U.S. Capitol Clean-up

View of the U.S. Capitol during Sunrise in January 2019.

The events of January 6 left most of the nation at a standstill, but Architect of the Capitol (AOC) employees immediately went to work, restoring the building and grounds to their proper condition so that Congress could safely reconvene and inaugural preparations could get back on track.

Inside the U.S. Capitol

The HVAC Shop took on an unexpected role during the breach, providing access to their eye wash stations to U.S. Capitol Police officers who were affected by pepper spray or tear gas. "In that moment, it was kind of unbelievable what was unfolding. But as it's unfolding, you just want to make sure everybody was okay," said Clinton Johnson. "It felt good to be able to help, but I just wanted to get through it."

As an AOC employee for nearly 15 years, Johnson said it was hard to see the building in that condition. "But I know that the AOC has a great staff and I know that we can restore it back to what it was," he said. "We'll persevere."

Ricardo Mitchell with the AOC's Labor Division was also on-site that day with his team. "We were here that day of the event. We got evacuated out of the building just like everybody else," he said. "Once they got everything under control, we had to come back in the building and clean up the mess, because the Members were going to return to finish voting. We had to go into the chambers and prepare them so they would be able to come back."

"It was a lot of masks and a lot of broken glass, some broken furniture. They had to barricade the doors," he said. There was a lot of heavy lifting to get the House and Senate Chambers back in shape.

Mitchell found it appalling to see the state the U.S. Capitol was in. "We put hard effort in every day to keep this building maintained. It was a lot of debris, you know? And we had a short time to clean it up. But we just got it done. I have a hardworking team," he said.

"I applaud my team for being so dedicated," Mitchell said. "We had to stay here and work extra hours in order to get the job done. We knew how important it was."

Securing the Building

The Carpentry Shop was also involved in the immediate aftermath. "That night, we went around and assessed the broken windows and some of the broken doors, and tried to make sure the building was secure," said Jeff Walters.

Many of the windows that were broken weren't historic, but some of the interior, historic doors were damaged beyond repair.

"A lot of our job comes with unexpected challenges. There's not a whole lot that surprises us anymore, but seeing the overall condition of the building that night, that, I would have to say, was a bit shocking. I've been with the Architect of the Capitol for maybe 22, 23 years. So I've seen a lot of the things that have gone on here, but I've never seen the building in such disarray," said Walters.

Fortunately, Walters said, "I've got a crew that was with me that worked tirelessly to go out and get the things done that we knew had to be done. When we go around and look at something that needs to be repaired, we're always looking at the solution part of it and not really standing back saying 'Wow, I never thought that would happen.' We just look at it as something that needs to be done."

The U.S. Capitol Grounds

The grounds around the U.S. Capitol were also in need of serious clean-up by the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum team. "We understand that the landscape is the first thing that everybody sees when they come to Capitol Hill," said Jim Kaufmann. "Regardless of where they're going, what building they're going to, they're coming on to the landscape first, and that's their first impression of Capitol Hill."

On Thursday morning, the assessment of the grounds began. "Our team of arborists, masons, gardeners, laborers, mechanics, they were all involved in the clean-up effort, to try to clean as fast as possible," said Katie Serock.

"It was tough for the crew, because these are the areas, our grounds, that we preserve. That's why we're here,” said Kaufmann.

Serock agreed: "It's definitely disheartening to witness that," she said. "It's something that we care so much about. We are creating this vision for the entire country of having this pristine and organized U.S. Capitol. And when you see it go into disarray, it kind of sinks your heart a bit."

"We have great employees that step up to the plate and get the work done," said Serock. "That's our job and we want it to be as beautiful as possible."

Preparing for the Inauguration

With the inauguration on January 20, the AOC's preparations were already well underway. This includes the inaugural platform on the West Front, which the AOC builds from scratch for each inauguration.

"When I left there Wednesday, I was real happy and proud of our team," said Kevin Grooms, who works in the Paint Shop. The white paint on the inaugural stands was completely finished, and they had made it through nearly three-quarters of the blue detail work. "We worked until probably twelve o'clock Wednesday. And the blue paint that was on the deck was actually still wet."

"We came back on Thursday morning, and I mean, it was completely destroyed," he said. "It was just totally demolished. The blue wet paint, they tracked it all over."

There was also trash and debris covering the stands. "Besides the stands having a lot of debris on them, there was a lot of broken glass. And there was a significant amount of residue from the tear gas. It was very difficult cleaning up that area," said Serock, who noted that the U.S. Capitol Police provided important guidance on how to safely handle these items.

