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The Main Reading Room, Library of Congress
The Main Reading Room, Library of Congress. Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
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The Main Reading Room, Library of Congress. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LOC_Main_Reading_Room_Highsmith.jpg
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Library of Congress Main Reading Room

Washington DC, USA, 1890–97

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Worth knowing

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, worth knowing: During the Second World War the Library helped plan the shipment of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for safekeeping.

    primaryloc.gov
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, worth knowing: During the Second World War the Library helped plan the shipment of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for safekeeping.
Source: https://www.loc.gov/about/history-of-the-library/
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-12tvfv7
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, worth knowing: The British burned Washington in 1814 and destroyed the small congressional library. Congress then bought Thomas Jefferson's personal library of 6,487 books to start again.

    primaryloc.gov
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, worth knowing: The British burned Washington in 1814 and destroyed the small congressional library. Congress then bought Thomas Jefferson's personal library of 6,487 books to start again.
Source: https://www.loc.gov/about/history-of-the-library/
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-0xhyacd
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, worth knowing: The Library's Gutenberg Bible, bought in 1930, is one of three perfect copies on vellum in the world, the Library says.

    primaryloc.gov
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    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, worth knowing: The Library's Gutenberg Bible, bought in 1930, is one of three perfect copies on vellum in the world, the Library says.
Source: https://www.loc.gov/about/fascinating-facts/
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-1kti25q
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, worth knowing: The oldest written material in the Library is a cuneiform tablet dated to 2040 B.C.

    primaryloc.gov
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, worth knowing: The oldest written material in the Library is a cuneiform tablet dated to 2040 B.C.
Source: https://www.loc.gov/about/fascinating-facts/
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-0c2mfzt
    Dispute#

Built

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, built: 1890-1897 (opened to public 1897)

    wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
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    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, built: 1890-1897 (opened to public 1897)
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson_Building
Evidence tier: wikipedia
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-0nbz19f
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, built: 1886 authorized; cornerstone 1890; Jefferson Building in use from 1897

    primaryguides.loc.gov
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    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, built: 1886 authorized; cornerstone 1890; Jefferson Building in use from 1897
Source: https://guides.loc.gov/lc-buildings/timelines
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-0idp7yt
    Dispute#

Architect

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, architect: Smithmeyer & Pelz; Edward Pearce Casey; Bernard R. Green (supt); Army Corps of Engineers (Thomas L. Casey)

    primaryweb.archive.org
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    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, architect: Smithmeyer & Pelz; Edward Pearce Casey; Bernard R. Green (supt); Army Corps of Engineers (Thomas L. Casey)
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/dc0221/
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-0zp9hrq
    Dispute#

Size

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: Jefferson Building 470 ft (27-bay front) by 340 ft (21 bays); lantern 195 ft high; rotunda surrounded by 8 clustered piers; coffered dome

    primarytile.loc.gov
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: Jefferson Building 470 ft (27-bay front) by 340 ft (21 bays); lantern 195 ft high; rotunda surrounded by 8 clustered piers; coffered dome
Source: https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/dc/dc0200/dc0221/data/dc0221data.pdf
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-0sdotm0
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: octagon width across: 100 ft (30.5 m)

    secondaryarchive.org
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    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: octagon width across: 100 ft (30.5 m)
Source: https://archive.org/details/handbookofnewlib00smaliala
Evidence tier: secondary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-1m5brdu
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: floor to top of dome (where it meets lantern): 125 ft (38.1 m)

    secondaryarchive.org
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: floor to top of dome (where it meets lantern): 125 ft (38.1 m)
Source: https://archive.org/details/handbookofnewlib00smaliala
Evidence tier: secondary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-12g948e
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: floor to crown of lantern ceiling: 160 ft (48.8 m)

    secondaryarchive.org
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: floor to crown of lantern ceiling: 160 ft (48.8 m)
Source: https://archive.org/details/handbookofnewlib00smaliala
Evidence tier: secondary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-0gimp3a
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: lantern height: 35 ft (10.7 m), eight windows

    secondaryarchive.org
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: lantern height: 35 ft (10.7 m), eight windows
Source: https://archive.org/details/handbookofnewlib00smaliala
Evidence tier: secondary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-0lvfty6
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: alcove count: 8 bays, each 14 ft deep x 30 ft wide (4.3 x 9.1 m)

    secondaryarchive.org
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: alcove count: 8 bays, each 14 ft deep x 30 ft wide (4.3 x 9.1 m)
Source: https://archive.org/details/handbookofnewlib00smaliala
Evidence tier: secondary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-1onctrq
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: piers: 8 massive clustered piers, one per octagon corner, each set ~10 ft forward

    secondaryarchive.org
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: piers: 8 massive clustered piers, one per octagon corner, each set ~10 ft forward
Source: https://archive.org/details/handbookofnewlib00smaliala
Evidence tier: secondary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-1vce05w
    Dispute#

  • Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: floor to statue plinth: 58 ft; semicircular alcove windows 32 ft across at base; 8 statues on entablature

    secondaryarchive.org
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, size: floor to statue plinth: 58 ft; semicircular alcove windows 32 ft across at base; 8 statues on entablature
Source: https://archive.org/details/handbookofnewlib00smaliala
Evidence tier: secondary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#f-1ypkrg7
    Dispute#

What happened here

  1. 1814Library of Congress Main Reading Room, destroyed, 1814: The British burned Washington and destroyed the small congressional library in the Capitol.

    primaryloc.gov
    Cite
    Library of Congress Main Reading Room, destroyed, 1814: The British burned Washington and destroyed the small congressional library in the Capitol.
Source: https://www.loc.gov/about/history-of-the-library/
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/loc/#e-1z0ygr6
    Dispute#

Photographs

The dome of the Main Reading Room, Thomas Jefferson Building
The dome of the Main Reading Room, Thomas Jefferson Building. Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Use this photo
The dome of the Main Reading Room, Thomas Jefferson Building. Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Library_Congress_October_2016-5a.jpg
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The Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building
The Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0
Use this photo
The Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Library_of_Congress_Great_Hall_-_Jan_2006.jpg
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Ceiling skylight in the Great Hall, Library of Congress
Ceiling skylight in the Great Hall, Library of Congress. Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Use this photo
Ceiling skylight in the Great Hall, Library of Congress. Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Library_Congress_October_2016-1.jpg
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The Thomas Jefferson Building, home of the Main Reading Room, at dusk
The Thomas Jefferson Building, home of the Main Reading Room, at dusk. Library of Congress Life, CC0
Use this photo
The Thomas Jefferson Building, home of the Main Reading Room, at dusk. Photo: Library of Congress Life, CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20171121SM234.jpg
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West façade of the Jefferson Building lit at night
West façade of the Jefferson Building lit at night. Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
Use this photo
West façade of the Jefferson Building lit at night. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exterior_view._Illuminated_west_fa%C3%A7ade_view_at_night._Library_of_Congress_Thomas_Jefferson_Building,_Washington,_D.C._LCCN2007684251.tif
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The dome and cupola of the Jefferson Building, over the Main Reading Room
The dome and cupola of the Jefferson Building, over the Main Reading Room. Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
Use this photo
The dome and cupola of the Jefferson Building, over the Main Reading Room. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exterior_view._View_of_the_roof,_dome,_and_cupola._Library_of_Congress_Thomas_Jefferson_Building,_Washington,_D.C._LCCN2007684218.tif
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