Featured Image Credit: ANDREY DENISYUK via Getty
There's some real history right beneath our feet, but it's not just fossilised dinosaurs and the bones of Medieval knights lying underneath. One US congressman has shared a fascinating video online, showing off the secret tunnels lurking beneath the Capitol.
Considering the Capitol Building first started construction in 1793, it's no surprise that there's so much history. Despite parts being destroyed by the 1814 Burning of Washington, and although they were quickly reconstructed, the iconic central dome wasn't added until around 1866. Tours are nothing new, but even then, you might not expect to find tunnels under the Lincoln Room.
Congressman Tim Moore has shared the video on his X account and explained: "Construction started in the 1700s, and there are all sorts of little hidden passageways. As you saw, I just pulled this cover up, and you can see."
As he pulled up the boards and gave us a peek into this secretive side of the Capitol, Moore continued: "You can see there’s a passageway. These were old stairs that used to be here but were closed off."
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Impressed with his own skills, he added: "Believe it or not, my big self [has] actually gotten down and more importantly out of this hole."
Back at the start of the Capitol Building's life, the House of Representatives met in Statuary Hall next to the Lincoln Room, which is now a gallery that houses statues of many iconic Americans.
As for the tunnel, it takes you outside the Capitol. This has given it even more of a fascinating history, with Moore claiming: "I’m told, and I can’t verify this …it’s one of the staircases British soldiers used when they breached the Capitol during 1814 when they actually attacked Washington."
There are signatures on the hidden staircase, presumably scrawled there by important lawmakers.
This was when British soldiers set fire to the Capitol during the aforementioned Burning of Washington during the War of 1812. Things escalated over maritime rights and raged on until 1815.
The Capitol eventually finished construction in 1826.
British soldiers had set fire to the US Capitol and torched the White House during the “Burning of Washington” in the War of 1812, which erupted over maritime rights and other disputes. The war ended in 1815.
Moore is clearly up on his Capitol knowledge, saying that the Lincoln Room is one of his favorite places to take tours through. Apparently, Lincoln himself used to read letters by the fire.
Responding to the video, one fan impressed onlooker gushed: "Can you send someone down with the camera and show the rest of the space? Super cool, Congressman!"
Another added: "Interesting, I always heard there were tunnels under Washington and the Capitol, I wonder if this leads to those bigger tunnels if they actually exist, anyone know?"
A third joked: "Why would you share with the world a way to get into the capital from the outside?"
It turns out you might never know what's just under your feet.
