Congressional Directory for the 110th Congress (2007-2008), August 2008.
[Pages 557-567]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                      CAPITOL BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS

                          UNITED STATES CAPITOL

                Overview of the Building and its Function

    The United States Capitol is among the most architecturally 
impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. It has 
housed the chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives for 
more than two centuries. Begun in 1793, the Capitol has been built, 
burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored; today, it stands as a monument 
not only to its builders but also to the American people and their 
government.
    As the focal point of the government's legislative branch, the 
Capitol is the centerpiece of the Capitol complex, which includes the 
six principal congressional office buildings and three Library of 
Congress buildings constructed on Capitol Hill in the 19th and 20th 
centuries.
    In addition to its active use by Congress, the Capitol is a museum 
of American art and history. Each year, it is visited by millions of 
people from around the world.
    A fine example of 19th-century neoclassical architecture, the 
Capitol combines function with aesthetics. Its design was derived from 
ancient Greece and Rome and evokes the ideals that guided the nation's 
founders as they framed their new republic. As the building was expanded 
from its original design, harmony with the existing portions was 
carefully maintained.
    Today, the Capitol covers a ground area of 175,170 square feet, or 
about 4 acres, and has a floor area of approximately 16\1/2\ acres. Its 
length, from north to south, is 751 feet 4 inches; its greatest width, 
including approaches, is 350 feet. Its height above the base line on the 
east front to the top of the Statue of Freedom is 288 feet; from the 
basement floor to the top of the dome is an ascent of 365 steps. The 
building contains approximately 540 rooms and has 658 windows (108 in 
the dome alone) and approximately 850 doorways.
    The building is divided into five levels. The first, or ground, 
floor is occupied chiefly by committee rooms and the spaces allocated to 
various congressional officers. The areas accessible to visitors on this 
level include the Hall of Columns, the Brumidi Corridor, the restored 
Old Supreme Court Chamber, and the Crypt beneath the Rotunda, where 
historical exhibits are presented.
    The second floor holds the chambers of the House of Representatives 
(in the south wing) and the Senate (in the north wing). This floor also 
contains three major public areas. In the center under the dome is the 
rotunda, a circular ceremonial space that also serves as a gallery of 
paintings and sculpture depicting significant people and events in the 
nation's history. The rotunda is 96 feet in diameter and rises 180 feet 
3 inches to the canopy. The semicircular chamber south of the rotunda 
served as the Hall of the House until 1857; now designated National 
Statuary Hall, it houses part of the Capitol's collection of statues 
donated by the states in commemoration of notable citizens. The Old 
Senate Chamber northeast of the rotunda, which was used by the Senate 
until 1859, has been returned to its mid-19th-century appearance.
    The third floor allows access to the galleries from which visitors 
to the Capitol may watch the proceedings of the House and the Senate 
when Congress is in session. The rest of this floor is occupied by 
offices, committee rooms, and press galleries.
    The fourth floor and the basement / terrace level of the Capitol are 
occupied by offices, machinery rooms, workshops, and other support 
areas.

                         Location of the Capitol

    The Capitol is located at the eastern end of the Mall on a plateau 
88 feet above the level of the Potomac River, commanding a westward view 
across the Capitol Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument 1.4 miles 
away and the Lincoln Memorial 2.2 miles away.
    Before 1791, the Federal Government had no permanent site. The early 
Congresses met in eight different cities: Philadelphia, Baltimore, 
Lancaster, York, Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton, and New York City. The 
subject of a permanent capital for the government of the United

[[Page 558]]

States was first raised by Congress in 1783; it was ultimately addressed 
in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution (1787), which gave the 
Congress legislative authority over ``such District (not exceeding ten 
Miles square) as may, by Cession of Particular States, and the 
Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United 
States. . . .''
    In 1788, the state of Maryland ceded to Congress ``any district in 
this State, not exceeding ten miles square,'' and in 1789 the State of 
Virginia ceded an equivalent amount of land. In accordance with the 
``Residence Act'' passed by Congress in 1790, President Washington in 
1791 selected the area that is now the District of Columbia from the 
land ceded by Maryland (private landowners whose property fell within 
this area were compensated by a payment of 25 per acre); 
that ceded by Virginia was not used for the capital and was returned to 
Virginia in 1846. Also under the provisions of that Act, he selected 
three commissioners to survey the site and oversee the design and 
construction of the capital city and its government buildings. The 
commissioners, in turn, selected the French-American engineer Peter 
Charles L'Enfant to plan the new city of Washington. L'Enfant's plan, 
which was influenced by the gardens at Versailles, arranged the city's 
streets and avenues in a grid overlaid with baroque diagonals; the 
result is a functional and aesthetic whole in which government buildings 
are balanced against public lawns, gardens, squares, and paths. The 
Capitol itself was located at the elevated east end of the Mall, on the 
brow of what was then called Jenkins' Hill. The site was, in L'Enfant's 
words, ``a pedestal waiting for a monument.''

