[United States Government Manual]
[May 31, 1996]
[Pages 43-44]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



________________________________________________________________________

ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL

U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone, 202-228-1793
Architect of the Capitol                         William L. Ensign, 
                                                     Acting
________________________________________________________________________
The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the care and maintenance 
of the U.S. Capitol and nearby buildings and grounds while implementing 
reconstruction and landscape improvement projects according to the 
original intent of the Capitol's designers.

The Architect of the Capitol is charged with operating and maintaining 
the buildings of the Capitol committed to his care by Congress. 
Permanent authority for these functions was established by the act of 
August 15, 1876 (40 U.S.C. 162, 163). The Architect's duties include the 
mechanical and structural maintenance of the Capitol, the conservation 
and care of works of art in the building, the upkeep and improvement of 
the Capitol grounds, and the arrangement of inaugural and other 
ceremonies held in the building or on the grounds. Legislation is 
enacted from time to time providing for additional buildings and grounds 
to be placed under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol.
    In addition to the Capitol, the Architect is responsible for the 
upkeep of all of the congressional office buildings, the Library of 
Congress buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court building, the Thurgood 
Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, the Capitol Power Plant, the 
Capitol Police headquarters, and the Robert A. Taft Memorial. The 
Architect performs his duties in connection with the Senate side of the 
Capitol, the Senate office buildings, and the operation of the Senate 
restaurants subject to the approval of the Senate Committee on Rules and 
Administration. In matters of general policy in connection with the 
House office buildings and the Capitol Power Plant, his activities are 
subject to the approval and direction of the House Office Building 
Commission. The Architect is under the direction of the Speaker in 
matters concerning the House side of the Capitol. Also, the Architect of 
the Capitol serves as the Acting Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden 
under the Joint Committee on the Library.
    Until 1989, the position of Architect of the Capitol was filled by 
Presidential appointment for an indefinite term. Legislation enacted in 
1989 provided that the Architect be appointed by the President for a 10-
year term, with the advice and consent of the Senate, from a list of 3 
candidates recommended by a congressional commission. Upon confirmation 
by the Senate, the Architect becomes an official of the legislative 
branch as an officer and agent of Congress and is eligible for 
reappointment after completion of his term.
    The Architect, whose original duties were limited to designing and 
supervising the construction of the Capitol, has assumed additional 
responsibilities for activities that have been assigned to the office by 
Congress. Today, in light of the widespread activities under the 
jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol, the administrative 
function challenges the architectural and engineering functions of the 
office.

[[Page 44]]

    Projects carried out by the Architect of the Capitol in recent years 
include renovation and restoration of the Statue of Freedom, the 
Terrace, Courtyards, Rotunda, and other areas in the Capitol, and the 
Library of Congress; procurement and installation of television and 
broadcasting facilities for the House and Senate chambers and hearing 
rooms; improvements to building utility, energy-management, and security 
systems; installation of a Senate subway system; development and 
implementation of the Legislative Branch Telecommunications Network; 
plans for the complete renovation of the U.S. Botanic Garden 
Conservatory; the design of a National Garden adjacent to the 
Conservatory; and plans for a new Capitol Visitor Center. The Architect 
also oversaw the design and construction of the Thurgood Marshall 
Federal Judiciary Building for the U.S. courts. Ongoing conservation/
renovation projects include the Brumidi corridors in the Capitol, a 
substantial barrier-removal program throughout the Capitol complex, and 
the east monumental stairs on the Capitol's House wing.
    The Architect of the Capitol also serves as a member of numerous 
governing or advisory bodies, including: Capitol Police Board, Capitol 
Guide Board, House of Representatives Page Board, District of Columbia 
Zoning Commission, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, National 
Capital Memorial Commission, Art Advisory Committee to the Washington 
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and the National Institute for 
Conservation of Cultural Property. The Architect is an ex officio member 
of the U.S. Capitol Preservation Commission and the Commission on the 
Bicentennial of the U.S. Capitol. In addition, he serves as the 
Coordinator of Civil Defense for the Capitol complex.

For further information, contact the Office of the Architect of the 
Capitol, U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC 20515. Phone, 202-228-
1793.