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History & Discoveries

Article

Letters and Numbers Abound

By Erin Courtney
| September 1, 2016
No matter where you look on Capitol Hill, numbers and letters abound. Passing three schools and multiple playgrounds on my way to work made me consider the variety of letters and numbers that appear on buildings or in art work on Capitol Hill. Considering the Capitol campus by the numbers (and
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
Behind the Scenes

Article

Help Plants Beat the Heat

By USBG Staff
| July 27, 2016
The heat of summer can be tough on plants. But you can use a few tips from the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) to plan, plant and care for a great garden through the long summer days. Before planting your garden do your research. Washington, D.C., for example, famously lies on the dividing line
History & Discoveries

Article

Meigs' Miniatures: The Story of the Tiny Doors in the U.S. Capitol

By Erin Nelson
| July 14, 2016
Throughout the Capitol Building, visitors and staff often pause to imagine what is behind the building's smallest doors. Their guesses are as varied as the architectural details that encompass the Capitol campus. The correct explanation for their existence begins with a fire on Christmas Eve 1851
History & Discoveries

Article

Artfully Yours, Alexander Hamilton

By Erin Courtney
| July 11, 2016
BANG! With one shot, on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr fatally wounded Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Hamilton died the next day. Who is this Founding Father slayed by a fellow politician and today's ten-dollar man? Over the course of the last several months, the name Hamilton has been hot. Really hot
History & Discoveries

Article

5 Original Olmsted Trees

By Andrew Dentamaro
| July 7, 2016
In June 1874, Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) presented a plan for the U.S. Capitol Grounds for a sophisticated landscape that highlighted the building it surrounded. In his submission for the Architect of the Capitol's annual report, Olmsted wrote that, "The ground is in design part of the
Behind the Scenes

Article

Keeping Your Cool at the Capitol

By Burl Keller
| July 6, 2016
On average, July is the hottest month in Washington, D.C. Excessive heat can lead to sunburn, cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If you live on, work or visit Capitol Hill, stay alert for signs that you, a colleague or a loved one is too hot. Visitors shade themselves from the summer sun with
Behind the Scenes

Article

The Library's HVAC Aces

By Sarah Davis
| July 1, 2016
Just below the main floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress, the cellar level is home to the Architect of the Capitol's Air Conditioning (AC) Shop for Library Buildings and Grounds. A spectrum of parts and tools — from very small pieces to a 150 horsepower motor that weighs
Behind the Scenes

Article

Cool Tools: On the Cutting Edge

By Lisa Maltbie
| June 17, 2016
Every one of us at the Architect of the Capitol, in every job we do, uses tools to serve, preserve and inspire. Many of the tools we use here are unique, historic and essential to our mission—in other words, they are cool tools! We asked employees to submit their coolest tool, and this feature
History & Discoveries

Article

USBG National Garden Turns 10

By Devin Dotson
| June 21, 2016
This fall, the National Garden at the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) turns 10 years old. Opened to the public on October 1, 2006, the National Garden is a key element of the USBG, along with the Conservatory and Bartholdi Park. The National Garden's Rose Garden celebrates the national floral
Doing Good

Article

Bridging the Gap

By Erin Nelson
| June 13, 2016
Millions of Americans volunteer every year, but few feel compelled to form their own organization. Greg Smith saw a problem in his community that had no solution, so he created one by starting his own non-profit – Kaizen Life Skills. Kaizen is a Japanese word that means continuous improvement, and
From the Architect

Article

Architect's Notebook: Influences at Work and Play

By Stephen T. Ayers
| June 7, 2016
Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers reflects on influences in his work, and the work of others, at the U.S. Capitol. We are all an assembly of parts, pieces and life experiences, and we bring those experiences to the things we do every day. It's what makes us who we are! I've come to learn
Behind the Scenes

Article

One Team, One Energy Reduction Mission

By Laura Condeluci
| June 2, 2016
The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) achieved an extraordinary goal at the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 — successfully meeting the mandate to reduce energy consumption more than 30 percent from our 2003 baseline. This 30 percent reduction is a major accomplishment on its own. But it's even more
History & Discoveries