                           Selection of a Plan

    L'Enfant was expected to design the Capitol and to supervise its 
construction. However, he refused to produce any drawings for the 
building, claiming that he carried the design ``in his head''; this fact 
and his refusal to consider himself subject to the commissioners' 
authority led to his dismissal in 1792. In March of that year the 
commissioners announced a competition, suggested by Secretary of State 
Thomas Jefferson, that would award $500 and a city lot to whoever 
produced ``the most approved plan'' for the Capitol by mid-July. None of 
the 17 plans submitted, however, was wholly satisfactory. In October, a 
letter arrived from Dr. William Thornton, a Scottish-trained physician 
living in Tortola, British West Indies, requesting an opportunity to 
present a plan even though the competition had closed. The commissioners 
granted this request.
    Thornton's plan depicted a building composed of three sections. The 
central section, which was topped by a low dome, was to be flanked on 
the north and south by two rectangular wings (one for the Senate and one 
for the House of Representatives). President Washington commended the 
plan for its ``grandeur, simplicity and convenience,'' and on April 5, 
1793, it was accepted by the commissioners; Washington gave his formal 
approval on July 25.

                       Brief Construction History

                                1793-1829

    The cornerstone was laid by President Washington in the building's 
southeast corner on September 18, 1793, with Masonic ceremonies. Work 
progressed under the direction of three architects in succession. 
Stephen H. Hallet (an entrant in the earlier competition) and George 
Hadfield were eventually dismissed by the commissioners because of 
inappropriate design changes that they tried to impose; James Hoban, the 
architect of the White House, saw the first phase of the project through 
to completion.
    Construction was a laborious and time-consuming process: the 
sandstone used for the building had to be ferried on boats from the 
quarries at Aquia, Virginia; workers had to be induced to leave their 
homes to come to the relative wilderness of Capitol Hill; and funding 
was inadequate. By August 1796 the commissioners were forced to focus 
the entire work effort on the building's north wing so that it at least 
could be ready for government occupancy as scheduled. Even so, some 
third-floor rooms were still unfinished when the Congress, the Supreme 
Court, the Library of Congress, and the courts of the District of 
Columbia occupied the Capitol in late 1800.
    In 1803, Congress allocated funds to resume construction. A year 
earlier, the office of the Commissioners had been abolished and replaced 
by a superintendent of the city of Washington. To oversee the renewed 
construction effort, B. Henry Latrobe was appointed surveyor of public 
buildings. The first professional architect and engineer to work in 
America, Latrobe modified Thornton's plan for the south wing to include 
space for offices and committee rooms; he also introduced alterations to 
simplify the construction work. Latrobe began work by removing a squat, 
oval, temporary building known as ``the Oven,'' which had been

[[Page 559]]

erected in 1801 as a meeting place for the House of Representatives. By 
1807 construction on the south wing was sufficiently advanced that the 
House was able to occupy its new legislative chamber, and the wing was 
completed in 1811.
    In 1808, as work on the south wing progressed, Latrobe began the 
rebuilding of the north wing, which had fallen into disrepair. Rather 
than simply repair the wing, he redesigned the interior of the building 
to increase its usefulness and durability; among his changes was the 
addition of a chamber for the Supreme Court. By 1811, he had completed 
the eastern half of this wing, but funding was being increasingly 
diverted to preparations for a second war with Great Britain. By 1813, 
Latrobe had no further work in Washington and so he departed, leaving 
the north and south wings of the Capitol connected only by a temporary 
wooden passageway.
    The War of 1812 left the Capitol, in Latrobe's later words, ``a most 
magnificent ruin'': on August 24, 1814, British troops set fire to the 
building, and only a sudden rainstorm prevented its complete 
destruction. Immediately after the fire, Congress met for one session in 
Blodget's Hotel, which was at Seventh and E Streets, NW. From 1815 to 
1819, Congress occupied a building erected for it on First Street, NE, 
on part of the site now occupied by the Supreme Court Building. This 
building later came to be known as the Old Brick Capitol.
    Latrobe returned to Washington in 1815, when he was rehired to 
restore the Capitol. In addition to making repairs, he took advantage of 
this opportunity to make further changes in the building's interior 
design (for example, an enlargement of the Senate Chamber) and introduce 
new materials (for example, marble discovered along the upper Potomac). 
However, he came under increasing pressure because of construction 
delays (most of which were beyond his control) and cost overruns; 
finally, he resigned his post in November 1817.
    On January 8, 1818, Charles Bulfinch, a prominent Boston architect, 
was appointed Latrobe's successor. Continuing the restoration of the 
north and south wings, he was able to make the chambers for the Supreme 
Court, the House, and the Senate ready for use by 1819. Bulfinch also 
redesigned and supervised the construction of the Capitol's central 
section. The copper-covered wooden dome that topped this section was 
made higher than Bulfinch considered appropriate to the building's size 
(at the direction of President James Monroe and Secretary of State John 
Quincy Adams). After completing the last part of the building in 1826, 
Bulfinch spent the next few years on the Capitol's decoration and 
landscaping. In 1829, his work was done and his position with the 
government was terminated. In the 38 years following Bulfinch's tenure, 
the Capitol was entrusted to the care of the commissioner of public 
buildings.

