The
Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building is the
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
headquartersHeadquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The corporate headquarters is the entity at the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
of the
United States Department of JusticeThe United States Department of Justice is a Cabinet department in the United States government designed to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans...
.
The building is located at 950
Pennsylvania Avenue NWPennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. joining the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches and civilian protests...
, on a
trapezoidIn geometry, a four-sided figure with one pair of parallel sides is referred to as trapezoid in American English and as a trapezium in British English. A trapezoid with vertices ABCD is denoted .-Definition and terminology:...
al lot on the
blockA city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue to the north,
Constitution AvenueIn Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...
to the south, 9th Street to the east, and 10th Street NW to the west, in the
Federal TriangleThe Federal Triangle is the triangular area in Washington, D.C. formed by 15th Street, Constitution Avenue, and Pennsylvania Avenue. It is the site of many U.S. federal government buildings, including:...
. It is located west of the National Archives Building, east of the
Internal Revenue ServiceThe Internal Revenue Service is the United States federal government agency that collects taxes and enforces the internal revenue laws. It is an agency within the U.S. Department of the Treasury and is responsible for interpretation and application of Federal tax law. The official U.S...
building, north of the
National MallThe National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service, and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
, and south of the
J. Edgar Hoover BuildingThe J. Edgar Hoover Building is located in Washington, D.C.. It is the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation . The building, named for former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, is located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The building received its official name, the J. Edgar Hoover F.B.I...
. The building is owned by the
General Services AdministrationThe General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
. It comprises seven
floorsA storey , floor, deck or level is the level of a building above the ground....
and 1.2 million
gross square feetThe square foot is an imperial unit / U.S. customary unit of area, used mainly in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It is defined as the area of a square with sides of 1 foot in length...
. It houses Department of Justice offices, including the office of the
United States Attorney GeneralThe United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The Attorney General is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
. Completed in 1935, it was renamed after
Robert F. KennedyRobert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician. He was a younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and acted as one of his advisers during his presidency. From 1961 to 1964, he was the U.S...
in 2001.
Construction
The Office of the Attorney General was created by the
1st United States CongressThe 1st United States Congress, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's presidency, first at Federal Hall at 26 Wall Street in New York City and later at...
by the
Judiciary Act of 1789The United States Judiciary Act of 1789 was a landmark statute adopted on September 24, 1789 in the first session of the First United States Congress establishing the U.S. federal judiciary...
. In 1792, the
CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election....
made the Attorney General a
CabinetThe United States Cabinet is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States...
-level post. In 1870,
PresidentThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was general-in-chief of the Union Army from 1864 to 1869 during the American Civil War and the 18th President of the United States from 1869 to 1877....
signed the bill creating the Department of Justice. Still, there was not yet a permanent home for either the Attorney General or the Justice Department, and each had occupied a succession of temporary spaces in
federal governmentThe federal government of the United States is the central government entity established by the United States Constitution, which shares sovereignty over the United States with the governments of the individual U.S. states. The federal government has three branches: the legislative, executive, and...
buildings and privately-owned office buildings. While plans to provide the Department with its own building were developed as early as 1910, it was not until the late 1920s that significant progress was made toward this goal.
In 1908 and in 1928, Congress authorized the purchase of land in what is now known as the Federal Triangle for departmental offices. The authorization was part of a wave of government construction; the 1926 Public Buildings Act permitted the government to hire private
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
s for the
designBuilding design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings. All building projects require the services of a building designer, typically an architect on all but the simplest of projects...
of federal buildings, which led to large-scale construction of public buildings, including the development of the Federal Triangle site between the
CapitolThe United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the Federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. Though not in the geographic center of the District of...
and the
White HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
.
Treasury SecretaryThe United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, concerned with finance and monetary matters, and, until 2003, some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United States is analogous to the...
Andrew W. MellonAndrew William Mellon was an American banker, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector and Secretary of the Treasury from March 4 1921 until February 12 1932.-Early life:...
and the Board of Architectural Consultants, composed of leading architects and headed by
Edward H. BennettEdward H. Bennett was an architect and city planner best known for his co-authorship of the 1909 Plan of Chicago.-Biography:Bennett was born in Bristol, England in 1874, and later moved to San Francisco with his family...
of the
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
architectural firmAn architectural firm is a company which employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture.- History :Architects have existed since early in recorded history. The earliest recorded architects include Imhotep and Senemut . No writings exist to describe how these...
of Bennett, Parsons, and Frost, developed design guidelines for the site. Under Bennett's direction, each member of the board designed one of the buildings in the Federal Triangle complex to "provide each government agency or bureau with a building that would address its functional needs, while combining the individual buildings into a harmonious, monumental overall design expressive of the dignity and authority of the federal government."
Milton Bennett MedaryMilton Bennett Medary, Jr. was an American architect from Philadelphia, practicing in the firm Zantzinger, Borie and Medary from 1910 until his death....
of the Philadelphia firm
Zantzinger, Borie and MedaryZantzinger, Borie and Medary was an American architectural firm active from 1910 through 1929, specializing in institutional and civic projects. The partners were Clarence C. Zantzinger, Charles Louis Borie, Jr. and Milton Bennett Medary, all Philadelphians...
was selected as the architect for the Department of Justice Building; upon Medary's death in 1929, the project was taken over by his two partners Charles L. Borie, Jr. and Clarence C. Zantzinger.
In 1930, Congress
appropriatedAn appropriation bill or running bill is a legislative motion which authorizes the government to spend money. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending...
$10 million for the construction of a permanent Department of Justice headquarters in the Federal Triangle. The building was constructed from 1931-1934. Upon completion in 1935, the building finally provided a headquarters for the Attorney General and Department of Justice. From 1935-1941 68
muralA mural is any piece of artwork painted directly on a wall, ceiling, or other large permanent surface.-History:Murals of sorts date to Upper Paleolithic times such as the paintings in the Chauvet Cave in Ardèche department of southern France...
s were painted in the building (an example of
New DealThe New Deal was the name that United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to his complex package of economic programs 1933-36 with the goals of what historians call the 3 Rs, of giving Relief to the unemployed and badly hurt farmers, Reform of business and financial practices, and promoting...
art).
Post-construction
In 1966, the Department of Justice building was listed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as part of the
Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic SitePennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. joining the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches and civilian protests...
.
In 1974, the
Federal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency. The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, which had been headquartered in the same building, moved into its own headquarters at the
J. Edgar Hoover BuildingThe J. Edgar Hoover Building is located in Washington, D.C.. It is the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation . The building, named for former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, is located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The building received its official name, the J. Edgar Hoover F.B.I...
across the street on Pennsylvania Avenue.
In 1978, the
United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance CourtThe United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court is a U.S. federal court authorized under . It was established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 . The FISC oversees requests for surveillance warrants against suspected foreign intelligence agents inside the United States...
(FISC) was established after the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The court of 11 judges appointed by the
Chief Justice of the United StatesThe Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States...
(increased from seven by the
USA PATRIOT ActThe USA PATRIOT Act, commonly known as the "Patriot Act", is a statute enacted by the United States Government that President George W. Bush signed into law on October 26, 2001...
) meets in secret "behind a
cipherIn cryptography, a cipher is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption — a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is encipherment. In non-technical usage, a “cipher” is the same thing as a “code”; however, the concepts...
-locked door in a windowless,
bugA covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone...
-proof,
vaultA bank vault is a secure space where money, valuables, records, and documents can be stored. It is intended to protect their contents from theft, unauthorized use, fire, natural disasters, and other threats, just like a safe...
-like room guarded 24 hours a day on the top floor of the Justice Department building," which columnist
James BamfordJames Bamford is an American bestselling author and journalist who writes about United States intelligence agencies...
likened to "a modern
Star ChamberThe Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges, and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
."
Renovations
From March 1998 to January 2006, major
renovationRenovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
s to the building took place, including work on
plumbingPlumbing is the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures for drinking water systems and the drainage of waste. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping systems, plumbing fixtures and equipment such as water heaters...
,
electrical wiringElectrical wiring in general refers to insulated conductors used to carry electricity, and associated devices. This article describes general aspects of electrical wiring as used to provide power in buildings and structures, commonly referred to as building wiring...
,
heating and coolingHVAC is an acronym that stands for the closely related functions of "Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning"-the technology of indoor environmental comfort...
, and
elevatorAn elevator or lift is a vertical transport vehicle that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building...
s. The project included replication of original lighting for the building's corridors and other ornamental spaces. A new $3.1 million conference center and "data room" were built, the main library and executive suites were restored, and a new
mechanical, electrical and plumbingArchitectural engineering, also known as Building engineering, is the application of engineering principles and technology to building design and construction...
(MEP) system was installed.
The project's submitting firm and
construction managerConstruction Management refers either to the study and practice of the managerial and technological aspects of the construction industry , or to a business model where one party to a construction contract serves as a construction consultant, providing both design and construction...
was the Gilbane Building Company, the architectural firm was Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates, the
structural engineeringStructural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
firm was Delon Hampton Associates, and the
mechanicalMechanical Engineering is an engineering discipline that was developed from the application of principles from physics and materials science. Mechanical engineering involves the analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of various systems...
/
electrical engineerElectrical engineering, sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering, is a field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after...
was H.F. Lenz Company.
Several difficulties were present: The building had to remain operational during renovations, and
hazardous materialsDangerous goods, also called hazardous materials or HazMat , are solids, liquids, or gases that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment. They are often subject to chemical regulations...
were involved, with a large-scale
asbestos abatementMany buildings contain asbestos, which was used in spray-applied flame retardant, thermal system insulation, and in a variety of other materials. Asbestos was sometimes "flocked" above false ceilings, inside technical ducts, and in many other small spaces where firefighters would have difficulty...
effort,
lead paintLead paint is paint containing lead, a heavy metal, that is used as pigment, with lead chromate and lead carbonate being the most common. Lead is also added to paint to speed drying, increase durability, retain a fresh appearance, and resist moisture that causes corrosion...
removal, and the handling of
mercury-vapor lampA mercury-vapor lamp is a gas discharge lamp which uses mercury in an excited state to produce light. The arc discharge is generally confined to a small fused quartz arc tube mounted within a larger borosilicate glass bulb...
s with
PCBsPolychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 1 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx, where x = 1-10. PCBs were widely used for many...
. The Gilbane Building Company established a "stop-work" rule to halt construction when hazardous material was discovered. An additional complication was security concerns, because of
sensitiveSensitive information is information or knowledge that might result in loss of an advantage or level of security if revealed to others who might have low or unknown trustability and/or indeterminable or hostile intentions....
and
classified informationClassified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular classes of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
in the building. According to
Building Design & Construction, construction personnel were "classified into three tiers and were permitted access to specific building areas based on these three levels of
security clearanceFor use by the United Nations, see Security Clearance A security clearance is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information, i.e., state secrets, or to restricted areas. The term "security clearance" is also sometimes used in private organizations that have a...
." The extensive murals,
sculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard and/or plastic material, sound, and/or text and or light, commonly stone , metal, glass, or wood. Some sculptures are created directly by finding or carving; others are assembled, built together and fired, welded, molded,...
s, and
plasterThe term plaster can refer to plaster of Paris , lime plaster, or cement plaster. This article deals mainly with plaster of Paris / gypsum plaster....
reliefA relief is a sculptured artwork where a modelled form is raised, or, in a sunken-relief, lowered, from a plane from which the main elements of the composition project . Reliefs are common throughout the world, for example on the walls of monumental buildings. The frieze in the classical Corinthian...
s in the building were protected with shields during the construction, and
temperatureIn physics, temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the higher temperature. Temperature is one of the principal parameters of thermodynamics...
,
humidityHumidity is the amount of water vapour in the air. In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapour in a parcel of air to the saturated vapour pressure of water vapour at a prescribed...
, and
dustDust is a general name for minute solid particles with diameters less than 20 thou . Particles in the atmosphere arise from various sources such as soil dust lifted up by wind, volcanic eruptions, and pollution...
controls were installed.
The cost of the renovations was $142 million, but the project came in $4.2 million under budget, in part due to significant
conservationArchitectural conservation describes the process through which the material, historical, and design integrity of mankind's built heritage are prolonged through carefully planned interventions. The individual engaged in this pursuit is known as an architectural conservator...
efforts. Design consultants decided to renovate
courtyardFor alternative meanings of the word "court", see: Court .A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky...
plazaPlaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
and garage structures instead of
demolishingDemolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
them, using 95 percent of existing materials.
CobblestoneCobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
blocks in the courtyard were "removed, cleaned, refurbished, and reinstalled," with "the foundation of the courtyard's original
fountainA fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
" being preserved and its
pipesWater pipes are pipes or tubes, frequently made of polyvinyl chloride , ductile iron, polyethylene, or copper, that carry pressurized and treated fresh water to buildings , as well as inside the building....
and
pumpA pump is a device used to move fluids, such as gases, liquids or slurries. A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. One common misconception about pumps is the thought that they create pressure. Pumps alone do not create pressure; they only displace fluid, causing a flow. ...
s replaced. Further, only the
concreteConcrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water, and chemical admixtures...
of "questionable integrity around the facility's garage beams" was repaired, instead of having all the concrete replaced. For the plaza deck, the integrity of the concrete structure was tested. Some sections were found to be repairable, preventing them from being rebuilt and diverting 14,520 tons of waste from
landfillA landfill, also known as a dump , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
. Finally, the original foundation and structure building was preserved, which saved 110 tons of waste material and decreased "the risk of penetrating a sensitive
waterproofingWaterproof or water-resistant describes objects unaffected by water or resisting water passage, or which are covered with a material that resists or does not allow water passage. Such items may be used in wet environments or under water...
membrane system." Additional costs were saved through "early buyout": "taking advantage of the purchasing power of the entire four-phase construction job," the construction management firm "was able to secure prices early on in the project that otherwise would have been spent covering the escalating costs of
building materialBuilding material is any material which is used for a construction purpose. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, sand, wood and rocks, even twigs and leaves have been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-made products are in use, some more...
s."
These measures allowed the GSA to carry out additional work: "restoration and
repointingRepointing is the process of renewing mortar joints in masonry construction. Over time, weathering and decay causes voids in the joints between masonry units allowing the undesirable ingress of water. Water entering through these voids can cause significant damage through freeze/thaw cycles and...
of the limestone exterior," repair and replacement of the roof, restoration of "ornate painting and plaster," further hazardous materials abatement, and
fire codeFire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of a fire in the event one occurs, better enable those threatened by a fire to survive, or to reduce the...
upgrades. Ultimately close to $1 million was returned to the GSA.
Renaming
In 2001, the
Department of Justice Main Building was renamed the
Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in honor of Robert F. Kennedy, who was Attorney General (1961-1964) under his brother, President
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, and his successor, President Lyndon Johnson. Kennedy was later a
U.S. SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
from
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and
presidential candidateThe United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was a wrenching national experience, conducted against a backdrop that included the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and subsequent race riots across the...
until his
assassination in 1968The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senator and brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968 in Los Angeles, California. Robert F. Kennedy was killed during celebrations of his successful campaign in the Californian primary...
. President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
directed the
General Services AdministratorThe General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
to designate the building as the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in a
presidential memorandumA presidential memorandum is a type of presidential order issued by the President of the United States to the executive branch of the United States government. Presidential memoranda do not have an established process for issuance or publication...
, and gave the rededication address on November 20, 2001. Attorney General
John AshcroftJohn David Ashcroft is a United States politician who was the 79th United States attorney general. He served during the first term of President George W. Bush from 2001 until 2005...
also rededicated it in a speech at the Justice Department.
Today the building retains exceptional historic integrity. The original facades,
lobbiesA lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer or an entrance hall.Many office buildings, hotels and skyscrapers go to great lengths to decorate their lobbies to create the right impression....
,
corridorA corridor is a path or guided way .Corridor may refer to:* Corridor , the first Indian graphic novel, written by Sarnath Banerjee...
s,
libraryA library is a collection of sources, resources, and services, and the structure in which it is housed; it is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual. In the more traditional sense, a library is a collection of books. It can mean the collection,...
, Great Hall, executive suites and private offices retain their original materials and design, including the extensive use of ornamental aluminum.
The building has been the site of
demonstrationsA demonstration is a form of nonviolent action by groups of people in favor of a political or other cause, normally consisting of walking in a march and a meeting to hear speakers...
on the streets outside. On November 16, 2007,
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
leaders led by
Al SharptonAlfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
,
Martin Luther King IIIMartin Luther King III is an American human rights advocate and community activist. He is the eldest son and oldest living child of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. His siblings are Dexter Scott King, Rev. Bernice Albertine King, and the late Yolanda Denise King...
, and
Charles Kenzie Steele, Jr.Charles Steele, Jr. is an American businessman, politician and civil rights leader. He was the first African American elected to the City Council of Tuscaloosa and one of the first African Americans elected to the Alabama State Senate...
protested in a march on Pennsylvania Avenue to the Justice Department against perceived
racial inequalityInequality in the United StatesIn the United States there is inequality between different groups of people. The idea that there is a significant correlation between race and inequality is not a new concept...
in the justice system. The protest was precipitated by the case of the
Jena SixThe Jena Six are a group of six black teenagers convicted in the beating of Justin Barker, a white student at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana, United States, on December 4, 2006. Barker was injured in the assault by the members of the Jena Six, and received treatment for his injuries at an...
.
Design
The design by Zantzinger, Borie, and Medary blends influences from
neoclassicalNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, both as a reaction against the Rococo style of anti-tectonic naturalistic ornament, and an outgrowth of some classicizing features of Late Baroque...
(Greek Revival) and
Art DecoArt Deco was a popular international art design movement from 1925 until the 1940s, affecting the decorative arts such as architecture, interior design, and industrial design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts, and film...
architectural styleArchitectural styles classify architecture in terms of form, techniques, materials, time period, region, etc. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture. In architectural history, the study of Gothic architecture, for instance, would include all...
s. The design is similar to other Federal Triangle buildings, with an
Indiana limestoneIndiana Limestone or Bedford Limestone is a common term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford. Bloomington, Indiana has been noted to have the highest quality quarried limestone in the United States. Salem limestone,...
facadeA facade or façade is generally one side of the exterior of a building, especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
over a
steelSteel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
frameFraming, in construction known as light frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
, red-
tileA tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, and walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
hip roofA hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on rectangular houses will have two triangular...
, and
colonnadeIn classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, as in the famous elliptically curving colonnades that Bernini added to the façade of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, which embrace and define the Piazza...
s, as well as interior
courtyardFor alternative meanings of the word "court", see: Court .A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky...
s to provide
natural lightSunlight, in the broad sense, is the total spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the atmosphere, and the solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon. Near the poles in summer, the days are longer and the...
and
ventilationVentilation is the intentional movement of air from outside a building to the inside. It is the V in HVAC. With clothes dryers, and combustion equipment such as water heaters, boilers, fireplaces, and wood stoves, their exhausts are often called vents or flues — this should not be confused...
