Unconventional Capitol Facts

Capitol tours are pretty neat, but most tour guides stick to a basic set of talking points. Here are some of the strangest little-known facts about the Capitol!

Murder stairs

Through some back hallways near the Hall of Columns you will come upon a staircase that looks pretty standard for the Capitol.  However these stairs are far from ordinary, and are actually the scene of a brutal murder! During the late 1880's reporter Charles Kincaid wrote a number of articles about Congressman William Taulbee of Kentucky.  One of these articles exposed Taulbee’s alleged affair.  This rumor ended his Congressional career but like many former Congressmen, Taulbee decided to become a Washington lobbyist. The two men ran into each other frequently in the Capitol, which usually resulted in little spats and arguments. On February 28, 1890 Taulbee and Kincaid got into a physical fight, of which Taulbee was the clear winner. After the quarrel Kincaid decided to go home and retrieve his pistol.  That afternoon the two men ran into each other again on this back stairwell. Seeing as there were no eyewitnesses, Kincaid shot Taulbee.  Taulbee’s blood stained the marble, and these bloodstains can still be seen today.  Taulbee died eleven days later.  Kincaid was acquitted since the jury saw his actions as self-defense.

Abandoned Tomb

At the center of the Crypt lies the compass stone, a star-shaped block that designates where the four quadrants of the district meet. Directly below the compass stone lies an abandoned tomb.  This tomb was built for President George Washington and his wife Martha.  The Crypt's flooring was originally designed to be made of glass so that visitors could view the first President’s tomb.  Washington specified in his will that he was to be buried with his wife at their home in Mount Vernon instead. The tomb now remains empty.

Constaggini’s Revenge

The Frieze of American History is a painting that encompasses the Rotunda. The original designs for the Frieze of American History were miscalculated, so the artist Constaggini was left with 31ft of empty space.  He submitted his designs for this space to Congress, yet they were denied. Constaggini was obviously upset, so he decided to make his mark on the Frieze. Look closely at the picture. On the tree just above the fern is a face! Constaggini achieved his revenge on Congress by painting his face into the Frieze. 

Enjoy your Capitol tours and make sure to keep a look out for these for these odd pieces of history!

-Kiera Finelli

An Island in a City

In between the two states, once inside the original DC proper, sits an island in the middle of the Potomac River. Originally known as Anacostine Island, this small stretch of land was occupied by the Nacotchtank Indians in the late 1600’s. The island was acquired by George Masson III, and remained in the family for many years. Eventually John Mason, the grandson of George Mason III, inherited the island and built a mansion on the Island. For roughly 50 years, the Mason family occupied the place. In the 1840s, river patterns caused the family to abandon the dwelling, and the island changed hands a few times. During the Civil War, Union troops occupied the island. Shortly after, a fire destroyed the interior of the mansion, and another fire in 1906 destroyed the structure of the house. The island was abandoned since the first fire until 1931, when Congress authorized the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial after buying the island from a gas company.

I visited the island a few weeks ago, interested in seeing this nature reserve in the middle of DC’s metropolitan area. It was about what I expected: trees, flowers, a great many birds. The park service is very relaxed, so people have the freedom to carve their own trails and see the sites. There’s a great view of the George Washington Bridge, and it’s a popular location for joggers. Since the nearest Metro stop is Rosslyn, it’s difficult for people to get to on foot, but the highway connects to the parking lot across the river, and many cyclists use the place as a staging area. 

View of the bridge from the island

The memorial was interesting, but after my first trip, I wanted to find the house ruins. I found an old map, and read a blog-post about a Smithsonian employee who undertook a similar quest in the early 2000’s. I knew the house and surrounding grounds were located on the southern peak of the island, and the main structures faced south. One Friday, while waiting for a friend, I walked over to the island and started searching. I had my compass, and found a raised area on the south end of the island, but didn’t see any obvious signs of ruins. I read that the Civilian Conservation Corps destroyed much of the mansion when building the memorial, but the building foundations should still be in place. I used my compass, trees, and geography to find a rough location, then started circling. 

