The Majesty of Capitol Hill

By Thomas B. Grooms

Book Overview

The fourteen-block area that fans out from the U. S. capitol is a virtual museum of nineteenth-century American architectural styles. This book highlights the rich urban context of the Hill, covering twenty-two homes along with its many parks, significant buildings, and historic sites. Highlights include the Congressional Cemetery, the historic commercial areas of Pennsylvania Avenue, and the oldest public residence in the city after the White House 1/2the Sewall-Belmont house.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1589802284
• ISBN13: 9781589802285
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.4" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

A Great Education at a Bargain Price

To be perfectly honest, all I expected to get from this book was a few minutes of amusement as I flipped through the 150 pages & looked at the dozens of color pictures of the interiors & exteriors of beautiful houses. The big surprise, at least for me, began when I started reading the blocks of copy & the captions under the pictures. All of a sudden, I was getting an education on 19th century architecture & interior decoration. When I came to page 47, for example, the heading read "Philadelphia Row." I might have heard of this section of Capitol Hill before, but I certainly didn't know anything about it: until I read the copy. Not only was I treated to a charmingly romantic legend about how the row of houses came to be built, but then I learned--in just a few sentences--what makes this particular group of houses distinctive. The Majesty of Capitol Hill truly is one of the best book bargains out there.

Rare Book on Contemporary Hill

It is a beautiful book and good value for money. The focus is, as the title suggests, on the most beautiful and the most opulent homes. The authors unveil the interiors of those and some of their history. A lot to learn! I did not know, for example that Charles Lindbergh lived on the Hill. But like the first reviewer, I would like to see more of the Hill's diversity in the books -- the most beautiful gardens, the back yards, the hidden swimming pools and roof top decks. I would also like to see some of the smaller and funkier homes. Hopefully, the authors are working on a sequel titled: "The Diversity of Capitol Hill."

Pretty Good

Does a nice job of showing the front and interior of various Capitol Hill buildings, mostly residences. The majority of the pictures are the standard frontal shot along with a handful of interior views of each building. Would have been an improvement to show some more of the exterior scenes such as the back of the buildings, the view of the streets, etc. This book is pretty good overall especially if you're looking for an overview and/or want to see what some of the homes look like on the inside.