THOLOS | VOLUME 23 

THOLO

V

S

OLUME 23

USBG 

HIGHLIGHT

Cultivating a New 

Agriculture Exhibit at 

the U.S. Botanic Garden

AGENCY 

INITIATIVES

AOC Welcomes New 

Building Official

BEHIND THE 

SCENES

24 Hours at the 

Capitol Power Plant
2 THOLOS | VOLUME 23 THOLOS | VOLUME 23 3

AGENCY INITIATIVES BEHIND THE SCENES PROJECT UPDATE

TA B LE O F CO N T EN T S

USBG HIGHLIGHT

4 10 16 22

TA B LE O F CO N T EN T S

4 USBG HIGHLIGHT:

Cultivating a New Agriculture 

Exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden

10 AGENCY INITIATIVES:

 AOC Welcomes New 

Building Official

16 BEHIND THE SCENES:

24 Hours at the 

Capitol Power Plant

22 PROJECT UPDATE:

Cannon Light Fixture Restoration

26 EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION:

 Kudos to You

The photos that appear in this edition of Tholos were taken at different stages 

during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the mask policy in place at that time.
  THOLOS | VOLUME 23 THOLOS | VOLUME 23 

CULTIVATING A 

NEW AGRICULTURE 

EXHIBIT AT THE 

U.S. BOTANIC GARDEN

WRITTEN BY DEVIN DOTSON 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KALEENA DWYER

USBG HIGHLIGHT
6 THOLOS | VOLUME 23

A new exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden 

(USBG) celebrates agriculture across the 

country and around the world. “Cultivate: 

Growing Food in a Changing World” 

shares stories about agricultural science 

and innovation, about farmers, and about 

the way food connects people locally — 

and across the globe.

Visitors can see dozens of colorful 

varieties of corn and learn about the 

wild relatives of modern plants we eat, 

go hands-on to explore the science of 

agriculture through microscopes and 

hand lenses, dive into the stories of the 

many different peoples that have farmed 

North America through the centuries, 

and enjoy the smells of the plants that 

connect several local chefs with their food 

cultures as they share their stories in their 

own words.

The exhibit spreads across the USBG 

campus, with content in both exhibit 

galleries and stories throughout the 

Conservatory plus outdoor portions on 

the Terrace and in Bartholdi Gardens.

At its heart, the exhibit tells its stories of 

agriculture through features created by 

over 75 people and organizations from 

around the world, and through text and 

design steered by a multi-disciplinary 

core team, including employees from 

Learning and Engagement, Horticulture, 

Administration and the executive team. 

Most impressively, the entire exhibit was 

designed in-house by Theresa Dahlman, 

Visual Information Specialist.

Dahlman was perfectly poised to lead 

the exhibit design; her entire career has 

involved exhibits from installation at 

the National Portrait Gallery to graphic 

production and hands-on exhibit installation at Smithsonian’s Office of Exhibits 

Central. She even has a master’s degree 

in museum studies with concentration in 

exhibit design. 

“It was a great advantage having an 

in-house exhibit designer,” said Amy 

Bolton, the manager of the Learning 

and Engagement team. “Theresa has a 

history and knowledge of our spaces and 

how our visitors interact with the spaces, 

which was invaluable. There was no 

additional learning and catch-up required 

that an outside contractor would need, 

and it supported a collaborative exhibit 

development process where conversations 

happened naturally.”

“Designing this exhibit was really a fun 

project, and it was a joy to get to dig in 

and create ways to tell the many great 

Theresa Dahlman 

reviews an interactive 

element in the 

agriculture exhibit that 

gives physical weight to 

carbon dioxide created 

by different foods.
THOLOS | VOLUME 23 7

Above left: A young 

visitor adds her 

message to the What 

Tastes Like Home? wall.

Above right: The 

stories of local chefs 

and the foods that 

connect them to their 

community are shown 

through visuals, audio 

recordings and scents 

of key ingredients.