                                1830-1868

    The Capitol was by this point already an impressive structure. At 
ground level, its length was 351 feet 7\1/2\ inches and its width was 
282 feet 10\1/2\ inches. Up to the year 1827--records from later years 
being incomplete--the project cost was $2,432,851.34. Improvements to 
the building continued in the years to come (running water in 1832, gas 
lighting in the 1840s), but by 1850 its size could no longer accommodate 
the increasing numbers of senators and representatives from newly 
admitted states. The Senate therefore voted to hold another competition, 
offering a prize of $500 for the best plan to extend the Capitol. 
Several suitable plans were submitted, some proposing an eastward 
extension of the building and others proposing the addition of large 
north and south wings. However, Congress was unable to decide between 
these two approaches, and the prize money was divided among five 
architects. Thus, the tasks of selecting a plan and appointing an 
architect fell to President Millard Fillmore.
    Fillmore's choice was Thomas U. Walter, a Philadelphia architect who 
had entered the competition. On July 4, 1851, in a ceremony whose 
principal oration was delivered by Secretary of State Daniel Webster, 
the president laid the cornerstone in the northeast corner of the House 
wing. Over the next 14 years, Walter supervised the construction of the 
extension, ensuring their compatibility with the architectural style of 
the existing building. However, because the Aquia Creek sandstone used 
earlier had deteriorated noticeably, he chose to use marble for the 
exterior. For the veneer, Walter selected marble quarried at Lee, MA, 
and for the columns he used marble from Cockeysville, MD.
    Walter faced several significant challenges during the course of 
construction. Chief among these was the steady imposition by the 
government of additional tasks without additional pay. Aside from his 
work on the Capitol extension, Walter designed the wings of the Patent 
Office building, extensions to the Treasury and Post Office buildings, 
and the Marine barracks in Pensacola and Brooklyn. When the Library of 
Congress in the Capitol's west central section was gutted by a fire in 
1851, Walter was commissioned to restore it. He also encountered 
obstacles in his work on the Capitol extensions. His location of the 
legislative chambers was changed in 1853 at the direction of President 
Franklin Pierce, based on the

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suggestions of the newly appointed supervising engineer, Captain 
Montgomery C. Meigs. In general, however, the project progressed 
rapidly: the House of Representatives was able to meet in its new 
chamber on December 16, 1857, and the Senate first met in its present 
chamber on January 4, 1859. The old House chamber was later designated 
National Statuary Hall. In 1861 most construction was suspended because 
of the Civil War, and the Capitol was used briefly as a military 
barracks, hospital, and bakery. In 1862 work on the entire building was 
resumed.
    As the new wings were constructed, more than doubling the length of 
the Capitol, it became apparent that the dome erected by Bulfinch no 
longer suited the building's proportions. In 1855 Congress voted for its 
replacement based on Walter's design for a new, fireproof cast-iron 
dome. The old dome was removed in 1856-56, and 5,000,000 pounds of new 
masonry was placed on the existing rotunda walls. Iron used in the dome 
construction had an aggregate weight of 8,909,200 pounds and was lifted 
into place by steam-powered derricks.
    In 1859, Thomas Crawford's plaster model for the Statue of Freedom, 
designed for the top of the dome, arrived from the sculptor's studio in 
Rome. With a height of 19 feet 6 inches, the statue was almost 3 feet 
taller than specified, and Walter was compelled to make revisions to his 
design for the dome. When cast in bronze by Clark Mills at his foundry 
on the outskirts of Washington, it weighed 14,985 pounds. The statue was 
lifted into place atop the dome in 1863, its final section being 
installed on December 2 to the accompaniment of gun salutes from the 
forts around the city.
    The work on the dome and the extension was completed under the 
direction of Edward Clark, who had served as Walter's assistant and was 
appointed Architect of the Capitol in 1865 after Walter's resignation. 
In 1866, the Italian-born artist Constantino Brumidi finished the canopy 
fresco, a monumental painting entitled The Apotheosis of George 
Washington. The Capitol extension was completed in 1868.

                                1869-1902

    Clark continued to hold the post of Architect of the Capitol until 
his death in 1902. During his tenure, the Capitol underwent considerable 
modernization. Steam heat was gradually installed in the old Capitol. In 
1874 the first elevator was installed, and in the 1880s electric 
lighting began to replace gas lights.
    Between 1884 and 1891, the marble terraces on the north, west, and 
south sides of the Capitol were constructed. As part of the landscape 
plan devised by Frederick Law Olmsted, these terraces not only added 
over 100 rooms to the Capitol but also provided a broader, more 
substantial visual base for the building.
    On November 6, 1898, a gas explosion and fire in the original north 
wing dramatically illustrated the need for fireproofing. The roofs over 
the Statuary Hall wing and the original north wing were reconstructed 
and fireproofed, the work being completed in 1902 by Clark's successor, 
Elliott Woods. In 1901 the space in the west central front vacated by 
the Library of Congress was converted to committee rooms.

