Our Blog

Andria Leo, archivist for the Architect of the Capitol, discovered historical documents showing the purchase of the first bike racks on Capitol Hill.

Stephen T. Ayers, eleventh Architect of the Capitol, remembers one of the major players in the U.S. Capitol's history: Charles Bulfinch, third Architect of the Capitol. Bulfinch was responsible for designing the U.S. Capitol's first dome, which was made of wood and copper.

The Library Buildings and Grounds Elevator Division of the Architect of the Capitol runs some of the oldest elevator systems on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Adapting to new technologies, while still maintaining antique systems, is one of the AOC elevator mechanics' unique skills.

Most visitors are drawn to admire the obvious "big ticket" items at the U.S. Capitol Building – the Rotunda paintings, the acoustics in National Statuary Hall, the Statue of Freedom. Here are a few U.S. Capitol details you might NOT have noticed.

Too hot or too cold – there is no pleasing everyone when it comes to the right temperature in the office. While today the Architect of the Capitol provides a climate-controlled environment to the buildings of Capitol Hill, two centuries ago this wasn't the case.

See how a team of tradecrafts experts at the Architect of the Capitol transform an office in the Cannon House Office Building into a completely wheelchair-accessible suite in less than four weeks. The condensed timeframe required precise planning and coordination efforts.

From the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to the Zoning Commission — the Architect of the Capitol, both individually and organizationally, has many roles that extend well beyond what most might expect.

Meet the AOC's decorative painters at the Library of Congress who work to preserve the ornate designs of one of the world's most beautiful buildings. Go behind the scenes and see the techniques used to keep the Thomas Jefferson Building looking as striking as it did when it first opened in 1897.

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.

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.