Lower left: Visitors 

use microscopes and 

hand lenses to see 

the smaller side of 

agriculture including 

roots, leaves, insects 

and more.
8 THOLOS | VOLUME 23

stories,” Dahlman said. “One of the 

things I really enjoyed about working on 

this exhibit was researching sustainable 

agricultural plant-based building materials. Most of the exhibit was built from 

products left over after the harvest, like 

wheat shafts and sunflower hulls. There 

was a lot of support and excitement from 

the internal USBG teams about these 

materials and using them reinforces the 

agricultural products story in a great, 

surprising way.”

The exhibit isn’t just physically 

gardenwide, every team at the USBG 

helped with its development and installation. The Operations team built portions 

of the exhibit with reused lumber and 

display cases from a previous exhibit, and 

the Administration team helped with 

purchasing and contracts to secure plants 

and exhibit items from across the country 

in addition to helping administer myriad 

specialist contracts.

Living plants help tell the story and better 

connect visitors to the origins of their 

food. The Horticulture team designed and 

planted an extraordinary outdoor display 

showing modern agricultural plants 

grouped by their region of origin from 

around the world.

The exhibit was more than two years in 

the making, with the original idea being 

chosen in 2019, then the core team 

working to bring it to life. The USBG 

was able to secure Sara Seiter and Emily 

“ Being able to engage the entire USBG team from the 

beginning enabled it to be a collaborative experience 

where everyone could bring their expertise and it shows 

with an exhibit that is inviting, educational and fun.”

Canosa, a team with experience in both 

agriculture and museum exhibit creation, 

to draft the visitor experience, research 

stories of agriculture from around the 

world, and develop the exhibit labels 

and text. 

“Working with Seiter and Canosa 

provided a unique opportunity for our 

visitors to hear from expert voices and 

individuals in agriculture from around 

the world,” said Libby Rhoads, Learning 

and Engagement Supervisor. “With their 

help in gathering such a wide range of 

people and locations, this exhibit is able 

to tell the stories of people from around 

the world all in one place for our visitors 

to explore.”

Dahlman's favorite aspects of the exhibit 

include the interactive elements like 

the weighted plates, which demonstrate 

the physical weight of foods’ carbon 

footprints, and her work designing the 

corn display, which showcases dozens 

of variations humans have bred. “I also 

want to thank the experts over at the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture for their 

help,” Dahlman said. “So many helpful 

conversations with USDA helped me 

understand various agricultural concepts 

so that we could showcase them in a 

successful way.”

Now that the exhibit is open, Dahlman 

said a pleasant surprise is seeing how 

many people spend time writing thoughtful comments and even drawings to post 

on the wall in the What Tastes Like 

Home section. During the exhibit’s first 

nine weeks, visitors have already posted 

around 10,000 notes sharing the foods 

that make them think of home. 

The exhibit offered the opportunity to 

develop a new model for exhibit creation, 

which the team will use for exhibit development going forward.

“We started with what we want visitors to 

take away — by crafting the visitor goals 

and experiences,” Bolton said. “Then we 

chose stories and wrote the script to fulfill 

that interpretive plan.”

Every day USBG employees hear visitors’ 

enthusiasm as they become immersed 

in the exhibit, exploring and interacting 

with its many elements. 

“It’s a whole-garden experience, filling 

exhibit spaces and horticulture spaces” 

Bolton said. “Being able to engage the 

entire USBG team from the beginning 

enabled it to be a collaborative experience 

where everyone could bring their expertise and it shows with an exhibit that is 

inviting, educational and fun.”

“Cultivate: Growing Food in a Changing 

World” is on display through December 

2023. Learn more about the exhibit and 

related programs at www.USBG.gov.
THOLOS

| VOLUME 239

Above: The stories 

of multiple farmers 

are told in their own 

words through 

multi-screen videos.

Center: A portion of 

one of the 19 custom 

murals showcasing 

the origins of crops 

that were created for 

an outdoor portion 

of the exhibit.

Far right: A display 

case with dozens of 

varieties of corn grown 

by humans through 

the years captures 

visitors' attention.