                                1903-1970

    During the remainder of Woods's service, which ended with his death 
in 1923, no major structural work was required on the Capitol. The 
activities performed in the building were limited chiefly to cleaning 
and refurbishing the interior. David Lynn, the Architect of the Capitol 
from 1923 until his retirement in 1954, continued these tasks. Between 
July 1949 and January 1951, the corroded roofs and skylights of both 
wings and the connecting corridors were replaced with new roofs of 
concrete and steel, covered with copper. The cast-iron and glass 
ceilings of the House and Senate chambers were replaced with ceilings of 
stainless steel and plaster, with a laylight of carved glass and bronze 
in the middle of each. The House and Senate chambers were completely 
redecorated, modern lighting was added, and acoustical problems were 
solved. During this renovation program, the House and Senate vacated 
their chambers on several occasions so that the work could progress.
    The next significant modification made to the Capitol was the east 
front extension. This project was carried out under the supervision of 
Architect of the Capitol J. George Stewart, who served from 1954 until 
his death in 1970. Begun in 1958, it involved the construction of a new 
east front 32 feet 6 inches east of the old front, faithfully 
reproducing the sandstone structure in marble. The old sandstone walls 
were not destroyed; rather, they were left in place to become a part of 
the interior wall and are now buttressed by the addition. The marble 
columns of the connecting corridors were also moved and reused. Other 
elements of this project included repairing the dome, constructing a 
subway terminal under the Senate

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steps, reconstructing those steps, cleaning both wings, birdproofing the 
building, providing furniture and furnishings for 90 new rooms created 
by the extension, and improving the lighting throughout the building. 
The project was completed in 1962.

                              1971-Present

    During the nearly 25-year tenure (1971-1995) of Architect of the 
Capitol George M. White, FAIA, the building was both modernized and 
restored. Electronic voting equipment was installed in the House chamber 
in 1973; facilities were added to allow television coverage of the House 
and Senate debates in 1979 and 1986, respectively; and improved climate 
control, electronic surveillance systems, and new computer and 
communications facilities have been added to bring the Capitol up-to-
date. The Old Senate Chamber, National Statuary Hall, and the Old 
Supreme Court Chamber, on the other hand, were restored to their mid-
19th-century appearance in the 1970s.
    In 1983, work began on the strengthening, renovation, and 
preservation of the west front of the Capitol. Structural problems had 
developed over the years because of defects in the original foundations, 
deterioration of the sandstone facing material, alterations to the basic 
building fabric (a fourth-floor addition and channeling of the walls to 
install interior utilities), and damage from the fires of 1814 and 1851 
and the 1898 gas explosion
    To strengthen the structure, over one thousand stainless steel tie 
rods were set into the building's masonry. More than 30 layers of paint 
were removed, and damaged stonework was repaired or replicated. 
Ultimately, 40 percent of the sandstone blocks were replaced with 
limestone. The walls were treated with a special consolidant and then 
painted to match the marble wings. The entire project was completed in 
1987.
    A related project, completed in January 1993, effected the repair of 
the Olmsted terraces, which had been subject to damage from settling, 
and converted the terrace courtyards into several thousand square feet 
of meeting space.
    As the Capitol enters its third century, restoration and 
modernization work continues. Major projects completed in recent years 
include; repair and restoration of the House monumental stairs; 
conservation of the Statue of Freedom atop the Capitol dome; completion 
of the murals in the first-floor House corridors; preparation and 
publication of a book on the artist Constantino Brumidi, whose paintings 
decorate much of the Capitol; installation of an improved Senate subway 
system; construction of the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary 
Building; construction of new House and Senate child care facilities and 
a new Senate Page school; and renovation, restoration, and modification 
of the interiors and exteriors of the Thomas Jefferson and John Adams 
Buildings of the Library of Congress.
    The most recent Architect of the Capitol, Alan M. Hantman, FAIA, was 
appointed in February 1997. New and ongoing projects under his direction 
included rehabilitation of the Capitol dome; conservation of murals; 
improvement of speech-reinforcement, electrical, and fire-protection 
systems in the Capitol and the Congressional office buildings; work on 
security improvements within the Capitol complex; restoration of the 
U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory; the design and construction of the 
National Garden adjacent to the Botanic Garden Conservatory; renovation 
of the building systems in the Dirksen Senate Office Building; 
preparation and publication of the first comprehensive history of the 
Capitol to appear in a century; and construction of a new Capitol 
Visitor Center. At the end of Mr. Hantman's term in February 2007, Mr. 
Stephen T. Ayers, AIA, assumed the position of Acting Architect of the 
Capitol.
    Work is now under way on the Capitol Visitor Center, which will make 
the U.S. Capitol more accessible, comfortable, secure, and informative 
for all visitors. Preparatory construction activities began in summer 
2002, including relocation of utilities and visitor screening 
facilities, and implementation of a comprehensive tree preservation 
program. It is scheduled to be completed in 2008.
    The CVC will be located underground on the East Front of the 
Capitol, so as to enhance rather than detract from the appearance of the 
Capitol and its historic Frederick Law Olmsted landscape. When 
completed, the CVC will contain 580,000 square feet on three levels, 
requiring a 196,000-square-foot excavation, or ``footprint,'' on the 
East Front of the Capitol. (For purposes of comparison, the Capitol 
itself encompasses 775,000 square feet.)
    The project will include space for exhibits, visitor comfort, food 
service, two orientation theaters, an auditorium, gift shops, security, 
a service tunnel for truck loading and deliveries, mechanical 
facilities, storage, and much needed space for the House and Senate. 
When completed, the CVC will preserve and maximize public access to the 
Capitol while greatly enhancing the experience for the millions who 
walks its historic corridors and experience its monumental spaces every 
year.
    All activities related to the Capitol Visitor Center take place 
under the direction of the Capitol Preservation Commission.