"It was a real mess, it was unbelievable. You just can't imagine," said Grooms. "We're still in shock over it." But his team worked through the weekend, "When I left there Sunday afternoon, that deck looked like it did Wednesday. Now, it's pretty much down to touch-ups."

This was a tremendous amount of work in a short amount of time for the team, but "that's just a small part," said Grooms, who pointed out that these efforts are going on across the AOC. "Everyone's doing the same type of thing, you know, everybody just wants to get everything done. We didn't want this to affect us."

Grooms also expressed thanks to the U.S. Capitol Police officers who told his team to evacuate the stands, where they had planned to work until dark that evening. "We would've been right in that mess if we wouldn't have pulled out when we did," he said. "I thanked the officers many times for that, for getting us out of there and out of harm's way."

Expressing Gratitude

The incredible efforts of employees across the AOC have not gone unnoticed. People all across America were able to take solace in seeing order restored to the U.S. Capitol by our hardworking employees.

Morgan Green helps monitor the AOC's web feedback inbox. Typically, she gets a slow trickle of logistical emails throughout the day, but in the past week, the inbox has been flooded with hundreds of messages of appreciation and offers of support.

"We've been sharing many of the messages with employees, and it has really helped raise the spirits of our staff to know that their work is appreciated," Green said.

One email resonated with our team, "I don't believe you hear it often enough, but what you do matters. It's not just what you were tasked with last week, but also what you do every day. It is more appreciated than you realize."

Thank you to all who have reached out to offer your encouragement. We humbly appreciate your support.

---
Editor's Note:
Follow @uscapitol and #CapitolCompliments on Twitter or Instagram for more.

Throughout the remainder of the year we will share some of these special messages with you via #CapitolCompliments. Thank you for recognizing us and the work we do every day. Your support and encouragement has been invaluable! (2/2)
— Architect of the Capitol (@uscapitol) February 11, 2021

Even at a time when the pandemic has limited visitors at the #USCapitol, AOC employees are still able to inspire Americans near and far: https://t.co/K4bir4th5u ✨ #CapitolCompliments
— Architect of the Capitol (@uscapitol) March 4, 2021

Our mission calls us to serve, preserve and inspire. Thank you for recognizing us. 💙 https://t.co/5CNfzmLPVW
— Architect of the Capitol (@uscapitol) April 8, 2022

Comments

Dear AOC team:
Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is a very tense time and in spite of that you have all managed to bring dignity back to the Capital and to all who work in that most important building of our government.
Again a very heartfelt thank you,
Carolyn Knight

Like many I am still in shock as to what was done to our Capitol. Thank you for all you do every day and for stepping up on "that" day. This Nation is filled with people who are filled with extraordinary gratitude for the work you did. I am one. Thank you.

We are grateful for the work you do every day, and especially after the events of Jan. 6. Thank you for your service and commitment to our Nation.

This whole incident made me sick and like the rest of this beautiful Country, we are all heartbroken. Thanks to all those who serve our country in various jobs who work so hard to keep our dear USA a proud place to reside for Freedom and a God who we trust with all our hearts. Bless the USA!!!!

It’s often the toil of the hardest working that goes unthanked and perhaps even unnoticed. You take pride in your work even when no one else notices. Most days your just doing your duty and the importance of it may go under appreciated. And then something happens that is outside of the day to day, when all eyes are on you- the caretaker. When reassurance and hope are needed most and all the hard work and care become symbolic of greatness, even the little things are monumental. Thank you all for all the hours, days, and years you’ve spent making us look good for all to see when we are at our best.

Thank you for keeping our democracy protected. You are all important

What a mess you had to deal with! But your capable handling of the cleanup allowed the USA to present an “under control” image that made moving forward easier. Thank you for all the hard work.

I’m in tears reading this. Just disgusting what they did to our country’s building.
It must have saddened you so much. Thank you all so much for taking such care of our place. Americans appreciate you. The people behind the scenes get things done. Glad you were all safe from attacks. Thank you again.

Thank you to everyone for working through the shock and horror of the damage and irreparable harm. It’s hard to work with a heavy heart but we appreciate everything you did and that you do!

Thank you for going above and beyond to restore order to such a difficult situation and the work you do every day for our country. You are appreciated!

Please accept my deep gratitude for everything you did to clean up and repair the Capitol building and grounds after Wednesday's horrific attack. I live just about as far away from Washington DC as possible in America but I treasure our Capitol and was heartbroken to see the destruction. I have visited many times and am always moved to tears by it's beauty and history. It is sad that Wednesday's destruction has added to that history but no amount of physical damage can destroy what the building stands for - it just makes us more committed to our democracy. For those of you that were in danger that day - I am relieved you are safe. Please know that the country appreciates your courage and hard work. You are all heroes!