Below: Visitors learn 

about legumes of 

the world through a 

tabletop display.
10 THOLOS

| VOLUME 23 THOLOS| VOLUME 23 11

WRITTEN BY CRISTIN O’BRIEN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUKE WALTER

AOC 

Welcomes 

New Building 

Official

AGENCY INITIATIVES
12 THOLOS | VOLUME 23

Courtney Morgan, the 

AOC’s first Building 

Official, and Matt 

Harrison, Fire Protection 

Engineer, walk through 

the remodeled 

Exhibition Hall in the 

Capitol Visitor Center to 

inspect for accessibility 

compliance.

Being the First

There have been a lot of firsts recently — the first woman Vice 

President, the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice, the 

first billionaire to visit space — and now there is a new first at 

the Architect of the Capitol (AOC): the first Building Official. 

Being the first can be exciting, and heavy with responsibility. 

Building officials are generally responsible for inspecting new 

and existing structures for safety and code compliance. At the 

AOC there are a lot of structures — over 18.4 million square 

feet of them! And buildings on campus range in age from 200+ 

to just 60 years old, so there are always renovation and restoration projects in progress and ongoing construction and infrastructure work. The new Building Official will soon be a part of 

these efforts, and each effort will begin with a permit application.

You Need a Permit for That

Whenever a new house is built, or a homeowner undertakes an 

improvement project, permits are required before the work can 

begin. Some examples include building permits, land disturbance permits and trade permits. These permits are an important part of the process and are required to ensure the safety 

of the structure being built or renovated, the workers and the 

environment around the construction. In addition to permits, 

construction and renovation projects also require multiple 

inspections to make sure electrical, plumbing, accessibility and 

other work follows current building codes and standards. 

Similar permit and inspection requirements also apply to commercial construction. At the AOC, construction projects are required 

to comply with environmental laws, building code standards, 

accessibility laws, fire and life safety codes, and occupational safety 

requirements. Previously, the oversight of these different specialty 

areas was managed separately by different groups within the 

AOC. Environmental engineers reviewed designs and permits for 

environmental law compliance, fire protection engineers examined designs for fire and life safety code compliance and tested 

fire alarm systems after installation, industrial hygienists oversaw 

management plans for hazardous materials, etc. 

Without a single office to coordinate all the reviews, inspections 

and permits throughout the life cycle of each project there were 

potential gaps in oversight. To address this risk, the AOC established a new Building Official program. In April 2022, Architect 

of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton’s statement before the Committee 

on Appropriations highlighted the program:

“This year, we initiated the Building Official program, contracting with dedicated experts to ensure stakeholders follow the 

same set of established building codes and consistent processes 

for permitting . . . Dedicated experts will ensure that established 

building codes and permits will be tracked for all construction 

and infrastructure work with a centralized data, management and 

oversight system.” 
THOLOS | VOLUME 23 13

Matt Harrison checks 

the displays to make 

sure they are accessible 

for visitors.

The oversight of code compliance for construction and infrastructure work will rest with the Building Official to make 

sure that every discipline (fire and life safety, environmental, 

accessibility and others) is included in the process for each 

renovation project.

An Umbrella of Safety

Codes and standards exist to ensure a consistent minimum level 

of safety. In a home this includes things like installing GFCI 

outlets near water sources to reduce the risk of electric shock, or 

ensuring decks are anchored properly to prevent collapse while 

people are standing on them. At the AOC, safety is a core value 

that encompasses the buildings, the grounds and how work is 

performed so that all who work at or visit the Capitol campus 

go home in the same condition they arrived in. 

The Building Official program is an element of a larger shift 

the agency is making to fully integrate safety into all aspects of 

project and infrastructure work. “With the Building Official we 

are embedding inspections into the process, giving us greater 

oversight to catch potential issues early and correct them,” said 

Patricia Williams, Director of the Office of Safety and Code 

Compliance. “We want to ensure that work done inside our 

facilities and on our grounds does not leave a hazardous situation, and that our spaces are compliant with life/health safety 

and accessibility codes. And by identifying potential issues in 

the design phase, or early in the project, the plans or work can 

be corrected with less disruption and cost, helping us achieve 

compliance without adding time or increasing the budget.” 

