Heritage Asset Conservation

The AOC is the steward of heritage assets throughout the campus. In addition to the buildings and landscape, these assets include fine and decorative art, architectural features, outdoor sculpture, landscape features and fixtures, living botanical assets, memorial trees, archival records and reference material. Many of these assets are national treasures.

Collectable heritage assets include:

• Artwork – The AOC cares for artwork that is part of the Capitol campus. These include interior sculptures, fine art, decorative art, architectural fine art and architectural decorative art.
• Architectural Features – The Capitol campus is graced with many unique architectural features. These include outdoor sculptures, monuments and landscape features and fixtures.
• Reference and Library Materials – The AOC's collections include art and reference files, art and reference library materials and archival records (both traditional and electronic). The traditional archival records include architectural and engineering drawings, manuscripts, paper records, small architectural models, photographs and conservation reports. The electronic archival records are heritage assets retained on electronic storage media including, but not limited to, architectural and engineering drawings and textual records.
• Living Botanical Assets – The AOC accounts for the living botanical assets in the U.S. Botanic Garden collection. These include a variety of plants for exhibition, study and exchange with other institutions. An individual accession number might include multiple lots (divisions) and multiple individual plants at different locations. Additions and withdrawals are not measured by individual plants.

The AOC Curator Division oversees assets such as paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs, while our Historic Preservation Officer is in charge of architectural features and historic structures.

In general, collectible heritage assets are added or withdrawn through congressional action. Living botanical assets are added by purchase, private or institutional donation, or collected from wild populations, and withdrawn due to plants dying or exhibiting disease, or a change in institutional need. Memorial trees are added through congressional action.