This bust of Thomas Jefferson stands in the Great Hall of the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. Jefferson was a staunch supporter of creating a library for Congress. When the original library was destroyed in the fire at the Capitol set by the British in August, 1824, Jefferson sold his own personal library -- then considered the finest private library in the United States -- to Congress replace the burned books. Only one-third of Jefferson's books still remain in the Library's collection; the rest were destroyed by a Christmas eve fire in the Capitol.