Creating a New Program

Work to create the new Building Official program began in 

2020, led by AOC Fire Marshal Laurence Dallaire. The fire 

marshal has responsibility and oversight for some aspects of 

code compliance, so Dallaire and his team are familiar with 

inspections and approvals. Developing the new program 

required them to think about additional coordination and added 

complexities. “When starting to design the new program, we 

looked at building department models and skills from the 

private sector and other government agencies. The most important part was to fit those elements into the AOC’s culture and 

mission,” said Dallaire. “We aren’t just ensuring code compliance, it’s compliance and safety, and historic preservation, and 

on time and within budget. To do all of those things we need a 
14 THOLOS | VOLUME 23

AOC staff explore the 

remodeled Exhibition 

Hall during an 

inspection to make 

sure the space meets 

current accessibility 

requirements.
THOLOS | VOLUME 23 15

process that is collaborative and begins very early in the project 

life cycle.” 

Designing the new program included drafting policies and 

procedures, creating permit requirements and applications, and 

identifying existing projects that could serve as a trial for the 

new permit and inspection process. These pilot projects are 

ongoing and will be helpful with continual improvements as the 

Building Official program matures. “I am very proud of my team 

for stepping up to maintain the Fire Marshal program while 

simultaneously moving the Building Official program forward.” 

Dallaire also shared that he has really enjoyed working with 

project teams in a different capacity and learning new things 

about the construction delivery process at the AOC, and he is 

excited that the first Building Official is on board. “I am looking 

forward to the independent Building Official inspections as 

a way to give our talented trades people, project managers, 

engineers and architects the opportunity to demonstrate the 

high-quality work they do and have it recognized.” 

The First Building Official

The AOC’s first Building Official is Courtney Morgan. Morgan 

is a mechanical engineer with over 30 years of experience in 

building codes and construction and he’s held a Building Code 

Administrator’s license with the state of Florida since 1994. 

“Back when I started my career, not in my wildest dreams did I 

consider the AOC as a place I would work,” said Morgan. “Being 

the first Building Official at the AOC is humbling. I am living 

the moment and am truly inspired. Prior to joining the AOC as 

an employee, I had never taken a tour of the Capitol Building. 

That first time seeing the Rotunda I was struck — it truly is 

awe-inspiring.” 

Morgan feels the responsibility of his role and understands the 

challenge of ensuring that all codes are met while balancing historical preservation and maintaining the beauty of the buildings 

and grounds. He is excited to get started and is looking forward 

to collaborating with other AOC divisions to assist in whatever 

way he and his team can. “My goals are to help the AOC deliver 

projects safely, on time, code compliant and within budget. We 

don’t want to contribute to the stress of meeting deadlines, so we 

want to get involved early. Going forward we want to make sure 

that our reviews and inspections are built into the planning.” 

Morgan recognizes that the Building Official operations are new 

and that the program will require continuous development. But 

his mission is very clear: “My team will help the AOC preserve 

and maintain these spaces for people who will visit, whether it’s 

tomorrow or 80 years from now, so that all those future visitors 

feel the same sense of history and awe that I did on my first visit.”

Courtney Morgan, 

Building Official, 

talks with staff about 

building codes and 

requirements during 

an inspection.
16 THOLOS

| VOLUME 23 THOLOS| VOLUME 23 17

24 Hours at 

the Capitol 

Power Plant

Tucked away near the U.S. Capitol and 

off the beaten path of a typical tour is the 

4.7 acres that comprise the Capitol Power 

Plant. You may not know it’s there, but 

you feel and see the impacts of its work 

every time you step inside buildings on 

the Capitol campus. 

There are 109 people who work in 

various shops, supporting the plant’s four 

divisions: Engineering and Maintenance, 

Operations, Utility Services, and 

Business Operations. Their primary 

mission has always been to provide steam 

and chilled water that heats and cools 

buildings throughout the campus, but 

with the recent AOC reorganization, 

the Capitol Power Plant now includes 

the Distribution High Voltage and 

Electronics Branch, previously with the 

Office of the Chief Engineer. Now their 

work stretches beyond the miles of pipes 

delivering utilities and touches every 

office on Capitol Hill.

