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History & Discoveries

Article

Let it Snow... We're Ready!

By Erin Courtney
| January 6, 2016
Twenty years ago today, snow began to fall on the Mid-Atlantic region. A lot of snow! Over the course of the next 24 hours, more than 12 inches of snow blanketed the nation's capital. In outlying suburbs of the Washington metro area, municipalities struggled to clear away nearly two feet of the
Programs & Events

Article

Northern Lights Twinkle on the West Front Lawn

By Erin Courtney
| December 2, 2015
The mild and misty December air crackled with excitement as the Architect of the Capitol, members of Congress, congressional staff, Capitol Hill neighbors and tourists gathered on the West Front Lawn for the lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree. The majestic Lutz spruce, selected months ago by the
Programs & Events

Article

Selecting the 2015 Capitol Christmas Tree

By Ted Bechtol
| October 28, 2015
The Chugach National Forest stretches across south-central Alaska from Prince William Sound to the Kenai Peninsula, and was the national forest selected to provide the 2015 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. How do you pick just one tree from an area the size of New Hampshire? As the Superintendent of the
History & Discoveries

Article

Monuments Men Return to Inspire on Capitol Hill

By Franklin Bradley
| October 22, 2015
In 2016, a Congressional Gold Medal was presented in recognition of the Monuments Men. Below highlights just a few of these heroes with their accomplishments seen on Capitol Hill, from the outside of the buildings to the rooms and artwork within. Under enemy fire, Monuments Man Roscoe DeWitt
Behind the Scenes

Article

Papal Preparation Takes Teamwork

By Erin Courtney
| October 14, 2015
Eight months ago, Raynell Bennett, Director of Planning, Evaluation and Operations for the U.S. Capitol, received a telephone call that would keep her office and many others throughout the capitol campus very busy. Pope Francis accepted an invitation from Speaker of the House of Representatives John
Programs & Events

Article

CVC Guides Help Visitor "See" the Old Supreme Court

By Sharon Gang
| July 23, 2015
When Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) Guide John Claya encountered a guest with a visual disability near the Old Supreme Court Chamber, he used a creative tool to help her "see" the room. On Thursday, July 9, John was passing through the Small Senate Rotunda toward the Crypt when he noticed a family of
Projects

Article

Seeing Through Concrete

By R.C. "Skip" Vaughn
| July 8, 2015
Architect of the Capitol's R.C. "Skip" Vaughn, Capital Projects Administrator, gives a quick project update from the building utilities phase of the Cannon Renewal. As part of the Cannon Renewal Project, the team is using ground penetrating radar (GPR) to plan and execute its work. GPR drawings
History & Discoveries

Article

Capitol Rotunda Restoration

By Matt Guilfoyle
| June 26, 2015
The U.S. Capitol Building Rotunda is among the most recognizable and hallowed spaces within all of America's public buildings. The Rotunda is used for important ceremonial events, including the lying in state of eminent citizens such as President John F. Kennedy and Rosa Parks, the awarding of
Doing Good

Article

Doing Good: Investing in the Next Generation

By Erin Nelson
| May 13, 2015
What do you want to achieve in your lifetime? How will your achievements improve the world and define your legacy when you are gone? While these are hard questions for even the most mature adults, they are questions Emmanuel Akinjide poses to every high school student he mentors. "I want to help
History & Discoveries

Article

History with a Side of Mystery: the Rotunda Benches

By Sharon Gang
| June 4, 2015
The benches currently in the Capitol Rotunda were used in the chapel at Saint Elizabeths Hospital for many years. The photo above shows the benches in the chapel, which was decorated for Christmas circa 1896. History The AOC cares for the benches in the Capitol Rotunda whose cast-iron supports and
Projects

Article

Expert Metalwork Revealed in Restoration of the U.S. Capitol Dome

By AOC Staff
| April 10, 2015
Restoring the U.S. Capitol Dome is a massive project. It's exciting to uncover the artistry of a long-gone era and to see elements of the Dome that have not been seen for decades. More than 1,300 cracks in the nearly nine million pound cast iron Dome are being repaired by experts working day and
Behind the Scenes

Article

Searching for the Perfect U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree

By Ted Bechtol
| October 29, 2014
By Ted Bechtol, Superintendent of the Capitol Grounds For two beautiful summer days in late July, I traveled around Chippewa National Forest in Cass Lake, Minnesota, to search for the perfect U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. It is my job, as Superintendent of the Capitol Grounds, to evaluate and select
Programs & Events

Article

2014 Christmas Tree Selection

By Ted Bechtol
| October 29, 2014
For two beautiful summer days in late July, I traveled around Chippewa National Forest in Cass Lake, Minnesota, to search for the perfect U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. It is my job, as Superintendent of the Capitol Grounds, to evaluate and select the Capitol Christmas Tree from a different national
Doing Good

Article

Doing Good: Richard Edmonds

By Erin Nelson
| October 22, 2014
In today's world there is no shortage of articles, news segments and seminars on couponing, but few, if any, offer the return and success that Richard Edmonds and his church have found through their food pantry. As a member of Riva Trace Baptist Church and volunteer for their community projects
Behind the Scenes

Article

AOC Employees ExCEL in New Programs

By Erin Nelson
| October 16, 2014
While the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) core mission is to preserve the buildings in our care, we realize that to be successful, preserving knowledge is just as important as preserving the buildings. In a period of tightening budgets, success will be determined by investing in the employees of
History & Discoveries

Article

Bells, Buzzers, Clicks and Clocks

By Sharon Gang
| October 2, 2014
In a world where everyone carries a cell phone and some carry more than one, it is surprising that people still check the historic clocks on the Capitol campus for the time of day. On a weekly basis, Library Buildings and Grounds Electrician Eugene (Geno) Blowe winds the magnificent clock above the
History & Discoveries

Article

What's Hiding in National Statuary Hall?

