J. George Stewart was appointed Architect of the Capitol in 1954 by President Dwight Eisenhower to fill the vacancy caused by David Lynn’s retirement. Like his two predecessors, Stewart was not an architect, but unlike Woods and Lynn, he had no prior experience with the Architect’s office. He is best remembered as the Architect who extended the east central front of the U.S. Capitol (1955-1962). Other projects carried out by Stewart included completion of the New (Dirksen) Senate Office Building and connecting subway system, the continued improvement and expansion of the Capitol Power Plant, the construction of the Rayburn House Office Building and its connecting subway system, and the House underground garages. In addition, preliminary plans for the James Madison Memorial Building of the Library of Congress were drawn under Stewart's direction.
Stewart was born in 1890 in Delaware. He attended the University of Delaware but quit in his junior year to join his father’s construction business. In 1934 he was elected to the House of Representatives and served a single term. After his reelection defeat Stewart held a number of political appointments and was named Architect of the Capitol upon the recommendation of Speaker Joe Martin. Stewart died in office in 1970.