[[Page 562]]



                         HOUSE OFFICE BUILDINGS

                      Cannon House Office Building

    An increased membership of the Senate and House resulted in a demand 
for additional rooms for the accommodations of the Senators and 
Representatives. On March 3, 1903, the Congress authorized the erection 
of a fireproofed office building for the use of the House. It was 
designed by the firm of Carrere & Hastings of New York City in the Beaux 
Arts style. The first brick was laid July 5, 1905, in square No. 690, 
and formal exercises were held at the laying of the cornerstone on April 
14, 1906, in which President Theodore Roosevelt participated. The 
building was completed and occupied January 10, 1908. A subsequent 
change in the basis of congressional representation made necessary the 
building of an additional story in 1913-14. The total cost of the 
building, including site, furnishings, equipment, and the subway 
connecting it with the U.S. Capitol, amounted to $4,860,155. This office 
building contains about 500 rooms, and was considered at the time of its 
completion fully equipped for all the needs of a modern building for 
office purposes. A garage was added in the building's courtyard in the 
1960s.
    Pursuant to authority in the Second Supplemental Appropriations Act, 
1955, and subsequent action of the House Office Building Commission, 
remodeling of the Cannon Building began in 1966. The estimated cost of 
this work was $5,200,000. Pursuant to the provisions of Public Law 87-
453, approved May 21, 1962, the building was named in honor of Joseph G. 
Cannon of Illinois, who was Speaker at the time the building was 
constructed.

                     Longworth House Office Building

    Under legislation contained in the authorization act of January 10, 
1929, and in the urgent deficiency bill of March 4, 1929, provisions 
were made for an additional House office building, to be located on the 
west side of New Jersey Avenue (opposite the first House office 
building). The building was designed by the Allied Architects of 
Washington in the Neoclassical Revival style.
    The cornerstone was laid June 24, 1932, and the building was 
completed on April 20, 1933. It contains 251 two-room suites and 16 
committee rooms. Each suite and committee room is provided with a 
storeroom. Eight floors are occupied by members. The basement and 
subbasement contain shops and mechanical areas needed for the 
maintenance of the building. A cafeteria was added in the building's 
courtyard in the 1960s. The cost of this building, including site, 
furnishings, and equipment, was $7,805,705. Pursuant to the provisions 
of Public Law 87-453, approved May 21, 1962, the building was named in 
honor of Nicholas Longworth of Ohio, who was Speaker when the second 
House office building was constructed.

Rayburn House Office Building and Other Related Changes and Improvements

    Under legislation contained in the Second Supplemental 
Appropriations Act, 1955, provision was made for construction of a 
fireproof office building for the House of Representatives.
    All work was carried forward by the Architect of the Capitol under 
the direction of the House Office Building Commission at a cost totaling 
$135,279,000.
    The Rayburn Building is connected to the Capitol by a subway. 
Designs for the building were prepared by the firm of Harbeson, Hough, 
Livingston & Larson of Philadelphia, Associate Architects. The building 
contains 169 congressional suites; full-committee hearing rooms for 9 
standing committees, 16 subcommittee hearing rooms, committee staff 
rooms and other committee facilities; a large cafeteria and other 
restaurant facilities; an underground garage; and a variety of liaison 
offices, press and television facilities, maintenance and equipment 
shops or rooms, and storage areas. This building has nine stories and a 
penthouse for machinery.
    The cornerstone was laid May 24, 1962, by John W. McCormack, Speaker 
of the House of Representatives. President John F. Kennedy participated 
in the cornerstone laying and delivered the address.
    A portion of the basement floor was occupied beginning March 12, 
1964, by House of Representatives personnel moved from the George 
Washington Inn property. Full occupancy of the Rayburn Building, under 
the room-filing regulations, was begun February 23, 1965, and completed 
April 2, 1965. Pursuant to the provisions of Public Law 87-453, approved 
May 21, 1962, the building was named in honor of Sam Rayburn of Texas.

[[Page 563]]

    House Office Building Annex No. 2, named the ``Gerald R. Ford House 
of Representatives Office Building'', was acquired in 1975 from the 
General Services Administration. The structure, located at Second and D 
Streets SW., was built in 1939 for the Federal Bureau of Investigation 
as a fingerprint file archives. This building has approximately 432,000 
square feet of space.

