"Speaker's Clerk's and Reporter's Desks. Hall of Representatives," by Thomas U. Walter, watercolor and ink on paper, 1857

By the 1850s, Congress was outgrowing the Capitol. Architect Thomas U. Walter designed new wings for the Capitol that included much needed office space as well as larger chambers for the Senate and the House of Representatives. This imposing rostrum accommodated the House of Representative’s reporters, clerks and Speaker in three tiers. Behind was a cast-iron frontispiece that gave the rostrum a strong focal point.

Architect of the Capitol