Cannon House Office Building
Cannon House Office Building | |
---|---|
Location within Washington, D.C. | |
Former names | House Office Building |
General information | |
Status | Completed |
Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
Location | United States Capitol Complex |
Town or city | Washington, D.C. |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 38°53′13″N 77°00′25″W / 38.88694°N 77.00694°W |
Completed | 1908 |
Opened | December 12, 1908 |
Technical details | |
Material | Marble |
Floor count | 5 |
Design and construction | |
Architecture firm | Carrère and Hastings |
The Cannon House Office Building, often called the "Old House Office Building", completed in 1908, is the oldest office building of the
History
This article is part of a series on the |
United States House of Representatives |
---|
History of the House |
Members |
|
Congressional districts |
|
Politics and procedure |
Places |
United States portal |
The first
The Cannon Building was occupied during the 60th Congress in December 1907. By 1913, however, the House had outgrown the available office space, and fifty-one rooms were added to the original structure by raising the roof and constructing a fifth floor[note 1] that is visible only from the enclosed court and otherwise obscured on the building's public face. Originally there were 397 offices and fourteen committee rooms in the Cannon Building; the 1932 remodeling resulted in 85 two- or three-room suites, 10 single rooms, and 23 committee rooms.[1] During the late 1960s, the House Beauty Shop, a salon which catered to Congresspersons, their spouses, and employees, was relocated to the Cannon House Office Building from the smaller Longworth House Office Building under the auspices of the Beauty Shop Committee.[2]
2015 renovations
In January 2015, a top-to-bottom renovation of the Cannon House Office Building began. Completion is expected to take ten years and cost $752.7 million. Initially, renovation will be focused on upgrading the building utilities, but will progress on to a wing-by-wing exterior and interior reconstruction. According to Bill Weidemeyer (Superintendent of the House), the building "is plagued by safety, health, environmental and operational issues that are rapidly worsening. Many of the building’s systems are original from the 1908 construction."[3]
Architecture
Architecturally, the elevations are divided into a
Modern for its time, the building initially included such facilities as forced-air ventilation systems, steam heat, individual lavatories with hot and cold running water and ice water, telephones, and electricity. Both the Cannon Building and the Russell Building are connected to the Capitol by underground passages.[1]
Of special architectural interest is the
Cannon Tunnel
The Cannon Tunnel connects the Cannon House Office Building to the Capitol. The tunnel is lined with artwork from the annual Congressional Art Competition for high school students.[4] Branching off the entrance to Cannon Tunnel is a separate tunnel to the Longworth House Office Building, and entrances to a cafeteria, shoe shiner/cobbler, and a Legislative Resource Center. Unlike the tunnels from the Capitol to the Senate Office Buildings and the Rayburn tunnel, the Cannon Tunnel has no subway line, and is primarily a pedestrian pathway. In addition, a separate tunnel runs between the building and the neighboring James Madison Memorial Building, a part of the Library of Congress.[5]
Gallery
-
Construction of Cannon Tunnel, c. 1904
-
Cannon Building rotunda
-
View of building from Capitol dome
-
The Cannon Building in 2015 while undergoing renovation
Notes
- attic.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from Cannon House Office Building. Architect of the Capitol.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Cannon House Office Building". Architect of the Capitol. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ "Wash, Rinse, and Equal Treatment". United States House of Representatives Archives. 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
- ^ Klimas, Jacqueline (January 18, 2015). "Cannon House Office Building begins $752M renovation". The Washington Times. Washington, DC. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- ^ Yager, Jordy (February 9, 2010). "An A-mazing Guide". The Hill. Washington, DC. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- ^ Young, Michelle (July 25, 2014). "The Underground City Beneath the U.S. Capitol and Library of Congress". Untapped Cities. Retrieved 28 April 2015.