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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
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
Behind the Scenes

Article

AOC's TLC Keeps Historic Furniture Looking New

By Sharon Gang
| May 5, 2015
Hands-on Attention Helps Blend Vintage and New into Cohesive Collection Upon the recent retirement of a long-time senator, the Senate Office Buildings Painting and Refinishing Branch is set to work on one of the oldest desks in the Senate office buildings. Perched on a large dolly like an elephant
Projects

Article

Restoring Grant's Glory

By Laura Condeluci
| April 27, 2015
The Grant Memorial sits in silent, yet powerful repose beneath the shadow of the U.S. Capitol Dome, serving as a timeless sentinel to the heroism, valor, strength and also the anguish our nation endured when it was torn apart by the Civil War. During the war, the Capitol was briefly used by Union
History & Discoveries

Article

Bringing Cannon Back to the Future

By Sarah Davis
| April 21, 2015
High in the sky, about 50 feet above the roof, a crane is peeking out of the Cannon House Office Building. This tower crane is part of the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) 10-year renewal project to improve and preserve the Cannon Building, which has not received a comprehensive systems upgrade
History & Discoveries

Article

The Lincoln Catafalque in the U.S. Capitol

By AOC Curator Office
| April 15, 2015
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s death, AOC Curator Barbara Wolanin details the days he lay in state at the U.S. Capitol.
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

A Few of 2014's Favorite Things

By Sarah Davis
| December 22, 2014
Take a look back at some popular moments of 2014 through the Architect of the Capitol's Instagram and Flickr images below. Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments. Instagram April's squirrel week Looking up at the protective canopy of the Dome Set-up for May's National Memorial Day
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
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
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 Moves the House Office Buildings Storerooms

By Franklin Bradley
| October 14, 2014
"When you open a door, you never know what you're going to find. We have found stuffed wolves that scared the pants off a man. Right around the corner was a big canoe that we had to pull out," says Vince Incitto. Cordell Shields explained, "The wolf was just inside the door, facing me. When I opened
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
Behind the Scenes

Article

AOC Bike Commuters: In Their Own Words

By Kristen Frederick
| October 1, 2014
While commuting to work in Washington, D.C., will always be a challenge, few modes of transportation leave the commuter with this feeling: invigoration. In fact, that's how Shaun Abell, Horticulturist with the U.S. Botanic Garden, describes his daily commute by bike every morning. And he's in good
Projects

Article

Crumbling Down and Building Up

By Matt Guilfoyle
| September 29, 2014
"The Madison Building is taking on water," said Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) Historic Preservation Officer Mary Oehrlein. And the Madison Building isn't alone. Viewed from a distance, the buildings of Capitol Hill are inspiring and impressive, but as with an impressionist painting, it's best to
Programs & Events

Article

Instant Perspective on a #CapitolMorning

By Sarah Davis
| September 22, 2014
Early on this beautiful September morning, a group of Instagrammers came together to explore and celebrate the U.S. Capitol during our second Instagram Meetup (InstaMeet). The event offered a unique perspective on the building and grounds through their photography. Thanks to all who joined us! See
History & Discoveries

Article

Anne Frank Tree at the Capitol

By Sharon Gang
| July 21, 2014
Although I read Anne Frank's diary years ago, it wasn't until May of this year that I had the opportunity to visit the secret annex in Amsterdam where Anne, along with family members and friends, hid from the Nazis for two years. While I was in Holland, a tree was planted in Anne's honor on 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
Programs & Events

Article

2013 Capitol Christmas Tree Arrives

By Lori Taylor
| November 25, 2013
The 2013 Capitol Christmas Tree arrives today, November 25, at 10 a.m. on the U.S. Capitol Grounds follow along here as the tree arrives and AOC staff put it into position on the West Front of the Capitol. This year's tree is an Engelmann spruce from the Newport Ranger District of the Colville
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