                         SENATE OFFICE BUILDINGS

             Richard Brevard Russell Senate Office Building

    In 1891 the Senate provided itself with office space by the purchase 
of the Maltby Building, then located on the northwest corner of B Street 
(now Constitution Avenue) and New Jersey Avenue, NW. When it was 
condemned as an unsafe structure, senators needed safer and more 
commodious office space. Under authorization of the Act of April 28, 
1904, square 686 on the northeast corner of Delaware Avenue and B Street 
NE. was purchased as a site for the Senate Office Building. The plans 
for the House Office Building were adapted for the Senate Office 
Building by the firm of Carrere & Hastings, with the exception that the 
side of the building fronting on First Street NE. was temporarily 
omitted. The cornerstone was laid without special exercises on July 31, 
1906, and the building was occupied March 5, 1909. In 1931, the 
completion of the fourth side of the building was commenced. In 1933 it 
was completed, together with alterations to the C Street facade, and the 
construction of terraces, balustrades, and approaches. The cost of the 
completed building, including the site, furnishings, equipment and the 
subway connecting it with the United States Capitol, was $8,390,892.
    The building was named the ``Richard Brevard Russell Senate Office 
Building'' by Senate Resolution 296, 92nd Congress, agreed to October 
11, 1972, as amended by Senate Resolution 295, 96th Congress, agreed to 
December 3, 1979.

             Everett McKinley Dirksen Senate Office Building

    Under legislation contained in the Second Deficiency Appropriations 
Act, 1948, Public Law 80-785, provision was made for an additional 
office building for the United States Senate with limits of cost of 
$1,100,000 for acquisition of the site and $20,600,000 for constructing 
and equipping the building.
    The construction cost limit was subsequently increased to $24,196. 
All work was carried forward by the Architect of the Capitol under the 
direction of the Senate Office Building Commission. The New York firm of 
Eggers & Higgins served as the consulting architect.
    The site was acquired and cleared in 1948-49 at a total cost of 
$1,011,492.
    A contract for excavation, concrete footings and mats for the new 
building was awarded in January 1955, in the amount of $747,200. 
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held January 26, 1955.
    A contract for the superstructure of the new building was awarded 
September 9, 1955, in the amount of $17,200,000. The cornerstone was 
laid July 13, 1956.
    As a part of this project, a new underground subway system was 
installed from the Capitol to both the Old and New Senate Office 
Buildings.
    An appropriation of $1,000,000 for furniture and furnishings for the 
new building was provided in 1958. The building was accepted for 
beneficial occupancy October 15, 1958.

[[Page 564]]

    The building was named the ``Everett McKinley Dirksen Senate Office 
Building'' by Senate Resolution 296, 92nd Congress, agreed to October 
11, 1972, and Senate Resolution 295, 96th Congress, agreed to December 
3, 1979.

                  Philip A. Hart Senate Office Building

    Construction as an extension to the Dirksen Senate Office Building 
was authorized on October 31, 1972; legislation enacted in subsequent 
years increased the scope of the project and established a total cost 
ceiling of $137,700,400. The firm of John Carl Warnecke & Associates 
served as Associate Architect for the project.
    Senate Resolution 525, passed August 30, 1976, amended by Senate 
Resolution 295, 96th Congress, agreed to December 3, 1979, provided that 
upon completion of the extension it would be named the ``Philip A. Hart 
Senate Office Building'' to honor the senator from Michigan.
    The contract for clearing of the site, piping for utilities, 
excavation, and construction of foundation was awarded in December 1975. 
Groundbreaking took place January 5, 1976. The contract for furnishing 
and delivery of the exterior stone was awarded in February 1977, and the 
contract for the superstructure, which included wall and roof systems 
and the erection of all exterior stonework, was awarded in October 1977. 
The contract for the first portion of the interior and related work was 
awarded in December 1978. A contract for interior finishing was awarded 
in July 1980. The first suite was occupied on November 22, 1982. 
Alexander Calder's mobile / stabile Mountains and Clouds was installed 
in the building's atrium in November 1986.

                           CAPITOL POWER PLANT

    During the development of the plans for the Cannon and Russell 
Buildings, the question of heat, light, and power was considered. The 
Senate and House wings of the Capitol were heated by separate heating 
plants. The Library of Congress also had a heating plant for that 
building. It was determined that needs for heating and lighting and 
electrical power could be met by a central power plant.
    A site was selected in Garfield Park. Since this park was a 
Government reservation, an appropriation was not required to secure 
title. The determining factors leading to the selection of this site 
were its proximity to the tracks of what is now the Penn Central 
Railroad and to the buildings to be served.
    The dimensions of the Capitol Power Plant, which was authorized on 
April 28, 1904, and completed in 1910, were 244 feet 8 inches by 117 
feet. There are two radial brick chimneys 174 feet in height (reduced 
from 212 feet to 174 feet in 1951-52) and 11 feet in diameter at the 
top.
    The buildings originally served by the Capitol Power Plant were 
connected to it by a reinforced-concrete steam tunnel.
    In September 1951, when the demand for electrical energy was 
reaching the maximum capacity of the Capitol Power Plant, arrangements 
were made to purchase electrical service from the local public utility 
company and to discontinue electrical generation. The heating and 
cooling functions of the Capitol Power Plant were expanded in 1935, 
1939, 1958, 1973, and 1980. A new modernization and expansion project is 
now underway.

