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New York Post
11-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Secret passage under Capitol floorboard leads to hidden tunnel, video shows
Viral video just posted by a US rep shows a secret tunnel nestled under the floorboards of the US Capitol that according to legend was stormed by British soldiers in the War of 1812. Congressman Tim Moore (R-NC) showed off the tunnel's entrance in the Lincoln Room, which used to be the House's post office during the Civil War president's time in office, and explained that it is one of his favorite features to point out on tours. 'Construction started in the 1700s, and there are all sorts of little hidden passageways' in the Capitol, Moore explained in a video on his X account. 'As you saw, I just pulled this cover up, and you can see. 'You can see there's a passageway. These were old stairs that used to be here but were closed off,' he said. 'Believe it or not, my big self [has] actually gotten down and more importantly out of this hole.' 3 Rep. Tim Moore shows off the hidden staircase beneath the Lincoln Room at the Capitol. X/@RepTimMooreNC The secret tunnel leads outside the US Capitol building. During the early days of the Capitol building, the House of Representatives convened in the space next to the Lincoln Room, Statuary Hall, which is now a gallery with statues of iconic Americans. '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,' he said of the tunnel. The Capitol Building was commissioned in 1793, and President George Washington laid down the cornerstone of the iconic building that year. 3 Moore said the Lincoln Room is one of his favorite places to show tour groups at the Capitol. X/@RepTimMooreNC 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 Construction of the Capitol was eventually concluded in 1826. 3 The secret tunnel leads outside the Capitol Building, according to the rep. Christopher Sadowski Moore noted that the Lincoln Room is one of his favorite places in the legislative complex to take tours through and emphasized its history, including the fact that Lincoln used to read letters by the fire there. Footage of the hidden staircase in the Lincoln Room revealed signatures, presumably from lawmakers and others who wanted to put their names on the historic passage.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Congressman reveals hidden secret passageway from America's founding under Capitol floorboards
Under the floorboards of the U.S. Capitol lie hidden staircases and passageways left over from the iconic building's original construction in the 18th century, a viral video posted by Republican North Carolina Rep. Tim Moore shows. "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," Moore said in a video posted to his official congressional X account on Friday, showing a secret door in the floor of the Capitol. The U.S. Capitol's construction was commissioned in 1793, with President George Washington laying the cornerstone that same year. The original building was completed in 1826, with various expansions made across the decades, such as a visitor center that opened in 2008. Secrets Of The Capitol Rotunda Moore took viewers inside the Capitol's Lincoln Room, which he said is one of his favorites to show visitors to Washington, D.C., noting it's where Abraham Lincoln would sit by a fire and read letters when he served as a congressman representing Illinois from 1847-1849. Trump To Build National Center For Homeless Veterans With Funds Previously Spent On Housing For Illegal Aliens Read On The Fox News App "But the most interesting part of the room is underneath the floorboards," Moore posted to X. The North Carolina Republican opened a hidden door on the floor, revealing a dusty and historic staircase leading to what appeared to be another room below. Trump To Create Task Force To Plan 'Extraordinary Celebration' For 250Th Anniversary Of America's Independence "We're just off of what's called Statuary Hall, which at one time was the actual House chamber.… But this is just an example of some of the little hidden secrets in the Capitol," Moore said. The lawmaker added that he heard through Capitol building lore that the staircase under the Lincoln Room was used by British soldiers in the War of 1812 to set fire to the historic building. Known as the "Burning of Washington," British soldiers in August 1814 set fire to the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Navy Yard and the White House – which was then known as the Presidential Mansion – before storms put out the fires and military personnel were called to D.C. to defend it from British forces. The War of 1812 ended in 1815. Trump To Create Task Force To Plan 'Extraordinary Celebration' For 250Th Anniversary Of America's Independence Moore's tour of the secret staircase comes as President Donald Trump prepares to kick off America's 250th anniversary of its founding on July 4, 2026. Trump signed an executive order just days after his inauguration this year detailing how his administration will prepare for the massive celebration, including launching a White House task force, building monuments celebrating the nation's founding and historical leaders, and protecting monuments from vandalism following such attacks during the riots and protests that swept the nation in 2020. The Army will hold a 250th anniversary of its founding next month with a planned parade that will stretch from Arlington, Virginia, to the National article source: Congressman reveals hidden secret passageway from America's founding under Capitol floorboards
