At the time of the fire, the Capitol Building was still only partially completed but, luckily, the use of fireproof materials prevented the landmark’s complete collapse. One of the building's original architects, Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe, was rehired to restore it in 1815 (he was eventually succeeded by Charles Bullfinch). The work would take around four years.

The building we see now took shape in the mid-1800s, when its mammoth cast-iron dome was erected.

Now discover what the world's most famous landmarks looked like a century ago compared to today

Famous landmarks that were almost destroyed