Article

Finding a Lasting Impression

By Sarah Davis
| June 1, 2016
Montgomery C. Meigs played a critical role in building a number of well-known landmarks in D.C. To ensure his credit would be preserved in history, Meigs was notorious for seizing opportunities to get his name inscribed on any items related to these monumental projects that he could. Meigs' name on
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
Behind the Scenes

Article

A Passion for Pedaling

By Jamie Herr
| May 18, 2016
In 2014, Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers stood before a large group of bicycle enthusiasts to accept a Bicycle Friendly Business Honorable Mention Award from the League of American Bicyclists. In his speech he challenged his staff to get the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) designated as a
Programs & Events

Article

Lend Me Your Ears

By Andrew Dentamaro
| May 13, 2016
"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." ― Plato The laying of the U.S. Capitol's cornerstone on September 18, 1793, would not have been complete without appropriate celebration. When President George Washington led a company of
Projects

Article

What's Happening Behind the Capitol Scaffolding?

By Erin Courtney
| May 10, 2016
To answer this question, we travel to a brick building in Vienna, Virginia, where the hum of an industrial-sized machine is unmistakable. Littering the fenced-in courtyard of the building are massive slabs of stone of all shapes and colors. Carving of a new rosette begun by a computerized numerical
History & Discoveries

Article

Mothers in Marble (and Bronze)

By Erin Courtney
| May 6, 2016
In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. From historical figures to allegorical representations, images of women are found throughout the U.S. Capitol Building in the art and architecture. While not the only mother in the
History & Discoveries

Article

With Trees in Mind

By Sarah Davis
| April 29, 2016
Celebrated annually on the last Friday in April, National Arbor Day highlights the importance of trees, their planting and their care. Architect of the Capitol employees are involved in comprehensive tree care on this day, and every day throughout the year. It all started in 1874 with Frederick Law
Behind the Scenes

Article

Promoting a Culture of Conservation and Energy Reduction

By Laura Condeluci
| April 25, 2016
Reducing energy use at the Library of Congress (LOC) was critical in meeting the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) energy reduction goal of 30 percent reduction by the end of fiscal year 2015. The Architect of the Capitol maintains the facilities for the LOC, and the AOC Library Buildings and Grounds
Behind the Scenes

Article

Energy Savings Performance Contracts Help AOC Exceed Energy Goal

By Erin Courtney
| April 18, 2016
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 authorized the use of private sector financing to implement energy conservation methods and energy-efficiency technologies by federal entities. Congress provided a mechanism, through Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC), to accelerate investment in cost-effective
History & Discoveries

Article

Artfully Yours, Thomas Jefferson

By Erin Courtney
| April 13, 2016
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." On April 13, 1743, Thomas Jefferson was born near present-day Charlottesville, Virginia
Behind the Scenes

Article

Lighting the Way to Energy Savings

By Franklin Bradley
| April 12, 2016
The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) achieved a 30 percent total energy reduction by the end of fiscal year 2015 that was mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The Senate Jurisdiction's efforts were integral to the AOC meeting its agency-wide goal. One of the key-energy saving
History & Discoveries

Article

Water Features Everywhere

By Sarah Davis
| April 7, 2016
There are more than 20 water features that Architect of the Capitol employees care for. Spanning across the Capitol campus, each of the House office buildings, Senate office buildings, Library of Congress buildings, Supreme Court buildings and the U.S. Botanic Garden have some type of fountain or
Projects

Article

Stopple Valve System

By R.C. "Skip" Vaughn
| April 5, 2016
Of the many challenges associated with maintaining and renovating a building that is more than 100 years old, one of the most difficult is working on the building's water systems. In buildings such as the Cannon House Office Building, the traditional method of fixing a water issue is to drain the
Behind the Scenes

Article

AOC Achieves 10-Year Energy Reduction Goal

By Laura Condeluci
| April 1, 2016
The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) focuses on energy and sustainability efforts in a cost-effective manner to maintain efficient, high-performing and healthy buildings across the Capitol campus. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 required the AOC to annually reduce its energy
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
Doing Good

Article

A Veteran Helping Veterans

By Sharon Gang
| March 29, 2016
Paddle. Fish. Heal. "I like helping people, and veterans are at the top of the list of people I want to help." Before Electrician Martin Blanchet joined the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) in 2003, he had served in the Army twice, first from 1984 to 1988 and then from 1997 to 2003. His service