.
It is distinguished from other Federal Triangle buildings by Art Deco elements and the innovative use of aluminum for details that were traditionally
castIn metalworking, casting involves pouring a liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then is allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process...
in
bronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other elements such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon. It was particularly significant in antiquity, giving its name to the Bronze Age...
. All entrances to the building feature -high aluminum
doorA door is a moveable barrier used to cover an opening. Doors are used widely and are found in walls or partitions of a building, vehicles, and furniture such as cupboards, cages, and containers....
s that slide into recessed pockets. Interior
stair railingsA handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide stability or support. Handrails are commonly used while ascending or descending stairways and escalators in order to prevent injurious falls. Other applications include bathroom handrails—which help to prevent falls on...
,
grillworkGrillwork is decorative grating of metal, wood, stone, or other material used as a screen, divider, barrier, or as a purely decorative element. It may function as a window, either with or without glazing. Grillwork may also refer to grilles, decorative front ends of motor vehicles...
, and door trim are aluminum, as are Art Deco
torchiereA torchiere , or torch lamp, is a lamp with a tall stand of wood or metal. Originally, torchieres were candelabra, usually with two or three lights...
s, doors for the building's 25
elevatorAn elevator or lift is a vertical transport vehicle that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building...
s, and more than 10,000
light fixtureA light fixture is an electrical device used to create artificial light or illumination. A luminaire is a lighting fixture complete with the light source or lamp, the reflector for directing the light, an aperture , the outer shell or housing for lamp alignment and protection, an electrical...
s.
The building has many distinctive interior spaces, including the Great Hall
entry foyerA foyer [IPA: fwa'je] is a large, vast room or complex of rooms adjacent to the auditorium...
and the
Law LibraryA law library is a library designed to assist law students, attorneys, judges, and their law clerks in finding the legal resources necessary to correctly determine the state of the law....
. The two-story Great Hall features Art Deco light fixtures and a
terra-cottaTerracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic. Its uses include vessels, water and waste water pipes and surface embellishment in building construction, along with sculpture such as the Terracotta Army and Greek terracotta figurines...
tile floor with gray
marbleMarble is a non foliated metamorphic rock resulting from the metamorphism of limestone, composed mostly of calcite . It is extensively used for sculpture, as a building material, and in many other applications...
borders. The Law Library, located on the fifth floor, is a two-story room distinguished by a pair of tall Art Deco lights and a 20-panel mural by
Maurice SterneMaurice Sterne was an American sculptor and painter remembered today for his association with philanthropist Mabel Dodge Luhan. He began his career as a draftsman and painter, and critics noted the similarity of his work, in its volume and weight, to sculpture...
.
Art
The building contains the largest historic
art collectionA museum is distinguished by a collection of often unique objects that forms the core of its activities for exhibitions, education, research, etc. This differentiates it from an archive or library, where the contents may be more paper-based, replaceable and less exhibition oriented...
of any General Services Administration-built facility.
SculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard and/or plastic material, sound, and/or text and or light, commonly stone , metal, glass, or wood. Some sculptures are created directly by finding or carving; others are assembled, built together and fired, welded, molded,...
is integrated into the fabric of the building. Sculptor
C. Paul JenneweinCarl Paul Jennewein was a German-born American sculptor.-Early career:Jennewein was born in Stuttgart in Germany. He immigrated to the United States in 1907....
was selected to create a unified design concept for the building's exterior and interior spaces, designing 57 sculptural elements for the building. His work ranged from the carved limestone figures for the
pedimentThis article is about the architectural element. For the landform, see Pediment .A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice...
s on the Constitution Avenue facade, to the aluminum Art Deco torchieres and light fixtures throughout the interior.
The interior of the U.S. Department of Justice building contains many decorative wall paintings. The building's extensive murals depict scenes of daily life from throughout
American historyThe first known inhabitants of what is now the United States are believed to have arrived over a period of several thousand years beginning sometime prior to 15,000–50,000 years ago by crossing Beringia into Alaska...
and symbolic interpretations or
allegoriesAllegory is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal. An allegory is a device that can be presented in literary form, such as a poem or novel, or in visual form, such as in painting or sculpture...
relating to the role of
justiceJustice is the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, fairness, or equity.-Concept of justice:Justice... concerns the proper ordering of things and persons within a society. As a concept it has been subject to philosophical, legal, and theological reflection and...
in American society. In all, 68 murals were completed between 1935 and 1941, at a cost of $68,000, one percent of the cost of the building. Mural artists include
George BiddleGeorge Biddle was an American artist best known for his social realism, combat art, and his strong advocacy of government-sponsored art projects...
, Henry Varnum Poor,
John Steuart CurryJohn Steuart Curry was an American painter whose career spanned from 1924 until his death. He was noted for his paintings depicting life in his home state, Kansas...
,
Boardman RobinsonBoardman Robinson was a Canadian-American artist, illustrator and cartoonist.-Early years:Boardman Robinson was born September 6, 1876 in Nova Scotia, Canada. He spent his childhood in England and Canada, before coming to Boston in the first half of the 1890s...
, and
Leon KrollLeon Kroll was an accomplished American painter, lithographer, critic, and art teacher.Both in New York City, Kroll studied at the Art Students League of New York under John Henry Twachtman, and at the Academie Julian in Paris with Jean Paul Laurens in the late 1900s.In 1913 Kroll showed work at...
.
The striking, colorful
concreteConcrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water, and chemical admixtures...
mosaicMosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s on the ceilings of the vehicular and pedestrian entryways from 9th and 10th Streets were created by the Washington, D.C. master craftsman
John Joseph EarleyBorn in New York City in 1881, John Joseph Earley was the son of James Earley, a fourth generation Irish stone carver and ecclesiastical artist. A skilled artisan, architect, and innovator in the use of concrete Earley designed, among other things, the buffalo nickel for the United States Mint...
, an innovator in the
aestheticAesthetics is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
applications of the material. Visible from the street, these mosaics retain much of the brilliance of their original colors.
A sculpture of the Revolutionary War hero
Nathan HaleNathan Hale was a soldier for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Widely considered America's first spy, he volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission, but was captured by the British...
by
Bela PrattBela Lyon Pratt was an American sculptor.Pratt was born in Norwich, Connecticut to Sarah and George Pratt, a Yale-educated lawyer. His maternal grandfather, Oramel Whittlesey, was a pianoforte maker and founder in 1835 of the first music school in the country authorized to confer degrees to teach...
stands on the southern side of the building.
Spirit of Justice
Spirit of JusticeSpirit of Justice is a cast aluminum statue depicting Lady Justice that stands on display along with its male counterpart Majesty of Law in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building building in Washington, D.C., the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Justice...
is a cast aluminum Art Deco statue designed by Jennewein. It depicts
Lady JusticeLady Justice is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems.-Depiction:...
(a woman wearing a
togaThe toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a cloth of perhaps twenty feet in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The toga was invariably made of wool, and the tunic under it often was made of linen...
-like dress with one
breastThe breast is the upper ventral region of an animal’s torso, particularly that of mammals, including human beings. The breasts of a female primate’s body contain the mammary glands, which secrete milk used to feed infants....
revealed and arms raised) and stands on display along with its male counterpart
Majesty of Law in the Great Hall. Unlike many representations of Lady Justice,
Spirit of Justice wears no
blindfoldA blindfold is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the eyes to disable the wearer's sight. It can be worn when the eyes are in a closed state and thus prevents the wearer from opening them...
to symbolize
blind justiceBlind Justice is the theory that law should be viewed objectively with the determination of innocence or guilt made without bias or prejudice...
