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History & Discoveries

Article

A "Slight" Capitol Contribution

By Kristen Frederick
| May 13, 2013
Kristen Frederick serves as Congressional Liaison for the Architect of the Capitol. Throughout the U.S. Capitol Building's 220-year history, there have been many workers who have labored in obscurity, their names forever lost to the passage of time. Recently when I was researching the third
History & Discoveries

Article

More Historically Accurate: Lincoln or Vampire Hunter?

By Matt Guilfoyle
| April 15, 2013
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. Instead of going to the movies, I am one of those people who "wait to see it on-demand" and recently had the opportunity to
History & Discoveries

Article

Squirrels on Capitol Grounds

By AOC Curator Office
| April 11, 2013
The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) was among the first to bring squirrels into Washington, D.C. and to place the "interesting little animals" on the Capitol Grounds. Architect of the Capitol Elliott Woods played a major role in this endeavor. The earliest discussion of squirrels in AOC's archival
History & Discoveries

Article

A Cornerstone of American History

By Matt Guilfoyle
| March 18, 2013
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. On a cold March day, I decided to take a field trip back in time to a place where you can run your hands along history, and
History & Discoveries

Article

Capitol Illumination

By Franklin Bradley
| March 12, 2013
Each morning this week, as I've walked in the dim Daylight Saving Time pre-dawn light up to the Capitol, I've crossed paths with scores of my Architect of the Capitol (AOC) colleagues as they head home after a full night's work. These AOC employees work each night to get the buildings of Congress
History & Discoveries

Article

How The Crypt Got Its Name

By AOC Curator Office
| March 4, 2013
The term "crypt" has long referred to a space beneath the main floor of a church or a chamber in a mausoleum. For many of us it suggests somber, stony silence and perhaps dusty coffins. The U.S. Capitol Crypt, however, is a different thing altogether. This brightly lit circular room below the
History & Discoveries

Article

America's Greatest Engineer?

By Matt Guilfoyle
| February 20, 2013
For an organization known as the Architect of the Capitol – celebrating engineers may not be without controversy. But as a communication professional, I am neutral in the timeless "battle" between these two professions. And, in truth, America's greatest buildings could not have been built without
Programs & Events

Article

Supporting the State of the Union

By Stephen T. Ayers
| February 8, 2013
Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, LEED AP, reflects on the AOC's role in supporting the annual State of the Union Address. Every winter, Congress has the honor of welcoming the President of the United States to the U.S. Capitol for the annual State of the Union Address. As we do every
History & Discoveries

Article

The Liberty Cap in the Art of the U.S. Capitol

By AOC Curator Office
| January 29, 2013
The liberty cap was the symbol of freedom and liberty commonly used in the 19th century and is seen in many places in the United States Capitol. This soft cap evolved as a combination of two earlier symbolic head coverings. The peaked red Phrygian cap was worn in present-day Turkey as early as 800 B
History & Discoveries

Article

Windows of Capitol Hill

By Stephen T. Ayers
| January 22, 2013
"Even at the United Nations, where legend has it that the building was designed so that there could be no corner offices, the expanse of glass in individual offices is said to be a dead giveaway as to rank. Five windows are excellent, one window not so great." –Enid Nemy Recently I was honored to
Behind the Scenes

Article

Capturing the Seasons

By AOC Curator Office
| January 15, 2013
We first mounted a digital camera atop the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building in 2004. It was the perfect location to document the construction of the Capitol Visitor Center. Since the building was being constructed underground we needed to shoot from above to have a good view of the
History & Discoveries

Article

Deciphering the Calendar Stone in the Capitol Rotunda

By Matt Guilfoyle
| December 12, 2012
Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) Matt Guilfoyle investigates the myth of the Mayan Calendar at the U.S. Capitol. The Mayan Calendar has drawn a lot of attention lately, largely surrounded by myth and misunderstanding. It has even drawn focus to a lesser-known image in "The Frieze of American History
History & Discoveries

Article

Holiday Exhibit Delights from the Outside In

By USBG Staff
| December 5, 2012
Landscape Architect Nick Nelson details the process he undertook to design the 2012 Season's Greenings holiday exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG). For most people, the thought, "Is it the holidays already?" usually hits right around Thanksgiving, but it happens a couple of seasons earlier for
History & Discoveries

Article

Nearly Nine Million Visitors Later

By Sharon Gang
| November 30, 2012
December 2 has been an important anniversary at the U.S. Capitol since 1863 when the final section of the Statue of Freedom was installed atop the dome. The accomplishment was heralded by gun salutes from the forts that ringed Washington. Since 2008, however, December 2 has signified another
History & Discoveries

Article

Capturing Bartholdi Fountain

By AOC Curator Office
| November 26, 2012
I took this photo of Bartholdi Fountain just after it returned from its recent restoration in 2011. The fountain had been off site for more than two years so this photo would help reintroduce this stunning sculpture to the world. One of the key elements of the restoration was restoring the glass
Programs & Events

Article

Capturing Autumn

By AOC Curator Office
| October 24, 2012
Autumn color on Capitol Hill is a beautiful reminder of the passing year, visible against a gleaming backdrop of architectural permanence. The combination of lightness and gravitas makes for great photography. I'm very pleased here to share some thoughts after several autumns of photography on the
Behind the Scenes