By Sharon Gang
| May 20, 2014
Next time you're in Statuary Hall on the second floor of the U.S. Capitol near the House Chamber, look closely at the windows behind the statues of Jefferson Davis and Uriah Milton Rose on the east side of the room. They may look like windows, but they're not. In the late 1990s, when the demand for
History & Discoveries

Article

National Garden Highlights Regional Plants and Sustainable Practices

By Matt Guilfoyle
| May 12, 2014
As Congress meets in the halls of the U.S. Capitol, a small group of AOC employees toil in the heat a few hundred yards away to help a living national treasure thrive in an urban center. This is the National Garden at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Conceived as an outdoor laboratory for gardening in
Programs & Events

Article

Meet the Carillonneur of the Capitol

By Erin Nelson
| May 8, 2014
Capitol Hill, with its rich history and iconic buildings, allows for an eclectic mix of professions. Jim Saenger, the Capitol's Carillonneur, has perhaps one of the most unique and least visible jobs on the Hill. His contractual agreement with the Architect of the Capitol, directed by the 1963
Behind the Scenes

Article

Saving Energy, Preserving History

By AOC Staff
| April 1, 2014
Here at the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), our challenge is unique – we must maintain aging, iconic buildings while adapting to state-of-the-art technology and increasing responsiveness to environmental, security and safety considerations in a rich historical setting. A building’s lifetime
History & Discoveries

Article

From Concept to Creation: AOC's role in New Statues at the Capitol

By AOC Curator Office
| March 24, 2014
As Curator for the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), I have been responsible for evaluating and advising on many of the new statues and busts that are accepted by Congress for the United States Capitol, from marble busts of vice presidents to statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection. Many new
History & Discoveries

Article

Inspiration from History

By Sharon Gang
| March 19, 2014
When I point out the Car of History clock in National Statuary Hall to friends and family I inevitably get the same question: "Where's the car?" This marble sculpture, created in 1819, is among the oldest works of art in the Capitol. It depicts Clio, the muse of History, holding a book in which she
History & Discoveries

Article

Fast Forward to Spring at the U.S. Botanic Garden

By Lori Taylor
| February 25, 2014
As I entered the Garden Court in the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) Conservatory my senses came alive from the aroma of hundreds of orchids, the sight of colorful blooms — from deep orange to vibrant purple and the sounds of a symphony playing and fountains splashing. The warmth of the garden was a
History & Discoveries

Article

Monuments Man Creates Monumental Statue

By Franklin Bradley
| February 7, 2014
Not every fine art sculptor inspires a character in a WWII action blockbuster starring George Clooney, but not every sculptor is Walker K. Hancock, one of the Monuments Men, whose work resides in the U.S. Capitol, Library of Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States, and who is a true
History & Discoveries

Article

Grazing the Capitol Grounds

By AOC Staff
| February 3, 2014
Andria Leo, archivist for the Architect of the Capitol, digs through historical documents in the AOC's archives to uncover new history. The Capitol Grounds have long been a haven for wildlife, with residents ranging from squirrels to red-tailed hawks to a red fox. But sheep? If it had been left up
History & Discoveries

Article

Celebrating 150 Years of Freedom

By Lori Taylor
| December 2, 2013
When tracing back through history, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact day when the construction of the U.S. Capitol Building was completed. The Capitol, like the nation it represents, has continued to grow and change over the years, all the way up until the most recent addition of the Capitol Visitor
History & Discoveries

Article

Beyond the Dome – USBG Production Facility

By Erin Nelson
| November 12, 2013
The Architect of the Capitol manages all of the buildings and grounds on Capitol Hill, but also oversees several facilities around the National Capital Regional. One of which is the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) Production Facility. I recently had a chance to tour the facility and learn about the
History & Discoveries

Article

Unearthing Capitol Hill's Buried History

By Kristen Frederick
| October 31, 2013
While the U.S. Capitol has plenty of ghost stories and legends galore, no one is actually buried in the building — even though it contains a room called the Crypt! The Congressional Cemetery, on the other hand, has thousands of dead souls resting in its 35 acres of grounds. Never heard of the
History & Discoveries

Article

From the Archives: Bike Racks on Capitol Hill

By AOC Curator Office
| July 31, 2013
Architect of the Capitol archives reveal historical documents showing the purchase of the first bike racks on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Back in 1896, the Lawn Cycle Stand Manufacturing Co. was hired by the AOC to provide bike stands for the United States Capitol Building. Parking in
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