Bulfinch Gatehouse West

Bulfinch Gatehouse

NPS / Claire Hassler

Quick Facts

Amenities

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Built in 1828, these sandstone guardians silently watched over the U.S. Capitol grounds until 1874. In 1889, this gatehouse and its twin, located on Seventeenth Street and Constitution Avenue, were reconstructed in their present locations. These houses have weathered several floods, water, and the effects of acid rain. On the southeast side are markers indicating the high-water marks during floods.

Inscriptions
Bulfinch Gate House
Erected about 1828
Under Direction of Charles Bulfinch, architect of the Capitol, this gate house stood until 1874 with another now at 15th and Constitution Avenue at the west entrance to the Capitol grounds.
National Capital Sesquicentennial Commission
1950