The 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will arrive Friday, 11/22. Lighting Ceremony 12/3. Details.
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October 1, 1954 - May 24, 1970 (died in office). J. George Stewart was appointed Architect of the Capitol in 1954 to fill the vacancy caused by David Lynn's retirement. Like his two predecessors, Stewart was not an architect, but unlike Woods and Lynn, he had no prior experience with the Architect
History & Discoveries
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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
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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
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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
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Because weather and time have not been kind to the Grant Memorial, AOC staff developed a preservation strategy to restore the Grant Memorial to its original condition.
Projects
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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
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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
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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
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This statue of Barry Goldwater was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Arizona in 2015. Goldwater's statue replaced one of John Campbell Greenway, which the state of Arizona donated to the National Statuary Hall Collection in 1930.
Behind the Scenes
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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
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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
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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
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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.
Behind the Scenes
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"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
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On a weekly basis, Library Buildings and Grounds Electrician Eugene (Geno) Blowe winds the magnificent clock above the west door in the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, known as Mr. Flanagan's clock for the man who created it. First thing on Monday mornings, he
Behind the Scenes
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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
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Addressing the stone pandemic across the Capitol campus takes a team of historic preservationists, structural engineers and stonemasons, among others.
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Scroll below to find your suite number and when it will be affected, or click to jump to your floor: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Please note: Some existing suite locations will not be returning at the conclusion of construction. These suites are marked with an asterisk (*). Subscribe to Email Alerts To sign
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Download the 2023 fact sheet. Cannon Images Download image collection. (128.6 MB, zip file) Zip file that contains high resolution images of Cannon damage. Please credit: "Architect of the Capitol" Cannon Videos Modernizing the Cannon House Office Building Historic Preservation: Cannon House Office
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The north wing of the Cannon Building is closed. Access to all floors, including the basement, in this portion of the building will be unavailable until the work is complete at the end of 2020.
History & Discoveries
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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
Person
David Lynn was appointed Architect of the Capitol in 1923 to fill the vacancy caused by Elliott Woods' death.
Behind the Scenes
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Historic preservation tricks using "windows" and "columns" in the U.S. Capitol.
Behind the Scenes
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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
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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
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Dome Restoration 12,800 inches of cracked cast iron repaired ( 8,000 inches repaired with the "lock and stitch" and "Dutchman" techniques) 1,215 gallons of paint used to repaint the Dome - 3 layers x 405 gallons each. Final top coat color is "Dome White." 1.1 million lbs. weight of scaffold 75,000+
Doing Good
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Buddy Paddy spends his days caring for the trees on Capitol Hill as a Tree Surgeon with the AOC Capitol Grounds. His job involves examining approximately 4,500 trees throughout the year to ensure that they are healthy and continue growing to maturity. His evenings are spent in much the same way, as
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With the support of Congress, the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a strong steward of the buildings and grounds that comprise Capitol Hill.
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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
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Phase I House Channel Lineup Congressional Cable Television System House Digital/High Definition * = Indicates that channel source is still being obtained and will not be immediately available for August roll out. Channel is reserved and we are working to provide it. Need Assistance? Contact the