Thomas Jefferson Building

Thomas Jefferson Building
The Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress in April 2007
Location within the District of Columbia
General information
Architectural style	Beaux-Arts
Town or city	Washington, D.C.
Country	United States
Construction started	1890
Completed	1897
Design and construction
Architect(s)	John L. Smithmeyer Paul J. Pelz Edward Pearce Casey
Other information
Public transit access	Capitol South, Union Station, Washington Union Station
Library of Congress
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Added to NRHP	December 21, 1965[1]

The Thomas Jefferson Building, also known as the Main Library, is the oldest of the Library of Congress buildings in Washington, D.C. Built between 1890 and 1897, it was initially known as the Library of Congress Building. In 1980, the building was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), a Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third U.S. president. In 1815, the purchase of Jefferson's book collection formed a core foundation for the library's collection.

The building is located on First Street, S.E. between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C., across from the United States Capitol on Capitol Hill. It is adjacent to the library's additional buildings in the Library of Congress complex, the John Adams Building (built in the 1930s) across Second Street, and the James Madison Memorial Building (built in the 1970s) across Independence Avenue to the south.

The building is designed in the Beaux-Arts and elaborate decorative version of Classical Revival styles of architecture, and is known for its classicizing façade and elaborately decorated interior. The building's primary architect was Paul J. Pelz, who initially began work on the building in partnership with John L. Smithmeyer, and was subsequently succeeded by Edward Pearce Casey during the last few years of construction. In addition, Bernard Green was also a consulting engineer and architect (later worked on the Mississippi State Capitol of 1901-1903, in Jackson).

In 1965, in recognition of the prominent monumental structure and building's historical significance, it was designated a National Historic Landmark (lists maintained by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior).