Herbert C. Hoover Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Herbert C. Hoover Building
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
Aerial view from 14th Street NW, with the Hoover Building in the foreground and its six courtyards visible. In the background is President's Park.
|
|
 Location in Washington, D.C.
|
|
| Location |
|
|---|---|
| Built | 1932 |
| Architect | Louis Ayres |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Part of | Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site (ID66000865) |
The Herbert C. Hoover Building is a very important building in Washington, D.C.. It's the main office for the United States Department of Commerce. This department helps with things like business, trade, and technology in the U.S.
The building is located in a special area called the Federal Triangle, close to many other government buildings. It's near Constitution Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. It was finished in 1932 and later named after Herbert Hoover, who was a Secretary of Commerce and then a President. You can even find the White House Visitor Center inside this building!
Contents
Building History
The United States Department of Commerce was created on March 4, 1913. This happened when President William Howard Taft signed a law. It split the old Department of Commerce and Labor into two separate groups. These were the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor.
In 1928, the government decided to buy land for new offices. This land is now known as the Federal Triangle. Many new government buildings were planned around this time. A law in 1926 allowed the government to hire private architects. This led to many large public buildings being built. The Federal Triangle site covers about 70 acres (28 hectares).
Leading architects helped design the buildings in the Federal Triangle. They wanted each building to fit its purpose. But they also wanted all the buildings to look grand and work together. This would show the importance of the federal government. Louis Ayres was chosen to design the Department of Commerce Building.
Construction of the building started on October 4, 1927. At that time, Herbert Hoover was the Secretary of Commerce. The first stone was laid on July 10, 1929, when Hoover was already President. The building was finished in 1932. It was once the largest office building in the world. It has over 1.8 million square feet (167,000 square meters) of floor space.
The building was renamed after Herbert Hoover in December 1981. This was done by a special law from Congress. Hoover had been a great Secretary of Commerce from 1921 to 1928. The building was officially dedicated as the Herbert C. Hoover Building on April 25, 1983.
For many years, only small updates were made to the building. By 2007, it was the only building in the Federal Triangle that hadn't been fully updated. So, in 2007, the General Services Administration announced a big plan. They would spend $960 million to modernize and renovate the building. This project was planned to take 13 years and happen in eight stages.
The renovation aimed to give the building modern technology. It would also create new offices and save energy. Plus, it would make the building more secure. The project received approval from the National Capital Planning Commission. Funds for the renovation came from different sources. This included money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
However, budget cuts in late 2012 caused delays. The project's completion was put on hold. Still, the government continued with plans to make the building more secure. They added hidden steel barriers and reflecting pools. These pools along 14th Street NW also offered public seating.
Building Design and Art
The Herbert C. Hoover Building is shaped like a large rectangle. It is about 320 feet (98 meters) from east to west. It stretches about 1,020 feet (311 meters) from north to south. It covers almost the entire west side of the Federal Triangle. The building has more than 3,300 rooms. These rooms are connected by long corridors, some over 1,000 feet (305 meters) long.
The building was designed with flexible walls. This meant offices could change easily as departments grew or changed. People have described it as "sprawling" because of its large size.
The Malcolm Baldrige Great Hall is a special part of the building. It is named after Howard M. Baldrige, Jr., who was a Commerce Secretary. This hall is located on the first floor. It faces Pennsylvania Avenue. Today, it houses the White House Visitor Center. This center is run by the National Park Service.
The Great Hall is 225 feet (69 meters) long and 62 feet (19 meters) wide. It was first used as a search room for patents. The United States Patent and Trademark Office is part of the Commerce Department. In 1976, the Great Hall became a visitor center. It was renovated in the 1990s. Its beautiful plaster ceiling was restored. The original limestone walls and bronze doors were cleaned. The White House Visitor Center opened there in March 1995.
The building's design includes six inner courtyards. These courtyards let natural light and fresh air into the inner offices. The building also has a Neoclassical style. This means it looks like ancient Greek buildings. It has Doric columns on three sides.
The side of the building on 15th Street is very long. It has four special sections with triangular tops called pediment sculpture. These sculptures were made by James Earle Fraser and Haig Patigian.
Inside the building, there is also the Commerce Research Library. This library is mainly used by government employees and researchers. However, it is also open to the public. Other parts of the Commerce Department, like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have their own libraries.
The United States Census Bureau is part of the Commerce Department. Because of this, the official Population Clock was once in the lobby of the Hoover Building. This clock shows the estimated population of the United States. It once showed too many people by mistake in 1982! The clock is now at the Census Bureau's headquarters in Maryland.
National Aquarium in Washington, D.C.
The National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. was an aquarium located in the basement of the Herbert C. Hoover Building. It moved into the building when it was completed in 1932. This was the first free public aquarium in the United States.
The aquarium closed on September 30, 2013. This happened because of budget cuts and the building's renovation. It was the first time the Aquarium had closed in 140 years since it opened in 1873. The museum is looking for a new location in Washington, D.C., but no specific plans have been made yet.
Images for kids
-
Herbert C. Hoover Building, viewed from 15th Street NW.
-
Herbert C. Hoover Building main entrance, 14th Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW.
-
A sculpture at the Herbert C. Hoover Building, showing the United States Patent Office.
-
The Malcolm Baldrige Great Hall, named for a former Commerce Secretary.