Twenty-four hours a day the Capitol 

Power Plant brings heat in the winter and 

A/C for those humid D.C. summer days, 

and now Capitol Power Plant staff also 

provide cable television, ensure the congressional call and clock system runs on 

time, and manage all high-voltage electrical systems across the campus. Here’s 

a behind-the-scenes look at the Capitol 

Power Plant and its critical workforce.

BEHIND THE SCENES

The mission of the Architect 

of the Capitol (AOC) 

continues year-round, 24 

hours a day, seven days a 

week. Our buildings never 

sleep, and the work never 

stops. This is especially true 

for the dedicated workers 

at the Capitol Power Plant. 

WRITTEN BY ERIN NELSON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES ROSENTHAL

Gary Bowser inspects a 

boiler fan to ensure that 

it is properly lubricated 

and that safety systems 

are working correctly.
18 THOLOS | VOLUME 23

The Engineering and Maintenance 

Division’s day starts early at 4:30 a.m., 

Monday through Friday. The many shops 

of the division provide support for the 

Capitol Power Plant’s equipment by 

maintaining and calibrating the plant’s 

boilers, chillers, auxiliary equipment 

and pumps. 

The shops in the division are run by 

Bernard Warnowicz, Capitol Power Plant 

Maintenance General Supervisor who 

hits his 15th anniversary of working for 

the AOC this fall. In those years he’s seen 

people and equipment come and go, but 

the commitment remains the same, “I 

am very proud of my work here. When 

I put this uniform on, with the logo of 

the Capitol Building, I’m reminded that 

I was hired, not just for my expertise, but 

for the devotion to what we do. I know 

I’m here for a reason and that our work is 

important to Congress.”

He has also spent that time perfecting 

the analogy for his division’s varied work, 

“If you were to compare our work to the 

maintenance needs of your car, we’re the 

ones who change the oil, check the air in 

your tires, troubleshoot your battery issues 

and figure out why the check engine light 

is on.” 

And thanks to modern technology, they’re 

able to operate and troubleshoot more 

efficiently and are continually looking 

for ways to improve performance and 

reliability. The team relies on small transmitters located throughout the plant to 

help monitor all aspects of the operations. 

The transmitters are the “heart and soul” 

of the plant according to Dennis Deahl, 

Instrumentation Controls Technician, 

as they allow staff to track hundreds of 

items from a control room. Technology 

also helps staff monitor for any potential 

environmental impacts, which are always 

top of mind. 

“It’s absolutely critical that we don’t 

have any environmental impacts. We do 

everything we can to prevent and monitor 

for impacts to protect the environment, but also everyone who visits and 

works on Capitol Hill,” said Greg Cobb, 

Supervisor of the Instrumentation and 

Controls Shop. 

ENGINEERING AND MAINTENANCE 

Dennis Deahl

Instrumentation Controls Technician

Darrin Weedon

Instrumentation Controls Technician

“ I am very proud of my work here. When I put this 

uniform on, with the logo of the Capitol Building, 

I’m reminded that I was hired, not just for my 

expertise, but for the devotion to what we do.”

BERNARD WARNOWICZ

Capitol Power Plant Maintenance General Supervisor

Charton Cortes 

Instrumentation Controls Technician
THOLOS | VOLUME 23 19

If the Engineering and Maintenance Division is akin to your car 

mechanic, the Operations Division is responsible for driving the car. 

Division staff run the daily operations of the Capitol Power Plant’s 

equipment. The Power Plant Operators work in four rotating shifts, 

consisting of 12-hour rotations and are on duty seven days a week. 

They spend their hours monitoring equipment, forecasting the 

weather — factoring in how much energy will be needed to ensure 

adequate temperatures in the buildings — and performing inspections to ensure personal protective equipment is well-stocked and 

the equipment is working as it should throughout the plant. 

As shifts change, the group leaving provides “the skinny” or an 

overview of the operations from their shift to coordinate actions to 

keep the plant running seamlessly. 

