Washington's Tomb Article Index for
Washington's
Website Links For
Tomb
 

Information About

Washington's Tomb




Washington's Tomb is a small room in the basement of the United States Capitol building. It was designed to entomb the body of President George Washington , the first President Of The United States . The tomb is two levels beneath the ornate Capitol Rotunda .

The original design of the Rotunda , and the Crypt beneath it, included a central glass floor allowing the public to view Washington's Tomb two floors below. This design was never implemented, however, and Washington was buried at Mount Vernon , his estate in nearby Virginia , in accordance with his will.

The tomb is now used to store the Lincoln Catafalque , a wooden support built in 1865 to hold the casket of Abraham Lincoln while his body Lay In State in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda . The Catafalque most recently held the casket of President Gerald R. Ford .


SOURCE

[http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/catafalque.cfm Architect Of The Capitol ]