                          U.S. CAPITOL GROUNDS

                      A Description of the Grounds

    Originally a wooded wilderness, the U.S. Capitol Grounds today 
provide a parklike setting for the Nation's Capitol, offering a 
picturesque counterpoint to the building's formal architecture. The 
grounds immediately surrounding the Capitol are bordered by a stone wall 
and cover an area of 58.8 acres. Their boundaries are Independence 
Avenue on the south, Constitution Avenue on the north, First Street NE. 
/ SE. on the east, and First Street NW. / SW. on the west. Over 100 
varieties of trees and bushes are planted around the Capitol, and 
thousands of flowers are used in seasonal displays. In contrast to the 
building's straight, neoclassical lines, most of the walkways in the 
grounds are curved. Benches along the paths offer pleasant spots for 
visitors to appreciate the building, its landscape, and the surrounding 
areas, most notably the Mall to the west.


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    The grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), who 
planned the landscaping of the area that was performed from 1874 to 
1892. Olmsted, who also designed New York's Central Park, is considered 
the greatest American landscape architect of his day. He was a pioneer 
in the development of public parks in America, and many of his designs 
were influenced by his studies of European parks, gardens, and estates. 
In describing his plan for the Capitol grounds, Olmsted noted that ``The 
ground is in design part of the Capitol, but in all respects subsidiary 
to the central structure.'' Therefore, he was careful not to group trees 
or other landscape features in any way that would distract the viewer 
from the Capitol. The use of sculpture and other ornamentation has also 
been kept to a minimum.

    Many of the trees on the Capitol grounds have historic or memorial 
associations. Over 30 states have made symbolic gifts of their state 
trees to the Capitol grounds. Many of the trees on the grounds bear 
plaques that identify their species and their historic significance.

    At the East Capitol Street entrance to the Capitol plaza are two 
large rectangular stone fountains. The bottom levels now contain 
plantings, but at times in the past they have been used to catch the 
spillover from the fountains. At other times, both levels have held 
plantings. Six massive red granite lamp piers topped with light fixtures 
in wrought-iron cages, and 16 smaller bronze light fixtures, line the 
paved plaza. Seats are placed at intervals along the sidewalks. Three 
sets of benches are enclosed with wrought-iron railings and grilles; the 
roofed bench was originally a shelter for streetcar passengers. This 
area was closed to the public for the construction of the Capitol 
Visitor Center.

    The northern part of the grounds offers a shaded walk among trees, 
flowers, and shrubbery. A small, hexagonal brick structure named the 
Summer House may be found in the northwest corner of the grounds. This 
structure contains shaded benches, a central ornamental fountain, and 
three public drinking fountains. In a small grotto on the eastern side 
of the Summer House, a stream of water flows and splashes over rocks to 
create a pleasing sound and cool the summer breezes.

              A Brief History of the Grounds Before Olmsted

    The land on which the Capitol stands was first occupied by the 
Manahoacs and the Monacans, who were subtribes of the Algonquin Indians. 
Early settlers reported that these tribes occasionally held councils not 
far from the foot of the hill. This land eventually became a part of 
Cerne Abbey Manor, and at the time of its acquisition by the Federal 
Government it was owned by Daniel Carroll of Duddington.

    The ``Residence Act'' of 1790 provided that the federal government 
should be established in a permanent location by the year 1800. In early 
March 1791 the commissioners of the city of Washington, who had been 
appointed by President George Washington, selected the French engineer 
Peter Charles L'Enfant to plan the new federal city. L'Enfant decided to 
locate the Capitol at the elevated east end of the Mall (on what was 
then called Jenkins' Hill); he described the site as ``a pedestal 
waiting for a monument.''

    At this time the site of the Capitol was a relative wilderness 
partly overgrown with scrub oak. Oliver Wolcott, a signer of the 
Declaration of Independence, described the soil as an ``exceedingly 
stiff clay, becoming dust in dry and mortar in rainy weather.''

    In 1825, a plan was devised for imposing order on the Capitol 
grounds, and it was carried out for almost 15 years. The plan divided 
the area into flat, rectangular grassy areas bordered by trees, flower 
beds, and gravel walks. The growth of the trees, however, soon deprived 
the other plantings of nourishment, and the design became increasingly 
difficult to maintain in light of sporadic and small appropriations. 
John Foy, who had charge of the grounds during most of this period, was 
``superseded for political reasons,'' and the area was then maintained 
with little care or forethought. Many rapidly growing but short-lived 
trees were introduced and soon depleted the soil; a lack of proper 
pruning and thinning left the majority of the area's vegetation ill-
grown, feeble, or dead. Virtually all was removed by the early 1870's, 
either to make way for building operations during Thomas U. Walter's 
enlargement of the Capitol or as required by changes in grading to 
accommodate the new work on the building or the alterations to 
surrounding streets.