House after the Second fire

Eventually, I found an un-naturally flat clearing, but didn’t find any stones. I cut back to the trail, and saw what I was looking for: A sign, posted by the Park Service, marking the location of the house. I had crossed over the area before, thinking the trees too old and thick to hold a large house, but when I looked at it again, I saw the over-grown rocks and rises of a foundation. There wasn’t much to look at, but I could see where a house once stood. It’s amazing to think what that house would have been like: Alone, on a personal island, with the capital across the river. It would have been the ultimate living location in the DC area, but instead, its destroyed, open for the public to enjoy. 

Whats left of the Ice House.

 Ian Seifert

Unearthing A National Treasure

On one of the year's first warmer days, a slightly overcast, breezy afternoon on a particularly uneventful Saturday in March, I made the decision to stray a little further than usual, away from the growing masses on the National Mall, and the accumulation of tourists surrounding the city's monuments.

Nestled rather conspicuously, a few blocks away from the clustered American University campus, sits the National Cathedral and Basilica, a towering Episcopal church that looks far older than it actually is. Its construction began in 1907, but wasn't completed as we see it now until 1990.

Modeled after the enormous Gothic chapels of 12th century Europe, the National Cathedral does its predecessors justice; the inside and outside of the structure are adorned with precise stonework and tracery, while the massive vaulted ceilings and stained glass rose windows inspire the effect of an anachronistic juxtoposition, as if somehow a thousand year-old English chapel could simply be picked up, carried through time, and planted on the streets of a modern cityscape.

Perhaps most impressive were the series of ornate stone alters (pictured at left), at the front of the chapel. The unique aspect about the architecture in the church is that since the style of the building is an homage to an era of the past, there is a broad range of art on the interior, a compilation of the era's masterpieces; including narrative tapestries, carvings decorated in gold leaf, statues of clergymen and noted historical figures, and grotesques.

The outside of the structure is as impressive as the inside. As you move away from the building itself, there is an opportunity to walk the expansive campus surrounding the cathedral, where there is a large garden, separating the main building with a complex of parochial schools.

Beyond that, you exit into the Cathedral Heights neighborhood, which was particularly intriguing to me. Living in Washington carries an expectation of the hurried urban nature of the majority of the space inside the Beltway, whereas these neighborhoods are areas more like the suburban sprawl in the midst of which I grew up in Ohio. It was certainly interesting to find that there were more than just tightly packed city neighborhoods, and a bit more familiarity to my own origins than I had originally thought.

The cathedral cost 6$ for students with valid ID and 10$ for other adults, but I found it to be well worth the cost of admission.

- Drew Lindenberger

Life on the Hill: A User’s Guide

There is considerable mythology surrounding the life of the Capitol Hill intern, most of which, as it turns out, is false. Most offices aren’t riddled with sex scandals and lobbyist bribery, and you probably won’t get offered a six-figure salary as a result of an doing an exemplary job of answering the phones. However, there are a few ways to make your time on The Hill worth your while. Without further ado, the unabridged field guide: Real tips, plus sass!

Tip 1: Go to Congressional Briefings:

Every day, hundreds of lobbyists and nonprofit government relations advocates storm the Capitol with the intention of educating your office staff about their specific interest areas, holding informational panels that no one in your office has time to attend. Go in their place! You’ll have the unique opportunity to suddenly be an expert on something you previously knew nothing about, and sometimes there’s free muffins!

Tip 2: Dress Well, but Don’t Stress:

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably spending some time freaking out about not knowing what to wear on the Hill. Don’t worry! If you’re a male, wear a suit. If you’re not a male, wear whatever women wear in lieu of a suit. Problem solved! If it’s recess, wear whatever you want! I have a creeping suspicion that people in my office sometimes don’t even wear pants during recess. But seriously though, one time I saw Senator Hatch in a wrinkled suit that was 3 sizes too big, with tennis shoes, so if you’re worried about not looking professional enough, you’re probably being irrational.

Tip 3: Network!

When you go to briefings and meet new people, be sure to introduce yourself. You might meet people who are willing to help your career in the future, or at the very least, direct you towards the free muffins. Give them your business card! In fact, give them thirty of your business cards, not only in case they lose the first twenty-nine, but also because you can apparently only order quantities of business cards in multiples of 9 billion.

