Our Blog

Venture outside the U.S. Capitol to explore the other buildings under the AOC's care.

AOC's partnership with So Others Might Eat (SOME) helps "empower people out of homelessness and poverty" with their Center for Employment Training.

Throughout the U.S. Capitol Building's more than 200 year history, many workers have labored in obscurity. Recently, we stumbled across a worker named Pringle Slight with an interesting (and largely forgotten) story.

One of the most significant contributions by an African American slave in the construction of the Capitol was made by Philip Reid.

AOC Public Affairs Officer Matt Guilfoyle watches "Lincoln" and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" — and is surprised by which film more accurately depicts the U.S. Capitol.

Walk in the footsteps of the masons and laborers who worked the quarry at Government Island in Aquia, Virginia, to gather stone for the U.S. Capitol more than 200 years ago. Pierre L'Enfant purchased the area on behalf of the federal government in 1791 to build the nation's new capital city.

Montgomery Meigs – who built the U.S. Capitol while helping save the Union it represents – may be America's greatest engineer. His contributions were both in engineering (the Dome) and in management (he hired artists). Another lasting legacy is his use of photography to document the construction.

Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers reflects on the almost 600,000 square feet of windows – of all different shapes, size and age – cared for by the AOC.

AOC Photographer Chuck Badal gives a behind the scenes look at how some of his favorite photos of the Capitol were captured — from the roof of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building.

Sharon Gang, Communications & Marketing Manager for the Capitol Visitor Center, reflects back on her first job on Capitol Hill, and how the lessons learned there stick with her to this day.

The Mayan Calendar has drawn a lot of attention lately, largely surrounded by myth and misunderstanding. This story investigates a lesser-known scene in "The Frieze of American History" by Constantino Brumidi in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Architect of the Capitol (AOC) photographer Susanne Bledsoe walks us through a shot of the "Fountain of Light and Water" in Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens on the U.S. Capitol Grounds.

Michael Dunn, Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) chief of photography, draws upon his many years of experience to share tips for photographing the U.S. Capitol Grounds in fall.

Masons working at the Architect of the Capitol get the campus ready for another day before the rest of the employees on Capitol Hill even wake. They have a small window of time very early in the day to complete any tasks that may interfere with visitors or the work of staff.