Capitol Grounds Expansion

Beyond the limits of Capitol Square the grounds have been extended with each new building campaign and in some cases redeveloped into parks where commercial and residential buildings formerly stood. The land acquired in 1886 to build a separate facility for the Library of Congress was the first extension of the grounds beyond Capitol Square. In 1903 and 1904 two city squares were purchased for the first congressional office buildings, today called the Cannon House office Building and the Russell Senate Office Building. From 1910 to 1940 eighteen city squares between Capitol Square and Union Station were acquired by the government and redeveloped into parkland. When the Botanic Garden moved off the National Mall it relocated to a nearby site that was acquired in 1927. The Capitol grounds continued to grow with the acquisition of sites for the Longworth (1929) and Rayburn House Office Buildings (1955), and the Dirksen (1948) and Hart Senate Office Buildings (1948). The Library of Congress added two sites to its inventory for new buildings-the Adams (1935) and the Madison (1960)-and the extent of the Capitol grounds grew accordingly.