While they joke about making output decisions based on achy 

joints, they rely on weather forecasts to make operational decisions 

but must also account for temperature fluctuations that can be 

impacted by something as simple as the number of times someone 

opens a door to enter or exit a building. It’s a complicated and 

delicate balance. 

But the self-described tight-knit group works together to get 

the job done, a job they’re very proud to do. “Our work is a big 

part of what happens here, especially for the special events. We 

make sure that no equipment goes down and nothing goes wrong. 

It is an honor and privilege for me to be here at the Capitol 

and serve my nation,” said Joe Shields, Power Plant Operator 

Assistant Supervisor. 

OPERATIONS

“Our work is a big part of what happens here, especially for 

the special events. We make sure that no equipment goes 

down and nothing goes wrong. It is an honor and privilege 

for me to be here at the Capitol and serve my nation.”

JOE SHIELDS

Power Plant Operator Assistant Supervisor

Knovell Scott 

Power Plant Operator

Alba Dalton 

Industrial Control System Specialist
20 THOLOS | VOLUME 23

One recent addition to the Capitol Power 

Plant jurisdiction and its Utility Services 

Division is the Electronics Branch. 

Their work is similar to the benefits you 

receive from your cable provider, alarm 

clock and sound system. They work in 

multiple shifts and remain available to 

troubleshoot any immediate issues when 

Congress is in session. 

This team oversees many critical systems 

that run across campus including the congressional cable television system, alerts 

from the congressional call and clock 

system, and the audio support for congressional events. To ensure everything 

runs smoothly 24/7, they provide ongoing 

maintenance and respond to the service 

requests related to the various systems. 

Their work is very much behind 

the scenes, but is felt throughout 

congressional offices. “The public doesn’t 

see us, but they see the results of our 

work. I take great pride in my job to 

support Congress,” said Darryl Adams, 

Electronics Mechanic Supervisor. 

Adams has been working for the AOC 

for 34 years and is one of the more senior 

employees on his team. His supervisor, 

Robert Gatewood, also has decades of 

experience in the utilities industry and 

has been with the AOC since 2007. He 

is actively preparing the next generation 

to continue the important work of his 

team, “I currently have eight certified 

technicians and four more who are fully 

licensed.” He knows how critical it is to 

protect the institutional knowledge by 

passing it on to those that will be the 

future leaders and technicians, ensuring 

the congressional systems run just as 

smoothly in the years to come. 

UTILITY SERVICES

Christopher Bingaman 

Power Plant Operator

Andre Roy 

Electronics Technician

“The public doesn’t see us, but they see 

the results of our work. I take great 

pride in my job to support Congress.”

DARRYL ADAMS

Electronics Mechanic Supervisor

John DeLorenzo 

Electronics Mechanic Leader
THOLOS | VOLUME 23 21

“ I’m honored to work alongside so many highly 

skilled and dedicated employees who are committed 

to the Capitol Power Plant and its mission.”

DOREEN FERRINGTON

Administrative Officer for Business Operations

Much like a service center, the Business 

Operations Division is responsible for the 

administrative and business services that 

serve the core needs of the Capitol Power 

Plant. It also supports the communication, 

collaboration and coordination between 

the other divisions of the plant.

A typical day for this team does not exist. 

As changing plant conditions evolve, staff 

are required to be agile, responsive and 

resilient in their efforts to assist the other 

divisions, ensuring they can continue 

providing the campus with 24/7 uninterrupted service. Whether it’s processing 

a requisition for an emergency repair, 

tracking rare spare parts and inventory 

across multiple shops, or ensuring all of 

the unique timecards are certified correctly, the Business Operations Division 

knows to expect the unexpected. 

“The Business Operations Division is 

staffed by a hardworking, dedicated 

group of individuals who operate as a 

centralized point of service for the plant. 

I’m honored to work alongside so many 

highly skilled and dedicated employees 

who are committed to the Capitol Power 

Plant and its mission,” said Doreen 

Ferrington, Administrative Officer for 

Business Operations. 

