Cannon House Office Building

The Cannon House Office Building (often called the "Old House Office Building"), completed in 1908, is the oldest office building of the United States Congress in Washington, D.C. A significant example of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture, it occupies a site south of the United States Capitol bounded by Independence Avenue, First Street, New Jersey Avenue, and C Street S.E. In 1962 the building was named for former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Joseph Gurney Cannon.

History

The first congressional office buildings were constructed immediately after the turn of the 20th century to relieve overcrowding in the interior of the then century-old United States Capitol. Previously, members who wanted office space had to rent quarters or borrow space in committee rooms. In March 1901, Congress authorized Architect of the Capitol Edward Clark (1822–1902, served 1865–1902), to draw plans for fireproof office buildings for both the House and Senate adjacent north and south to the Capitol grounds. By two years later, in March 1903, the acquisition of land for sites, razing of the private residences and businesses and construction of the buildings were authorized. In April 1904, the prominent New York City architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings was retained. Thomas Hastings (1860–1929), took charge of the southside House Office Building project, while John Carrère (1858–1911), oversaw the construction of an almost identical office building (now named the Russell Senate Office Building) for the United States Senate to the north. Their Beaux Arts / Classical Revival styles of architecture designs were restrained complementary to the original Capitol of 1792–1863.

The Cannon Building was occupied during the session of the 60th U.S. Congress in December 1907. By less than a decade later in 1913, however, the House had already outgrown the available office space, and fifty-one rooms were added to the original structure by raising the roof and constructing a fifth floor (not visible in its exterior view).Technically in Classical architecture, an attic. that is visible only from the enclosed court and otherwise obscured on the building's exterior public face. Originally there were 397 offices and fourteen committee rooms in the Cannon Building; the subsequent second 1932 remodeling project resulted in 85 two- or three-room suites, 10 single rooms, and 23 committee rooms. 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 adjacent smaller and newer Longworth House Office Building of 1930–1933, under the auspices of the House of Representatives Beauty Shop Committee.

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, this renovation project will be focused on upgrading the building infrastructure and 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."

As of the early 2020s, renovation work has proceeded in phased construction zones, with Members of Congress temporarily relocated to other House office buildings during active work. The project includes seismic reinforcement, asbestos abatement, accessibility upgrades, and modernization of mechanical systems while preserving historic architectural elements.

Architecture Architecturally, the elevations are divided into a rusticated base and a colonnade with an entablature and balustrade. The colonnades with thirty-four Doric columns that face the Capitol are echoed by pilasters on the sides of the building, and very inspired by the Louvre Colonnade in Paris. The Cannon Building is faced with marble and limestone; while the Senate's Russell Building's base and terrace are gray granite.

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.

Of special architectural interest is the rotunda. Eighteen Corinthian columns support an entablature and a coffered dome, whose glazed oculus floods the rotunda with natural light. Twin marble staircases lead from the rotunda to an imposing Caucus Room, which features Corinthian pilasters, a full entablature, and a richly detailed ceiling.

Cannon Tunnel The north-south 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. Branching off the entrance to the Cannon Tunnel is a separate tunnel southwest to the adjacent 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 on the northside and the Rayburn Tunnel, the Cannon Tunnel because of its age, has no subway line, and is primarily a pedestrian pathway. In addition, a separate tunnel runs between the Cannon building and to the east of the neighboring James Madison Memorial Building, a part of the adjacent Library of Congress buildings complex.

