This is what those tiny doors in the U.S. Capitol building are really for

There are tiny doors located all around the US Capitol Building and people aren’t sure what to make of this.

It is definitely not the most controversial news to come from the Capitol Building recently, but there has been a renewed interest in learning about why these quaint little doors exist in the first place.

At first glance, these doors might seem as though they are meant for cartoon mice who lead some type of anthropomorphized life inside the Capitol Building.

In reality, there’s actually a more down-to-earth explanation for them.

Architect of the Capitol/YouTube
Source:

Architect of the Capitol/YouTube

1851 Capitol Builidng fire.

The story behind the tiny doors begins on December 24th, 1851 when a giant fire broke out in the Library of Congress. At the time, the library was located inside the Capitol Building.

Martin Falbisoner/Wikimedia Commons
Source:

Martin Falbisoner/Wikimedia Commons

The library’s collection was devastated.

35,000 of its 55,000 volumes perished in the blaze. Amongst the lost volumes was Thomas Jefferson’s collection that had been donated in 1815.

It was a huge blow for the library, which had been built in 1801 thanks to President John Adams who originally used $5,000 to purchase books for it.

Efforts to prevent future fires from breaking out.

Back in the 19th century, people tried to learn from their mistakes. We don’t do that as much nowadays, of course.

In response to the fire, Congress provided the funding to create a reliable water supply for Washington that would also ensure an adequate water supply was available in the Capitol Building. This would allow firefighters to be better able to fight the flames if another fire was to break out.

US Army Corps of Engineers Captain, Montgomery C Meigs, was chosen by the war department to head up the project.

Creating the Washington Aqueduct and many tiny doors.

Captain Meigs created the Washington Aqueduct, in order to bring fresh water there from the Potomac River. The water would then flow through pipes that were hidden behind the little tiny doors in the Capitol Building.

Then, all one had to do in order to obtain water to fight a fire, is open the dainty little passageway and behind the door would be pipes of water that could easily be accessed.

The multiple tiny locations of water also ensured that there was a nearby source to use for cleaning the floors.

Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Source:

Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

The system is still in effect today.

Although Captain Meigs’system has undergone numerous upgrades over the years, it is still used to carry water into the Washington area today.

The Washington Aqueduct officially opened in 1864 and still provides the public water supply system serving the city and its nearby suburbs. If you ever design or invent something and it is still in use a century and a half later, it means you did a very good job.

Tourists love the little doors.

Technically, the little doors are no longer necessary in order to access the water but they just look so nice that they’ve remained in the building regardless. Visitors touring the capitol building always seem to enjoy stopping and admiring the little doors.

Learn more on the history of the tiny doors in the Capitol Building in the video below!

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Article Sources:

Architect of the Capitol

AOC.Gov

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By Ian Carey

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Ian Carey is a contributor at SBLY Media.