Tip 4: Don’t Shy Away from Receptions:

When there aren’t enough free muffins to provide sustenance in light of the fact that Washington is too expensive to buy groceries, don’t fret. Start asking around about Congressional receptions. The Taco Bell Franchise Managers PAC once had a 3-hour reception from which I snagged 13 tacos! I didn’t have to cook for a week! Also, I got scurvy.

I hope these tips will be useful for all your future endeavors, and provide you with guidance while your bank account quickly dwindles down to nothingness. Enjoy!

- Drew Lindenberger

Interning with Marathon Petroleum Corporation by Cody Vermillion

Without a doubt, I was incredibly nervous about accepting an internship with Marathon Petroleum Corporation for my time as a Glenn Fellow. I had heard of nothing but great experiences from past interns at the company but was nonetheless uncertain about working at a company that would more often than not align with different political values than I hold. However, by the end of my first week of my internship, I had decided that there was really no need for me to worry.

My first few days on the job didn’t really feel like my first days. I was thrown right into the day-to-day activities, not gently placed; which I’m grateful for because the type of work my internship entailed didn’t have time for easing. By my fourth day of work I was already holding my first political action committee (PAC) meeting, providing updates on where the office stood financially with PAC spending and making suggestions on which upcoming events our office should have a presence at. By my second week I was helping coordinate my first executive fly-in as the CEO and senior vice presidents made their way to the District to attend a host of meetings with trade associations and Congressional members. The work I did was very tangible. I really enjoyed being able to see the results of the hard work I put into preparing and scheduling meetings, normally coming in the form of our office being in a better position legislatively or having built a new relationship with a key figure on the Hill.

           

There really wasn’t an aspect of my internship that I didn’t enjoy. Sure, when Congress was in recess things in the office really slowed down, but those days were needed to recoup from the crazy weeks that preceded the break. If there was one thing I wish I had more of, it would be more time on the Hill to see lobbying efforts in full swing. I was fortunate enough, however, to be brought along to fundraisers where I got to meet Democratic leaders from the House, as well as my hometown Congresswoman, Joyce Beatty.

            

The semester really moves fast. Take each day as it comes to you and make the most of it because before you know it, it is time to move back to Ohio. Marathon Petroleum provides a wonderful experience for those interested in the relationship between the private and public sector and I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of political party affiliation.

Tyler Shankel's Opinion on Otters (and another non-otter animal)

If you are going to spend time in Washington, you cannot get away with not having opinions about things.  Truly, people in the capital gather to discuss and argue their opinions about some of the most important matters of our times.  I, like others in this city, have plenty of opinions, and today I will share my opinions about otters.

River otters, more precisely.  I have opinions about sea otters too, but let's not get sidetracked.  There is a raft (the name of a group of otters) of North American River Otters at the National Zoological Park, in Washington, DC, which you can go to see anytime.  I went there, at first uninformed and uninterested in otters. But that's the wonderful thing about the zoo and the all of the Smithsonian Institute's various establishments: you become inspired to learn more about the things you discover while visiting.

For some people, they might discover a passion for studying human space travel after visiting the Air and Space Museum.  For me, it was an admiration and interest in Lontra canadensis.  I arrived at the zoo before the group I was going with, because I love zoos, and never get tired of them.  I had just finished observing the sloth bear, Francois (who was very cool), when I saw a large crowd of people around an open exhibit.  At first, I was skeptical; what could be so interesting that it would draw people away from a sloth bear?

I approached the exhibit, and was greeted with this scene:

As you can clearly see, these otters were having a good time that day.  From the clumsy way they walk on land to the adorable way they rolls around to dry themselves, otters are clearly awesome.  But after researching more, I discovered even more awesome otter facts!  For example: otters, like many trendy humans in DC, are generally pescetarians.  But they are are also predators, crafted by evolution to hunt their underwater prey.  In addition, they have transparent eyelids that they use to see underwater, as well as bodies that are extremely hydrodynamic, allowing them to be extremely maneuverable underwater. Also, they are not (currently) threatened with extinction, so you don't have to feel sad about all of them dying like you do with pandas.

Experiences like this are why I love going to zoos and the Smithsonian Institute system around DC. If you ever find yourself in DC on a nice day, I highly recommend that you go see these otters (and Francois, if he's around).

Edit: I apologize for the low quality video; Blogger doesn't upload videos well.  If you want to see more otters, Youtube has plenty of videos of them being adorable.