Representatives with Cannon offices Name Party District Room Robert Aderholt R Room 272 Pete Aguilar D Room 108 Mark Alford R Room 328 Rick Allen R Room 462 Mark Amodei R Room 104 Michael Baumgartner R Room 124 Nick Begich III R Room 153 Cliff Bentz R Room 409 Ami Bera D Room 172 Jack Bergman R Room 566 Andy Biggs R Room 464Mike BostRRoom 352Josh BrecheenRRoom 351Troy CarterDRoom 442Greg CasarDRoom 446Juan CiscomaniRRoom 461Michael CloudRRoom 304Jim ClyburnDRoom 274Andrew ClydeRRoom 445Eli CraneRRoom 307Dan CrenshawRRoom 248Madeleine DeanDRoom 150Mario Díaz-BalartRRoom 374Debbie DingellDRoom 102Neal DunnRRoom 466Tom EmmerRRoom 326Mike EzellRRoom 443Shomari FiguresDRoom 225Randy FineRRoom 244Brian FitzpatrickRRoom 271Mike FloodRRoom 343Vince FongRRoom 243Russell FryRRoom 345James GallagherRRoom 408Robert GarciaDRoom 109Laura GillenDRoom 428Carlos GiménezRRoom 448Dan GoldmanDRoom 245Jimmy GomezDRoom 506Maggie GoodlanderDRoom 223Josh GottheimerDRoom 106Michael GuestRRoom 450Josh HarderDRoom 209Mark HarrisRRoom 126Diana HarshbargerRRoom 167Kevin HernRRoom 171Clay HigginsRRoom 572Steven HorsfordDRoom 406Erin HouchinRRoom 342Ronny JacksonRRoom 125Julie JohnsonDRoom 221Mike JohnsonRRoom 521Sydney Kamlager-DoveDRoom 144Thomas Kean Jr.RRoom 251Tim KennedyDRoom 423Ro KhannaDRoom 306Jen KiggansRRoom 152Kimberlyn King-HindsRNorthern Mariana Islands at-largeRoom 425David KustoffRRoom 560Darin LaHoodRRoom 503Nick LaLotaRRoom 122Nick LangworthyRRoom 422Mike LawlerRRoom 324Susie LeeDRoom 365Julia LetlowRRoom 142Anna Paulina LunaRRoom 226Morgan LuttrellRRoom 444Ryan MackenzieRRoom 121Seth MagazinerDRoom 252Celeste MaloyRRoom 249Tracey MannRRoom 344Lisa McClainRRoom 562Jim McGovernDRoom 370LaMonica McIverDRoom 426Dan MeuserRRoom 350Carol MillerRRoom 465Max MillerRRoom 143Mariannette Miller-MeeksRRoom 504Cory MillsRRoom 346John MoolenaarRRoom 246Joseph MorelleDRoom 570Jared MoskowitzDRoom 242James MoylanRGuam at-largeRoom 228Greg MurphyRRoom 407Richard NealDRoom 372Dan NewhouseRRoom 460Ralph NormanRRoom 569Alexandria Ocasio-CortezDRoom 250Andy OglesRRoom 151Burgess OwensRRoom 309Gary PalmerRRoom 170Jimmy PanettaDRoom 200Chris PappasDRoom 452Brittany PettersenDRoom 348Ayanna PressleyDRoom 402Josh RileyDRoom 128Chip RoyRRoom 103Michael RulliRRoom 421Andrea SalinasDRoom 403Brad SchneiderDRoom 300David SchweikertRRoom 166Jefferson ShreveRRoom 224Adrian SmithRRoom 502Lloyd SmuckerRRoom 302Greg StantonDRoom 207Pete StauberRRoom 145Dale StrongRRoom 449Marlin StutzmanRRoom 404Tom SuozziDRoom 203David TaylorRRoom 325Shri ThanedarDRoom 154Glenn ThompsonRRoom 400Mike ThompsonRRoom 268Tom TiffanyRRoom 451William TimmonsRRoom 267Gabe VasquezDRoom 322Debbie Wasserman SchultzDRoom 270Bonnie Watson ColemanDRoom 168Randy WeberRRoom 107Bruce WestermanRRoom 202Tony WiedRRoom 424Rudy YakymRRoom 349Ryan ZinkeRRoom 512

Gallery

Notes

References

External links

Cannon Renewal Project FAQs, Architect of the Capitol Ghosts of DC blog: Three Bits of Trivia About the Cannon House Office Building