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What can visitors see and do in summer? Fountains Although the water features maintained by the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) are not designed for humans to recreate in, several crowd-pleasing pools of cool are located near the U.S. Capitol including the Capitol Reflecting Pool , Senate Park fountains , the Neptune Fountain and the U.S Botanic Garden's Bartholdi Fountain . Two water features offer drinking fountains for the public: the Summerhouse provides three individual drinking fountains and the …
What can visitors see and do in summer? Fountains Although the water features maintained by the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) are not designed for humans to recreate in, several crowd-pleasing pools of cool are located near the U.S. Capitol including the Capitol Reflecting Pool, Senate Park
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Pursuing the study of tropical diseases, Gorrie moved to Apalachicola, Florida, a large cotton market on the Gulf coast. With remarkable foresight and without knowledge of microbiology, he urged draining the swamps and sleeping under mosquito netting to prevent disease. He also advocated the cooling of sickrooms to reduce fever and to make the patient more comfortable. For this he cooled rooms with ice in a basin suspended from the ceiling. Cool air, being heavier, flowed down across the patient and though an opening near the floor. Since ice had to be brought by boat from the northern lakes, …
This statue of John Gorrie was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Florida in 1914. A physician, scientist, inventor and humanitarian, Gorrie is considered the father of refrigeration and air-conditioning.
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Tree Details The sequoia is the largest living tree species. This tree is one of three growing on the Capitol grounds and is well dislocated from its natural range in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. It prefers cool summers and moist, but well drained, soil conditions that do not exist in the Washington region. …
Common Name: Giant Sequoia Botanical Name: Sequoia gigantea Planted: May 25, 1966 Sponsor: Cherokee Indian Nation (Ga.) Honoree Details Cherokee Chief Sequoyah is credited with taking the traditional spoken word and developing a written language. The chief is rendered in a bronze plaque in the
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Over the last fifteen years the AOC has reduced its energy intensity level by more than 50 percent. As a result of these energy savings, the U.S. House of Representatives building-related carbon footprint has been reduced by 48 percent. The AOC uses Department of Energy (DOE) calculations and tools to validate and track these energy intensity and greenhouse gas emission reductions. These energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions were made possible because of significant project funding support and performance contracting approval from numerous groups including the House Committee on …
2021 The AOC's practices in the design, construction, maintenance and preservation of our nation's cultural assets epitomize sustainable development. We believe that sustainable buildings can be maintained indefinitely and represent the potential for significant resource conservation. The AOC
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On Tuesday, February 28, 2012, Congress unveiled a marker to commemorate the important role played by laborers, including enslaved African Americans, in building the United States Capitol. Their contributions were essential for the constructing what would later become known as the Temple of Liberty.
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Exhibit Part 1 Exhibit Part 2 Congress Investigates The power to investigate, implied by the U.S. Constitution, is one of Congress's most important tools for developing effective public policy, conducting oversight, and informing the public. Congress has investigated issues throughout its history via formal investigations and fact-finding inquiries with wide-ranging results, often significantly affecting the history of the United States. Exhibit Part 1 …
Discover the World of Orchids A video guided tour of the orchid show "Discover the World of Orchids," a collaboration between the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) and Smithsonian Gardens. 2020 Orchid Show (Video Series) Related: U.S. Botanic Garden Orchids Gain 600 New Siblings (Blog Story) Exploring
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The project will improve the functionality of the building for both members and staff, making it far more efficient, comfortable and safer, while retaining the historic grandeur of the building. The renewal project will replace or repair key building systems such as heating, cooling, lighting, plumbing, fire and life safety, accessibility and structural integrity. How long will it take? The renewal project is scheduled to take approximately 10 years, broken into five distinct phases of work. The duration of each phase will align with the congressional move cycles. Work includes …
Why is this work necessary now? This iconic facility, built in 1908, is the oldest congressional office building. The building structure and many of the building systems have not been modernized during the building’s existence. A critical stage has been reached in the life of the Cannon Building –
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Gathered around them are the men, women, and children going on the voyage. Some are dressed in traditional puritan attire while others wear more fanciful and bright garments. The armor, helmet, and musket in the foreground represent the tools that the Pilgrims will use for protection in the new and unfamiliar land. In the background on the right are the city and people the Pilgrims leave, and on the left a rainbow represents the hope and promise of what lies ahead. Embarkation of the Pilgrims is Robert Weir's most famous work. Initially, …
This painting depicts the Pilgrims on the deck of the ship Speedwell on July 22, 1620, before they departed from Delfs Haven, Holland, for North America, where they sought religious freedom.
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Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian who worked at his country's legation in Budapest during World War II and used his diplomatic status to save the lives of tens of thousands of Jews threatened by the occupying Nazi forces and their Hungarian collaborators. His determination and
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It was discovered that that firm was a successor company to the Minton Tile Co. and had even retained many of the original hand tools and forms in a private museum at the company's manufacturing site. Contact was then made with Mr. James Ellis, the Directing Architect of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings for the Crown. He had been trying for many years to establish a program for the replacement of the worn Minton tiles at the …
The richly patterned and colored Minton tile floors are one of the most striking features of the extensions of the United States Capitol. They were first installed in 1856, when Thomas U. Walter was engaged in the design and construction of vast additions to the Capitol (1851-1865). For the floors