Notice the classical lines Thomas Jefferson conceived for the seat of Virginia's government in Richmond. This is where the Virginia General Assembly, the oldest elected legislative body in North America, meets — a lineage that began with the House of Burgesses first established in 1619. The building you see was conceived by Thomas Jefferson together with Charles-Louis Clérisseau in France, modeled on the ancient Maison Carrée in Nîmes.
Construction began in 1785 and was completed in 1788, though this is the eighth statehouse to serve Virginia, many predecessors lost to fires during the colonial period. In fact, the colony’s earliest capital at Jamestown hosted the first meetings of the House of Burgesses in 1619, using multiple state houses over time because of those fires. This Capitol also served as the capitol of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865.
In the early 20th century two wings were added, shaping the present appearance you see today, and in 1960 the building was designated a National Historic Landmark. The classical lines and the two wings added in the early 20th century frame this historic place before you.