Completed in 1800, this building is modeled on the Maison Carrée, an ancient Roman temple in Nimes, France.
Thomas Jefferson, a U.S. diplomat to France, the first U.S. Secretary of State, third U.S. President, and a Virginia resident was one of the designers of this building.
While stationed in France as a diplomat, Jefferson was enamored with a Roman temple in Nimes.
In a 1787 letter Jefferson wrote:
Here I am, Madam, gazing whole hours at the Maison Carrée, like a lover at his mistress.
Jefferson ultimately modeled the Virginia State Capitol Building after it.
Located in Richmond's Capitol Square, it sits mere feet away from the Virginia Governor's Mansion.
The building was the site of Aaron Burr's 1807 treason trail, presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall.
During the Civil War (1861-1865), this building was used as the meeting place of the Congress of the Confederacy.