Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building

The Thomas Jefferson Building is capped by a copper dome that has weathered to a distinct, pale green, catching the light above the surrounding government buildings. Congress authorized this grand structure in eighteen eighty-six to house a national collection that had outgrown the tight quarters of the Capitol building across the street. Architect Smithmeyer insisted on an Italian Renaissance style, but the project stalled for years under public criticism until General Casey took over and finally pushed it to completion in eighteen ninety-seven.