                            The Olmsted Plan

    The mid-19th-century extension of the Capitol, in which the House 
and Senate wings and the new dome were added, required also that the 
Capitol grounds be enlarged, and in 1874 Frederick Law Olmsted was 
commissioned to plan and oversee the project. As

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noted above, Olmsted was determined that the grounds should complement 
the building. In addition, he addressed an architectural problem that 
had persisted for some years: from the west (the growth of the city had 
nothing to do with the terraces)--the earthen terraces at the building's 
base made it seem inadequately supported at the top of the hill. The 
solution, Olmsted believed, was to construct marble terraces on the 
north, west, and south sides of the building, thereby causing it to 
``gain greatly in the supreme qualities of stability, endurance, and 
repose.'' He submitted his design for these features in 1875, and after 
extensive study it was approved.
    Work on the grounds began in 1874, concentrating first on the east 
side and then progressing to the west, north, and south sides. First, 
the ground was reduced in elevation. Almost 300,000 cubic yards of earth 
and other material were eventually removed, and over 200 trees were 
removed. New sewer, gas, and water lines were installed. The soil was 
then enriched with fertilizers to provide a suitable growth medium for 
new plantings. Paths and roadways were graded and laid.
    By 1876, gas and water service was completed for the entire grounds, 
and electrical lamp-lighting apparatuses had been installed. Stables and 
workshops had been removed from the northwest and southwest corners. A 
streetcar system north and south of the west grounds had been relocated 
farther from the Capitol, and ornamental shelters were in place at the 
north and south car-track termini. The granite and bronze lamp piers and 
ornamental bronze lamps for the east plaza area were completed.
    Work accelerated in 1877. By this time, according to Olmsted's 
report, ``altogether 7,837 plants and trees [had] been set out.'' 
However, not all had survived: hundreds were stolen or destroyed by 
vandals, and, as Olmsted explained, ``a large number of cattle [had] 
been caught trespassing.'' Other work met with less difficulty. Foot-
walks were laid with artificial stone, a mixture of cement and sand, and 
approaches were paved with concrete. An ornamental iron trellis had been 
installed on the northern east-side walk, and another was under way on 
the southern walk.
    The 1878 appointment of watchmen to patrol the grounds was quite 
effective in preventing further vandalism, allowing the lawns to be 
completed and much shrubbery to be added. Also in that year, the roads 
throughout the grounds were paved.
    Most of the work required on the east side of the grounds was 
completed by 1879, and effort thus shifted largely to the west side. The 
Pennsylvania Avenue approach was virtually finished, and work on the 
Maryland Avenue approach had begun. The stone walls on the west side of 
the grounds were almost finished, and the red granite lamp piers were 
placed at the eastward entrance from Pennsylvania Avenue.
    In the years 1880-82, many features of the grounds were completed. 
These included the walls and coping around the entire perimeter, the 
approaches and entrances, and the Summer House. Work on the terraces 
began in 1882, and most work from this point until 1892 was concentrated 
on these structures.
    In 1885, Olmsted retired from superintendency of the terrace 
project; he continued to direct the work on the grounds until 1889. 
Landscaping work was performed to adapt the surrounding areas to the new 
construction, grading the ground and planting shrubs at the bases of the 
walls, as the progress of the masonry work allowed. Some trees and other 
types of vegetation were removed, either because they had decayed or as 
part of a careful thinning-out process.
    In 1888, the wrought-iron lamp frames and railings were placed at 
the Maryland Avenue entrance, making it the last to be completed. In 
1892, the streetcar track that had extended into grounds from 
Independence Avenue was removed.

                        The Grounds After Olmsted

    In the last years of the 19th century, work on the grounds consisted 
chiefly of maintenance and repairs as needed. Trees, lawns, and 
plantings were tended, pruned, and thinned to allow their best growth. 
This work was quite successful: by 1894, the grounds were so deeply 
shaded by trees and shrubs that Architect of the Capitol Edward Clark 
recommended an all-night patrol by watchmen to ensure public safety. A 
hurricane in September 1896 damaged or destroyed a number of trees, 
requiring extensive removals in the following year. Also in 1897, 
electric lighting replaced gas lighting in the grounds.
    Between 1910 and 1935, 61.4 acres north of Constitution Avenue were 
added to the grounds. Approximately 100 acres was added in subsequent 
years, bringing the total area to 274 acres.
    Since 1983, increased security measures have been put into effect, 
including the installation of barriers at vehicular entrances. However, 
the area still functions in many ways as a public park, and visitors are 
welcome to use the walks to tour the grounds. Demonstrations and 
ceremonies are often held on the grounds. In the summer, a series of 
evening concerts

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by the bands of the Armed Forces is offered free of charge on the west 
front plaza. On various holidays, concerts by the National Symphony 
Orchestra are held on the west front lawn.