Jeff Walters , I commend all of you who worked endless hours, took great pride in repairing the ugliness that our Beautiful Capitol endured. It’s the valves and pride of the individuals like you who will make it beautiful once again and protect those precious Steps leading up into the Capitol that holds so much history.
My sincerest Thank you for everything your doing and know It’s an honor to call you my friend...
Denise Cochin

You are my colleagues. Many have been my colleagues and friends on both sides of the Capitol for many years. Stay safe. Grateful always.

Thank you for all that you do, team. May you all be safe and healthy!

You all ate amazing! After going through that disgusting event, you all got back to work and restored our beautiful Capitol back to its proper state. I worked in the Capitol for 24 years snd always thought the AOC folks did wonderful thankless jobs. Please know I am so grateful for each one of you - THANK YOU and stay strong.

Well done team. Teamwork, Integrity, Professionalism and Pride.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! You are the real heros! We stand with you and appreciate all your very hard work — especially now.

I can still remember the first time I visited the national mall in the fall of 1992 (rollerblades in hand, expecting paved walkways). The serenity and loveliness of the whole mall and capitol area left me in awe, not at all disappointed that I couldn’t blade down its paths. Every time I’ve visited the Capitol I’ve felt an amazing sense of pride, and unexpected emotion, about what this place signifies. The work done by the Capitol grounds and AOC employees no doubt has much to do with it. I’ve visited the Capitol and House chambers numerous times, for both not-in-session and historic vote occasions, and have marveled at the access afforded to a lowly citizen. But the sense one gets walking these grounds is not one of grandeur built for Presidents and Congress people, but for the visiting tourist to take back home in their heart. I saw one photograph taken in the Rotunda on that awful day, showing people walking ‘orderly’ between the stanchions seemingly admiring the grandeur. I don’t know if any of them had ever seen that hall before, nor what they might have been feeling, but I wonder if any of them were, albeit momentarily, freed from the spells that those with eviler intents had cast upon them. These people are sure to pay dearly for the damage and terror they inflicted, but the shrine to American democracy, the US Capitol, and its democratically-elected government has persevered. We must thank all those who are tasked with the agency to preserve it. Thank you.

Thank you for all you do.

Thank you so much for your tireless dedication to restoring & preserving Capitol Hill. Having once worked in a building that was on the National Register of Historic Places I can relate to your feeling of wanting to protect it & heart ache at seeing it desecrated. Your hard work & commitment is deeply appreciated. You reminded us of what patriotism really means. May you & the buildings & grounds be protected.

Thank you for everything you do. Thank you for the extra work you had to put in after a horrific incident and for the work you do every other day.

We are heartbroken.. your work does not go unnoticed.

You guys are HEROS for stepping up like you have when your country needs you. Way to go!

Dear Capitol staff,
Thank you for all the hard work you have been doing fixing and cleaning the Capitol and getting ready for the inauguration. I hope you stay safe and healthy during this pandemic.
From,
Jeevan Albert
Pack 55 NYC

To all the AOC staff, thank you. Thank you for restoring order from chaos, for giving back dignity to our house so our elected representatives can govern from a place of honor.

I was an intern in Congress, and worked the halls in the years after that in the early 90s. That building and the entire complex are national treasures. And to see how they were mistreated by an unpatriotic rabble a few weeks ago was heartbreaking. Thanks to all who did the cleanup and kept such a glorious place as such.

Thank you for your diligent and courageous work. I read this blog post last week and it reminded me of this MLK speech that I feel highlights you and your work-and fits well this MLK day.
You do your work, and you do it well!
God bless, Isaura Patton

“Set out to do a good job and do that job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn couldn’t do it any better.
If it falls to your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures. Sweep streets like Beethoven composed music. Sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera, and sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, “Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.
....For it isn’t by size that you win or you fail.
Be the best of whatever you are.” -MLK

I'm a building manager at the GSA. I can't imagine what you folks went through last week. As a federal emplyee who manages buidings, we go to work everyday, do our jobs so that the business of goverment can complete their missions. I'm proud of you. Onward.

The work of building is always so much more difficult than the work of destroying. You're the real patriots, and I'm grateful to you.

Way to go TEAM!!! 👍🏻

It is heartening to see, from the TV coverage as the ceremonies begin, just how beautiful the Capitol looks today, Inauguration Day--just two weeks after the horrible assault on our democracy and the glorious building that houses and represents it. I am so grateful for all you have done to restore our Capitol to functionality and beauty in so short a time. And also for all your work, day in and day out. When travel is possible again, it is my first destination. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

True heroes are who you are. Thank you for holding your heads high and not allowing darkness to enter. You are appreciated more than you know and thank you is not enough.
"We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it, would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this very effort very nearly succeeded. BUt will democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated. In this truth, in this faith, we trust".
- Excerpt from The Hill We climb by Amanda Gorman
January 20, 20201.

