In this 1830s House Chamber plan, desks were facing what looks like the wrong way. Representatives turned to face the curving walls rather than the typical U-shaped formation that followed the contours of the room. Why? In 1833, the room’s acoustics were deemed so terrible that drastic measures were adopted. Official House cartographer David Burr drew a new plan of the Chamber, illustrating the layout and who sat at each desk. It was a short-lived experiment. In 1838, everyone agreed the sound was not improved, and the Members turned again to their original direction.
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