Back to Front
Does the Capitol building have its back to the Federal City? The so-called East Front IS the front. The Freedom statue at the top of the dome faces east. Washington laid the cornerstone at the southeast. All the presidents until 1980 were inaugurated on the east plaza. But the west side faces major monuments and, with its pool and view, commands The Hill. But that great vista didn't exist until after 1901. When Washington and L'Enfant sited the Capitol, they may have envisioned the Capitol facing a city largely spread out to the east.
The first $50 bill with the Capitol on the obverse showed the east front. Since 1997 the bill has shown the west front.
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