Way to get it done! You all rock - thank you!

Thank you thank you thank you. I could not believe my eyes on Jan. 6th. Such sadness.
And then again yesterday, I could not believe my eyes! Beauty, order, artistry in the EXACT same place: the Capitol steps. May your work be a symbol for what we will now do for our country: unhesitatingly get to work to clean up the mess we're in, then stand back humbly so that our country can be its best and our children can
thrive.

Thanks from one of your neighbors working in the Library of Congress for your hard work to repair and restore our beautiful Capitol building.

To all who cleaned up the heartbreaking and sometimes disgusting messes after the insurrection, "thank you" seems such an inadequate response. Though I'm sure these comments are multiplied thousands of times over throughout the world, I wish there were a way we could contribute to a fund to be divided by your entire crew. It is infuriating to think that some self-entitled people can trash a beloved building and not have to deal with the consequences of their actions. I hope that the Smithsonian collected many of the shattered windows and damaged furniture so that we, as a people, never forget how close we came to utter chaos. Thank you again for your collective service.

I was impressed with how beautiful and “normal” everything looked on Inauguration Day. I knew your team must have worked long and hard to achieve that. It must have been heartbreaking to see the damage, but you still responded magnificently. Thank you from a grateful citizen. God bless your work.

Out of the chaos, you all were able to create calm and an atmosphere in which the Congress could complete one of its most important tasks, even after the horrific storm that struck our beautiful Capitol on January 6. Thank you so much for your efforts. You knew what to do and how to do it, obviously. Talents hidden behind the velvet curtains and in the subterranean shops, peopled with unsung heroes! Well, this is my tribute to you all. Kudos on jobs well and quickly done. Our country owes you a great debt. Thank you!
Pat B. Smith, Sacramento, California

If every person with a job did their job with reasonable diligence and commitment to job duty, as do and did the Architect of Capitol employees, our country will be healthier and better functioning. If only those elected to federal, state and local government would honor their job duties with reasonable and commitment to their job.

I just found this page after looking for more information on the damage that was done on the 6th. I must say I wish that the news focused more on the this type of thing, afterall the people in congress and the senate will come and go, but our building, artwork and the grounds will forever be in all of our hearts and minds no matter the time in history that we live in.
I was amazed at the clean up efforts done by each and ever person on the day of and after it happened! This is something that needs to be documented carefully, because everyone who comes to this great building from now forward, should know what it took for it to be ready for democracy to take the steps into the future. Thank you to each and every person who helped clean and prepare for all the events that came after the 6th. We as a country would have not felt as uplifted by those events(that we so desperately needed) had it not been for your hard work and attention to detail you all showed. You are the unsung heros of the capitol, as well as the keepers of our nation's history and pride. Know that for a lot of us it is your work that we look at and swell with pride for being part of this country. I was lucky enough to see the capitol from outside in person and took detailed pictures of everything so I could appreciate all of it over and over again. I am so glad that we have people like you all taking care of our capitol and it's treasures.
Wishing you good health and no more cleanup days!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there to do a job that most of us just deam of,
Natalie
From: San Francisco, CA

Thank you for all you do! How does a citizen donate funds to Capitol Hill repairs?

Thank you for every task you did on January 6th, 2021. It is believable that our Capital and our employees ever had to clean up such a mess. Now our leaders have to make sure this never happens again.
Virginia Woolf
Mesa, AZ 85209

Dear Speaker of the House Pelosi,
January 6th attack on our Capital is the number one issue. We have to clean our house if we are going to have a free and independent government elected by the citizens of our United States. Please focus because if we cannot get this cleared up, sent it to our Department of Justice, we are never going to close the gap of division. The coming elections do not matter if we only have more of the same questions about the responsibility for January 6th. Is this what you want for our children and grandchildren? How quickly will our country be overrun by China or Russia because no one will stand up and clean house? How quickly will another smarter president be elected who will take over our country? Please rethink your focus, get this right and protect our freedom.

Sincerely,
Virginia Woolf
Mesa, AZ.

If the "rioters" really destroyed the capitol why did it only take a weekend to clean up? Completely destroyed must have a different meaning to you.

Some damages took longer than other, however now in 2024 the Capital Building is all fixed from its stains. However we will never forget this tragic incident.

Thank you so much for protecting the capitol buildings

U.S. Capitol Clean-up

Inside the U.S. Capitol

Securing the Building

The U.S. Capitol Grounds

Preparing for the Inauguration

Expressing Gratitude

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