendors, antique dealers, and a produce market that fills several blocks. The flea market on Sunday adds a more eclectic mix.

The market restaurants on the south hall do pancakes, eggs, and sandwiches; Market Lunch inside has been serving a specific menu (blueberry buckwheat pancakes on weekends, crab cakes) since the 1970s. Cash only. About USD 12 to 15 for breakfast.

The Neighbourhood

Capitol Hill east of the Capitol (the actual residential neighbourhood) runs east along Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Massachusetts Avenue NE, through a dense Victorian rowhouse district.

Barracks Row (Eighth Street SE) is the main commercial strip with a concentration of independent restaurants and bars. The neighbourhood has a federal-employee population that creates a specific after-work culture around certain bars.

Lincoln Park (two blocks east of Barracks Row) has two significant statues: the Emancipation Memorial (1876, showing Lincoln freeing a kneeling enslaved man - a design that was controversial both when it was erected and in contemporary discussions about its framing) and the Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial (1974, the first monument to a Black American woman in DC).

Where to Eat

Ambar on Barracks Row does Balkan small plates - cevapi, burek, pljeskavica - in a long tasting format that takes two to three hours. About USD 40 to 55 per person for the unlimited format. The rakia selection is extensive. Book ahead.

Ted’s Bulletin on Pennsylvania Avenue SE does American diner food (hash browns, proper milkshakes, house-made pop tarts) in a setting that pulls the neighbourhood crowd rather than tourists. About USD 15 to 20 for breakfast or lunch.

Philly Way on H Street NE (one Metro stop east) does cheesesteaks that consistently rate among the better versions in DC.

Where to Stay

The Capitol Hill Hotel on B Street SE is the obvious choice for proximity, with the Capitol four blocks north. Doubles from around USD 200.

The LINE DC in Adams Morgan (accessed by Metro from Union Station) is a better overall hotel experience at similar prices if you are prioritising design and food over proximity to the Hill specifically.

Practical Notes

• The Metro stations serving Capitol Hill are Capitol South (Blue/Silver/Orange lines, south of the Capitol), Union Station (Red Line, north), and Eastern Market (Blue/Silver/Orange, east). Most sites are walkable from Capitol South.
• The Capitol is not a museum; it is a working legislature. Tours are arranged through member offices for a reason. Treat it accordingly.
• Barracks Row and H Street NE have the best evening restaurant and bar scene in the Capitol Hill area; both are walkable from the Capitol South station.