Front entrance incorporates bricks from the original US Capitol...burned by the British August 1814. In 1814 the Capitol was only partially completed when Washington was attacked; so after Capitol's damage, the building was begun again after destruction of Washington buildings in "War of 1812." [August 1814 was when British sailed up the Potomac and burned Washington -- the White House was set afire too and subsequently painted white to cover the scorched stones.] These Capitol bricks from the original building were used in another Washington, DC, building in 1800s instead of being reused in the 'new' 1814 Capitol. That DC building was then torn down in late 1920's; the bricks were bought by house's architect Charlie Zeller who used them in this and several other houses as decorative accents. Neighbors with these 'Capitol' bricks know their background directly from the houses' architect and builder, who first intended this house for himself but then instead sold it when finished around 1930 and lived instead 3 houses up the street. Zeller had (and his house's current owner has it now) 1920s documentation and newspaper article too about the bricks.