The U.S. Capitol Grounds features a collection of more than 4,800 trees throughout the entire 274-acre Capitol complex. Some of the oldest and most majestic trees were planted during the tenure of Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. in the 56-acre area directly surrounding the Capitol building known as Capitol Square.
Olmsted’s 1874 General Plan for the U.S. Capitol Grounds sought to create a setting to accentuate the monumentality of the Capitol Building. In addition to the numerous site furnishings and infrastructure changes, the Olmsted expansion project incorporated the careful selection and placement of more than 1,050 trees over a 20-year period. While the majority of the trees planted during the Olmsted period have succumbed to natural life cycles, pest, diseases or environmental stressors, approximately 45 of Olmsted’s trees remain today, having endured more than a century of urban life on the front stage of American democracy.