. The statue measures 12.5 feet (150 inches) and was
commissionedIn art, a commission is the hiring and payment for the creation of a piece, often on behalf of another.In classical music, ensembles are often said to commission pieces from composers, wherein the ensemble secures the composer's payment from private or public organizations or donors....
in 1933 at a cost of $7000, and has stood with
Majesty of Law in the Great Hall since 1936.
In 1986, the statue was seen behind then-Attorney General
Edwin MeeseEdwin "Ed" Meese III is an attorney, law professor, and author who served in official capacities within the Ronald Reagan Gubernatorial Administration , the Reagan Presidential Transition Team , and the Reagan White House , eventually rising to hold the position of the 75th Attorney General of the...
during a press conference as he discussed the final report of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography (Meese Report). According to the
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, "photographers dived to the floor to capture the image of him raising the report in the air, with the partially nude female statue behind him."
In 2002, under Attorney General
John AshcroftJohn David Ashcroft is a United States politician who was the 79th United States attorney general. He served during the first term of President George W. Bush from 2001 until 2005...
, curtains were famously put up blocking the bare-breasted statue from view during speeches. According to Justice Department spokesman Shane Hix, the department spent $8,000 to purchase blue drapes to hide them. Under Ashcroft the department had previously rented blue drapes at a cost of $2,000 every time the agency had a formal event.
ABC NewsABC News is a division of American television network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. Its current president is David Westin.-Current programs:* America This Morning* Good Morning America* Good Morning America Weekend Edition...
reported that Attorney General John Ashcroft had ordered the statues covered because he didn't like being photographed in front of them, but Hix insisted that the Attorney General was not aware of the change and that the nudity on the statue was not the reason for the purchase, citing instead "aesthetic" reasons, such as the background for television cameras. Later, however, internal e-mails surface referred to "hiding the statues" and "the episode was quickly seized upon by pundits and
satiristsSatire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods,...
as a symbol of Ashcroft's allegedly
puritanA Puritan of 16th and 17th-century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of worship and doctrine, as well as personal and group piety. Puritans felt that the English Reformation had not gone far enough, and that the Church of England was tolerant...
ical and
censoriousCensorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the government or media organizations as determined by a censor.-Rationale:...
bearing." Journalist and writer Claire Braz-Valentine wrote an open lyrical letter to Ashcroft, which included the lines "John, John, John,/you've got your priorities all wrong."
Ashcroft joked about the incident on the
Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and bandleader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra,...
in April 2002. In May 2007, the "Inside Washington" column in
National JournalNational Journal is an American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969 and is now part of National Journal Group, a division of Atlantic Media Company. It was purchased by David G....
reported that
Monica GoodlingMonica Marie Goodling is a former United States government lawyer and political appointee in the George W. Bush administration who became known in 2007 in the midst of a political controversy surrounding the firings of several United States attorneys...
, a former aide to Ashcroft, was responsible for the covering of the statue.
The curtains were removed on June 24, 2005, under Ashcroft's successor
Alberto GonzalesAlberto Reynaldo Gonzales was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Gonzales was the first Hispanic and Mexican-American to serve as United States Attorney General...
. Justice Department spokesman Kevin Madden was quoted as saying that "the decision to remove the drapes was made by Paul Corts, assistant attorney general for administration, and that Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales 'agreed with the recommendation.'"
See also
- Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, better known as RFK Stadium or RFK, is a multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of Major League Soccer's D.C. United....
, another Washington, D.C. building named after Robert F. Kennedy
- Harry S Truman Building
The Harry S. Truman Building is the headquarters of the United States Department of State. It is located in the national capital of Washington, D.C., and is the third-largest federal building in the D.C...
, Washington, D.C. headquarters of the State DepartmentThe United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, similar to foreign ministries, foreign offices, ministries of external relations, etc. in other countries...