Which neoclassical building in Washington D.C., inspired by the Parthenon, houses the National Archives?

The neoclassical building in Washington, D.C., that houses the National Archives is the National Archives Building.

Located on Constitution Avenue in the Federal Triangle, the building was designed by architect John Russell Pope. Construction began in the early 1930s, and the building was completed in 1937. Its Classical Revival design uses a monumental portico, Corinthian columns, pediments, allegorical sculpture, and a rotunda modeled on the idea of a temple protecting national memory.

The building’s classical language draws broadly on ancient Greek and Roman architecture, which is why comparisons with the Parthenon are common. Its architecture was intended to express permanence, civic dignity, and the importance of the records inside rather than merely provide office space.

The rotunda displays the nation’s “Charters of Freedom”: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The National Archives Building is sometimes confused with the nearby Supreme Court Building or with memorials on the National Mall, but those are separate structures with different functions.