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Like many other AOC employees, the 

staff supporting the Capitol Power 

Plant’s 24/7 operations are proud to serve 

their nation while making it possible for 

Congress to perform its work. 

“The Capitol Power Plant is a team of 

experts, extremely dedicated to serving 

the buildings and people on Capitol 

Hill,” said Christopher Potter, Director 

of Utilities and Power Plant Operations. 

“And now that we’ve implemented the 

Architect of the Capitol’s vision of consolidating all utilities into a single jurisdiction, we look forward to building on 

our past success and achieving even more 

effective and efficient utility services.”

ONE TEAM, ONE MISSION

Running just a single chiller 

for a day uses the same 

amount of electricity as five 

homes for an entire year

Average Capitol Power Plant electric 

use (equivalent to powering 6,813 

homes for an entire year)

73,000,000

kilowatt-hours

Just one package boiler at 

the Capitol Power Plant can 

generate enough steam to 

heat an average of 35,000 

homes for an entire year

The amount of water in the 

Capitol Power Plant’s chilled 

water system is equivalent to 

two Olympic swimming pools
22 THOLOS

| VOLUME 23 THOLOS| VOLUME 23 23

While light fixtures are like jewelry to a room, they 

can also set a tone for the significance of the space. 

Naturally, they also provide illumination to enable work 

and safe movement. 

In both function and form, many fixtures now shine 

more brightly and run more efficiently in the Cannon 

House Office Building. As part of a broader effort complementing the Cannon Renewal Project, the effort to 

restore and renew, and in some cases, reproduce, many 

of the historic or existing lighting fixtures gracefully 

reilluminates the building’s Beaux Arts civic architecture, its marble and its offices.

At a time when less than half of the nation’s homes had 

electricity, the Cannon Building and its light fixtures 

were electrified when it opened in 1908. Before electricity was considered a modern necessity, the lighting 

design was integrated directly into the construction of 

the building.

Cannon 

Light Fixture 

Restoration

WRITTEN BY AIMEE JORJANI 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN GREENE

The Caucus Room 

chandelier, a prominent feature of the space, 

can be seen in original 

photos dating to 1908.

PROJECT UPDATE
24 THOLOS | VOLUME 23

Many early-20th-century light fixtures were made of brass, 

including those within the Cannon Building. While such 

fixtures are typically finished with a coat of lacquer that provides 

both shine and corrosion protection, much of the lacquer had 

worn off and the brass had aged and collected grime.

After many decades of continuous use, the need for off-site 

restoration and deep cleaning required the careful disassembly 

of the fixtures’ many components. Skilled workers carefully 

documented the disassembly to ensure the complex fixtures 

could be restored to their original form. This meticulous task is 

fundamental for the intricate crystal chandeliers found in more 

significant spaces within the Cannon Building.

Preservation treatment begins with modest efforts of repair and 

cleaning. Some fixtures required more intensive restoration of 

damaged features. Ultimately, the restoration effort incorporates 

both respect for the historic features while also addressing the 

goal of meeting current and future lighting needs. Those needs 

posed additional challenges as they required historic fixtures to 

be retrofitted to incorporate state-of-the-art dimming system 

technology in hearing rooms, Member suites and corridors. The 

results of this modern-day requirement truly shine.

Outdoor fixtures near entrances of the building were also 

restored. Metal components were gently cleaned of residue 

to keep the original patina intact. The lights were completely 

rewired using the highest-quality, UL-approved wire. Glass 

shades were reproduced, replacing plastic elements used for 

earlier repairs.

Ceiling-mounted corridor lighting added during the 1930s — 

the Cannon Building’s defining decade — has been renewed. 

Each of these lights, which ring the rotunda, are comprised of 

a brass mount with a single, sanded glass globe. These fixtures 

were removed, disassembled and documented. Where necessary, 

existing lacquer coatings were removed as well as decades of 

paint spatter. Brass components were gently cleaned, ridding 

them of dust and residue before receiving between one and three 

coats of lacquer containing tarnish inhibitors. As existing wiring 

conditions varied among fixtures, all interior corridor lighting 

has been completely rewired using UL-listed components along 

with added LED components that include dimming capabilities to support energy efficiency goals. A similar effort restored 

single light sconces within stairwells and walls. 