Article

Saving Life & Limb: AOC Arborists

By Franklin Bradley
| September 25, 2012
Year round, I often notice Architect of the Capitol (AOC) employees perched high in the trees above. I love the large, beautiful trees across Capitol Hill—they are longest standing witnesses of the history of this campus, from the burning of the Capitol by the British to the sculpting of the current
History & Discoveries

Article

Master Illusionists of Capitol Hill

By Matt Guilfoyle
| August 31, 2012
Turning wood into marble, metal into wood, one dimensional into three dimensional; these are all "tricks" of the trade for the painters of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC). "We make a lot of things look like something they are not," said Cori Wright, assistant supervisor painter and decorator for
History & Discoveries

Article

Path to Capitol During the Civil War

By Matt Guilfoyle
| August 28, 2012
As a professional commuter, every day I enter my "bubble" – looking at my phone, listening to music, reading my Kindle – as I travel from my home in Bristow, Virginia, to my office at the U.S. Capitol. It is easy to forget to look-up and appreciate that in a single morning commute on the Virginia
British Burn the Capitol, 1814, Allyn Cox, 1974, Corridor, House wing, First Floor.
History & Discoveries

Article

A Most Magnificent Ruin: The Burning of the Capitol during the War of 1812

By AOC Curator Office
| August 22, 2012
Around 8 p.m., on the evening of August 24, 1814, British troops under the command of Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cockburn and Major General Robert Ross marched into Washington, D.C., after a victory over American forces at Bladensburg, Maryland, earlier in the day. The nation was in the midst of war
History & Discoveries

Article

Meeting a Capitol Artist

By Sharon Gang
| August 14, 2012
Two new bookmarks I worked on for the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) celebrate Constantino Brumidi, the artist who painted the Apotheosis of Washington in the eye of the Capitol Rotunda and murals throughout the Capitol. I brought a few to my Mom, who is an accomplished artist, and encouraged her to
History & Discoveries

Article

In Pictures: A Green Roof Comes Alive

By AOC Curator Office
| August 6, 2012
In 2011, the 7,200 square foot middle section of the Dirksen Senate Office Building roof was replaced with a green roof. What had previously been an unusable outdoor tennis court was transformed by plantings called sedums, which is a drought-resistant plant that stays green all year long. Installing
History & Discoveries

Article

AOC Trailblazer: Georgia Shaw

By Kristen Frederick
| July 12, 2012
I learned of Georgia Shaw's amazing story when her daughter, Rebecca Shaw, reached out to us on the Architect of the Capitol's Facebook page. I was immediately intrigued when Rebecca said that the AOC logo had been put on Georgia's memorial plaque after she died. What I discovered, however, is that
Doing Good

Article

Doing Good: Riding and Raising for Research and Treatment

By Kristen Frederick
| June 8, 2012
1 bike. 2 days. 190 miles. More than $11,000. Like many people, Franklin Bradley's life has been touched by cancer. When he was 16 years old, his father, Loren Bradley, died of a brain tumor. Franklin's uncle also passed away after battling mesothelioma (cancer that originates in the lining of
Doing Good

Article

Discovering the Joys of Teaching — and Learning

By Kristen Frederick
| May 17, 2012
"Hey, AOC Lady!" Greetings such as these ring out at Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) High School in Northeast Washington, D.C., whenever Mary Jean Pajak, management analyst for AOC's Business Transformation Division, comes to visit. Her efforts have resulted in the AOC being
Doing Good

Article

Doing Good: Employees Give of Themselves

By Kristen Frederick
| March 4, 2012
Every two seconds in America, someone — somewhere in the country — needs blood. Just one donation can save up to three lives. In AOC General Counsel, two employees are making a difference and doing their part to help. For almost 40 years, Deputy General Counsel Kevin Mulshine (pictured above) has
Programs & Events

Article

A Holiday Tradition: AOC Trims the Tree

By Lori Taylor
| November 17, 2011
The hanging of the Capitol Christmas Tree lights is the job of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) Capitol Grounds Division. "When the lights of the Capitol Christmas Tree are finally turned on, everyone has that 'ahh' moment," says Tree Surgeon Supervisor George Rollins. Rollins has served with the
Behind the Scenes

Article

Set in Stone—How the AOC Honors Historic Preservation

By Kristen Frederick
| May 24, 2011
As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day," and neither was the U.S. Capitol and its surrounding buildings and grounds. Since Congress first met in the Capitol in 1800, the building has undergone dramatic expansion as the size of the nation has increased. In the center of it all is the U.S
Behind the Scenes

Article

A New Home for a Capitol Treasure

By Kristen Frederick
| January 21, 2011
It took both brawn and brains to move a beautiful (and hefty) treasure when the Magna Carta display was moved from the Capitol Rotunda to its new home in the Capitol Crypt. In August, the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) Capitol Building Mason Shop, with the support of a rigging company, spent 14 ½
Russell Senate Office Building 2010
History & Discoveries

Article

100 Year-Old Russell Senate Office Building: Getting Some "Work Done"

By AOC Staff
| May 13, 2010
Having just celebrated its 100th birthday last year, the Russell Senate Office Building is looking really good for its age. But, to keep it in tip-top condition, the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) spent some time studying the building's exterior in preparation to clean, repair and restore the