Glenn Brown's History of the United States Capitol

Originally commissioned by the American Institute of Architects and first published in two volumes between 1900 and 1903, Glenn Brown’s history serves as the foundational academic documentation of the United States Capitol’s architectural evolution. Brown, an architect himself, sought to preserve the complex narrative of the building's construction, navigating the contentious periods of early design competitions and the subsequent modifications by various architects throughout the nineteenth century.

This 1998 edition was prepared by the Architect of the Capitol, issued through the Government Printing Office to coincide with the bicentennial commemorations of the building. The reissuing of the text was intended to ensure that Brown’s extensive primary research, which includes rare archival drawings and detailed accounts of bureaucratic and artistic challenges, remained accessible to scholars and the public. It is widely considered an essential reference work for architectural historians studying the seat of the American legislature.