Some fixtures required the partial reconstruction of missing 

features to bring back lost details. Workers involved have 

skills, including glassblowing, to fabricate shades that include 

clear, frosted, opal, etched glass or crystal. Glass is repaired or 

reconstructed using a combination of magnification, lights and 

adhesive. Lighted magnification allows the skilled technician to 

see all aspects of damage and identify cracks and breaks in the 

glass shades. Damage is repaired using a fast-curing ultraviolet 

adhesive that dries clear and heals cracks. 

Original sconces outline both the Caucus and Homeland Security 

hearing rooms.

New dimmable LED components support energy efficiency goals.
THOLOS | VOLUME 23 25

Traditional glassblowing trades are used to fabricate custom 

replacement shades. A composition of sand, sodium carbonate lime and dolomite is heated to 1,675 degrees Celsius to a 

melted liquid that can be poured into molds. Once ready, the 

blower will gather a “gob” of molten glass with a hollow steel 

pipe. The gob is lowered into a mold as the glassblower blows 

into the pipe while turning the gob. The finished component 

is then placed in an annealing oven for two to four hours. Any 

missing metal elements of a fixture are recast and fabricated 

for reproduction. 

For more character-defining features such as the Homeland 

Security committee room’s polished white brass crystal chandelier, the glass globes were carefully removed, partially disassembled and wrapped for safe transport off-site to be completely 

disassembled. Each piece was then repinned by hand using new 

brass hangers and all the crystal was carefully cleaned. The metal 

components were stripped, cleaned and lacquered. Once rewired, 

the fixtures were then partially assembled, packaged, transported, 

installed and dressed on-site. All fixtures use LED energy efficient bulbs throughout the renewed spaces.

Each fixture is returned to exactly where it came from, including 

those within Member offices. The importance of the Architect 

of the Capitol’s effort to maintain, clean, update and refabricate 

broken pieces will ensure continued use for another 50 to 100 

years. Throughout the Cannon Building, these light fixtures contribute to and represent our nation’s history. If only they could 

speak to all they witnessed through the decades.

White brass with crystal 

prisms and blown glass 

can be seen hanging 

from the Homeland 

Security hearing room.
THOLOS | VOLUME 22 26 Photo by Thomas Hatzenbuhler THOLOS | VOLUME 23 27

KUDOS 

to YOU

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

The Architect of the Capitol recently recognized the following employees for their exceptional 

service to meet our mission. Their work, leadership and commitment encourage us all as 

we work together to serve, preserve and inspire across the Capitol campus and beyond.

Jeremy Acton

Ryan Columbo

Chris Daucher

Danae Diggs

Nadine Edwards

Ariel Kahan

Latania Maise

Albert Martin

Timothy Minner

Robert Oppermann

Christal Williams

Danielle Wilson

Photo by Thomas Hatzenbuhler THOLOS | VOLUME 23 27
28 THOLOS | VOLUME 23

Legislative and Public Affairs

U.S. Capitol, Room SB-16

Washington, DC 20515

THOLOS VOLUME 23

The Architect of the Capitol strives 

to meet its mission 24 hours a day, 

365 days a year to serve Congress 

and the Supreme Court, preserve

America’s Capitol, and inspire 

memorable experiences for all who 

visit the buildings and grounds.

Tholos is distributed by the Architect 

of the Capitol primarily for AOC 

employees. Questions regarding 

content and publication should be 

directed to AOC Legislative and Public 

Affairs at communications@aoc.gov, 

202.228.1793, or U.S. Capitol, Room 

SB-16, Washington, DC 20515.

JOIN AOC ONLINE:

Twitter.com/uscapitol 

Facebook.com/architectofthecapitol 

Instagram.com/uscapitol 

YouTube.com/uscapitol 

www.aoc.gov

Front Cover Photo By: 

Thomas Hatzenbuhler

Back Cover Photo By: 

Kaleena Dwyer