The Congressional Hall Built With Slave Labor Now Honors Their Freedom Story

Emancipation Hall, U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

Emancipation Hall gets its name from the enslaved workers who actually built the U.S. Capitol building, including quarrying the Tennessee marble that lines the hall’s walls.

The space now hosts now hosts ceremonies, displays statues, and welcomes visitors from around the world.

Here’s the story of this underground tribute to freedom and democracy.

A Name to Honor Enslaved Laborers

Congress named this hall to recognize the enslaved African Americans who built much of the Capitol. These workers dug stone from quarries in Virginia and Maryland.

They hauled heavy blocks that now form the floors, walls, and columns throughout the building. While in chains, these men became skilled builders.

They cut and placed stones, laid bricks, and created wooden structures inside the Capitol. Their expert work remains visible today, though history books rarely mentioned their names.

The Slave Labor Commemorative Marker

A special marker in Emancipation Hall honors the enslaved workers who built the Capitol. Congress ordered this memorial in 2007, making sure it would stand where everyone could see it.

The marker uses real Aquia Creek sandstone originally cut for the Capitol’s East Front in the 1820s. Tool marks still show on the stone surface, revealing the hand labor these workers performed.

A bronze plaque next to the stone explains how enslaved people helped build this symbol of democracy.

The Statue of Freedom Plaster Model

The original plaster model of the Statue of Freedom stands in the middle of Emancipation Hall. Sculptor Thomas Crawford made this 19½-foot, 13,000-pound model in Rome in 1857.

Foundry workers later used this plaster form to make the bronze statue that now tops the Capitol dome. Crawford split his creation into five parts to ship it across the ocean to America.

Crawford died before seeing his work finished. His wife arranged to send the model to Washington, where workers put the pieces back together.

Philip Reid’s Crucial Role

Philip Reid, an enslaved craftsman, solved a major problem with the Freedom statue. When an Italian artist demanded more money to take apart the plaster model, Reid figured out how to do it instead.

Using ropes and pulleys, Reid found a way to show the seams between sections without damaging the plaster. He worked every day of the week on casting the statue but got paid only for Sundays.

President Lincoln freed Reid and other enslaved people in Washington, D.C., in April 1862. Reid became a free man before workers placed the finished statue on the Capitol in December 1863.

The National Statuary Hall Collection in Emancipation Hall

Twenty-four statues from the National Statuary Hall Collection stand in Emancipation Hall. Since 1864, each state has sent two statues of its notable citizens to the Capitol.

These include Hawaii’s King Kamehameha I, television inventor Philo Farnsworth, and astronaut John Glenn. States sometimes swap their statues, as Florida did when it replaced a Confederate general with educator Mary McLeod Bethune.

Many statues moved to Emancipation Hall because the collection grew too large for its first home in the Capitol.

The Sojourner Truth Bust

The bronze bust of Sojourner Truth became the first sculpture of an African American woman in the U.S. Capitol when unveiled in 2009. Artist Artis Lane created this portrait showing Truth with a confident smile, wearing her cap and shawl.

Born enslaved in 1797, Truth escaped and became a powerful voice for ending slavery and winning women’s rights. Her famous ‘Ain’t I a Woman’ speech in 1851 challenged both racial and gender discrimination.

The National Congress of Black Women donated this sculpture after years of effort.

The POW/MIA Chair of Honor

A special Chair of Honor stands in Emancipation Hall to remember American service members who became prisoners of war or went missing in action. Congress approved this memorial in 2016.

The chair is one of the original oak chairs made for the House of Representatives in 1857. These chairs feature carved scrolls, leaves, and shields designed by Capitol architect Thomas Walter.

The empty chair sits on a marble platform between the American flag and POW/MIA flag, showing the absence of those who sacrificed for the country.

Architectural Features of Emancipation Hall

Sandstone walls and columns rise 36 feet high in Emancipation Hall. Builders picked materials matching the colors and textures of the historic Capitol to connect old and new spaces.

Two huge skylights, each 30 feet by 70 feet, let visitors underground see the Capitol dome above. Natural light flows through these openings into the hall below.

Water pools surround the skylights at ground level, bouncing sunlight downward and offering places for visitors to sit outside.

Special Events in Emancipation Hall

Emancipation Hall hosts important ceremonies only when both houses of Congress give permission. Each event needs a special vote, limiting use to nationally significant occasions.

Leaders unveiled the POW/MIA Chair of Honor here in 2017 with veterans and advocacy groups attending. Congressional Gold Medal ceremonies happen regularly, including the 2011 honor for Japanese American soldiers who served in World War II.

Presidential inaugurations also use this space for events and security screening, fitting thousands of people in the underground area.

Historic Significance as an Underground Space

Emancipation Hall forms part of the biggest addition ever made to the Capitol. This underground center adds nearly 580,000 square feet, about three-quarters the size of the Capitol itself.

Builders placed the entire facility underground on the east side of the Capitol. This approach preserved the landscaping designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1874 and kept the Capitol’s historic look intact.

The hall now holds up to 4,000 visitors at once, fixing the crowding problems that plagued the Capitol for years.

Visiting Emancipation Hall

You’ll find Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, First Street and East Capitol Street, Washington, D.C. The Visitor Center opens Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Admission is free. Reserve tour tickets online at Visit the Capitol or try for same-day passes at the information desk.

Security screening requires emptying pockets and walking through metal detectors. No food, drinks, or bags larger than 18″ x 14″ x 8.5″ allowed.

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