12 high quality boxed cards, 12 premium envelopes Boxed Cards Cards come with our standard message, "Wishing you happiness and joy during this beautiful holiday season and throughout the coming year." The US Capitol building, where Congress first met on November 17, 1800. This is a view of the western facade of the building as seen from the National Mall. Of particular interest here is the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, which can be seen in the lower right corner of the image. The C&O Canal runs for 185 miles from Washington and Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland. Built between 1828 and 1850, it was originally designed as a commercial waterway linking the Potomac and Ohio Rivers for the transportation of coal, lumber, and grain. In the 1870's, coal operators began to ship their product via the B&O Railroad, which can be seen in the lower left corner. The canal's fortunes began to decline, and it was eventually sold to the U.S. Government, which turned it into a national park. Today, the C&O Canal is a very popular spot for hikers, joggers, and canoeists.