Editing Congress Hall (section)

== Legislative Chambers ==

The House of Representatives chamber on the first floor accommodated the growing number of representatives as new states joined the Union. The chamber featured a raised speaker's platform, desks arranged in a semicircle facing the speaker, and galleries for public observation. The close quarters and poor acoustics made debate difficult, and the chamber's inadequacy was one factor motivating the construction of more suitable facilities in the new capital. Nevertheless, the chamber witnessed the passage of significant legislation, including the Naturalization Act of 1795, the establishment of the United States Navy in 1794, and numerous appropriations bills funding the operations of the new federal government.<ref name="nps"/>

The Senate chamber on the second floor was smaller and more intimate, befitting the body's role as the more deliberative of the two houses. The chamber featured individual desks for each senator, a presiding officer's chair for the vice president, and galleries for visitors. The Senate's proceedings were initially closed to the public—a practice that generated criticism and was eventually abandoned. The chamber has been restored to its 1793 appearance, with reproduction furniture based on historical records and archaeological evidence. The desks, chairs, and other furnishings visible today are replicas, as the original furniture was destroyed when the British burned the Capitol in Washington during the War of 1812.<ref name="riley"/>