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Contemporary Masonic practice included the laying of an inscribed metal plate along with a cornerstone. Caleb Bentley, a Quaker clockmaker and silversmith who lived in Georgetown not far from Suter's Fountain Inn, where the commissioners held their meetings, made the silver plate for the Capitol
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Thomas U. Walter, who was hired as architect of the Capitol extensions in 1851, also designed the building's new cast-iron dome. In this mural Walter (center, in brown coat and top hat) shows his dome design to President Abraham Lincoln. About the Cox Corridors Murals The first floor of the U.S
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For about six weeks in the fall of 1862 the Rotunda (as well as other chambers and hallways) was used as an emergency hospital. Among the nurses who served here were Dorothea Dix and Clara Barton, later the founder of the American Red Cross. About the Cox Corridors Murals The first floor of the U.S
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Andrew Jackson, the first president to be inaugurated outdoors at the Capitol, is shown taking the oath from Chief Justice John Marshall. This ceremony on the east front portico began a tradition observed by most presidents until 1981, when inaugurations were moved to the west front. About the Cox
Basic page
This list includes works in the collections under the care of the Architect of the Capitol, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, and is not exhaustive.
Project
When the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) does not receive enough funding to pay for all maintenance and repairs required across the U.S. Capitol campus, work gets deferred due to budget constraints.
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U.S. Capitol Grounds memorial tree to honor the life and service of Senate Librarian Leona Faust sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Public Notice
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Located near Northeast Drive, across from the Senate wing of the U.S. Capitol Building.
Behind the Scenes
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Perhaps it's the charm of the historic campus or the weight of the symbolism it carries around the world, but at the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), it's not hard to find an employee who has spent their entire career serving this treasured institution.
Behind the Scenes
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The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is responsible for managing the buildings and grounds on Capitol Hill, but it also maintains several facilities across the National Capital Region, including facilities in Fort Meade, Maryland.
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Corinthian columns are the most ornate, slender and sleek of the three Greek orders.
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The Ionic column is typically identified by its capital, which includes large paired spiral scrolls, or volutes.
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Doric columns typically have a simple, rounded capital at the top; a heavy, fluted or smooth column shaft; and no base. Flutes are vertical, parallel channels that run the length of a column.
History & Discoveries
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This Arbor Day, we celebrate the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum team's continued efforts to preserve and protect Olmsted's legacy — one of longstanding stewardship that's paying off every day.
Behind the Scenes
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Walking around the U.S. Capitol Grounds you can't help but be in awe of the impressive buildings and their historic meaning, what you probably don't know is that the U.S. Capitol Building is surrounded by an arboretum.
Programs & Events
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In February 2023, the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) opened the 27th annual joint orchid exhibit in partnership with Smithsonian Gardens.
Public Notice
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Articles include spotlights on the U.S. Capitol Grounds, U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG), sustainability and more.
Behind the Scenes
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The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) Capitol Grounds and Arboretum staff are busy preparing for the upcoming growing season.
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The USBG Production Facility is located in D.C.'s Anacostia neighborhood, about eight miles from Capitol Hill, and is home to some of the world's most exotic and beautiful plants. The facility opened in 1994 and is 85,000 square feet under glass divided into 34 greenhouse bays.
Public Notice
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The AOC's top priorities for the coming fiscal year are safety, security and accountability.
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During the mid-19th-century expansion of the U.S. Capitol, which added the House and Senate extensions, four private staircases were installed to allow representatives and senators to move quickly between their second-floor chambers and the building's first floor. Two are located near the House
Projects
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The Russell Senate Office Building courtyard was recently restored as a supplement to the Russell Exterior Envelope Project.
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Examples of African American artists with works featured in the United States Capitol and congressional office buildings.
History & Discoveries
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John F. N. Wilkinson, who served as the Assistant Law Librarian, was known for his memory of over 80,000 books that enabled him to retrieve the correct one with "the precision of a Swiss bell-ringer."
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Accomplishing these initiatives is critical to laying the foundation for the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) long-term success and providing a governance framework that supports effective management. Each strategic objective aligns with multiple strategic goals.
History & Discoveries
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From the time all of its pieces arrived in America in 1859, the 15,000-pound plaster Statue of Freedom has relied on many skilled hands over many generations to preserve it. But before each restoration effort, the beautiful plaster figure had to be cut into pieces. Repeatedly.
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The 1866 civil rights bill, which prohibited discrimination on the bases of race or previous condition of slavery, prefigured the 14th amendment to the Constitution. In the foreground of the mural, former slave Henry Garnet is shown speaking with newspaper editor Horace Greeley, who supported
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The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) manages all of the buildings and grounds on Capitol Hill, but we also maintain several facilities across the National Capital Region, including Fort Meade, Maryland.
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George Washington was sworn in as the nation's first president on April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York. The mural depicts (from left to right) Robert R. Livingston, chancellor of the state of New York, administering the oath; Secretary of the Senate Samuel Otis holding the
Behind the Scenes
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The dedicated Architect of the Capitol (AOC) employees of the House Office Buildings Floor Care Division work tirelessly to ensure the Capitol campus is ready to welcome Members of Congress, staff and the visiting public.