A House for All Seasons

There is nothing like taking a walk in the middle of winter to conduct some in-the-field research for an article on the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) Summerhouse. Tourists seemed to avoid the location while I sat on one of many empty stone seats. The location may appear off-limits with its black iron gates and lack of signage. Frederick Law Olmsted, the famous landscape architect, designer of the Summerhouse and mastermind of the U.S. Capitol Grounds, wanted "the entire structure (to be) wholly lost to view" because of the plantings around the structure, and today it appears to be a successful outcome. It is also possible no one was there because it was winter.

I did notice people looking at me while they walked by the grotto perhaps without realizing what it was. When it was originally finished in 1880, Olmsted complained about the lack of police protection. Plants around the Summerhouse were stolen; on one Sunday afternoon he recalled seeing more than 100 people climbing on the structure.

In the past the Summerhouse was a place people visited with their horses to cool down from the sweltering heat. The milder temperature is because of the ingenious design of the structure, which is partially below ground. The air flows through the archways and open roof, and there is running water from the fountain and flowing from the grotto, and it is shaded by trees. Although I visited in the winter, I could still feel the temperature difference as I looked through the iron bars to the grotto and felt the cooler air blow in my direction.

View from the Summerhouse grotto; Pipefitter Adam McClanahan installs new irrigation for the planting beds.

What brought me to the Summerhouse in the winter? My assignment from Legislative and Public Affairs. But why the Summerhouse? It is an outdoor structure, which means for more than 140 years it has been exposed to the elements and has been a hard sell for funding to keep it intact; its southside-campus counterpart was never approved for construction in 1881.

The Summerhouse work I'm admiring on my walk is not a preservation project nor is it a restoration. As the Summerhouse is not currently funded for any major work, this recent effort came together as a maintenance project from the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum jurisdiction, which was able to fund a smaller scale project to delay continuing deterioration.

What were the most urgent concerns? Curtis Houston, a Construction Division (CD) Construction Representative states the obvious adage, "In the construction world, wherever you have water you are going to have issues." Capitol Grounds and Arboretum and the Office of the Chief Engineer's (OCE) Design Services and CD investigated and identified the fountain as the main component that could cause imminent failure to the entire Summerhouse. With water seeping through the brick work, the inevitability of the historic fountain falling apart was not an issue of if, but rather when.

Summerhouse fountain in various states of repair; Mason Juan Angel removes brick with the goal of keeping as much of the historical material as possible; Mason Carlos Sagastume laying brick.

The original design for the fountain itself is lost, which proved an additional challenge when the team needed to fix it. Because they only had pictures from the past and no actual shop drawings or specifications, the OCE CD Mason crew, run by Russell Jones, took the structure apart, piece by piece, to learn how it was supposed to function properly and what could be done to repair it. Typical for the AOC and its preservation efforts, every portion of the fountain was saved so the structure could be returned as close to its original state as possible.

The workers kept 90 percent of the brick and put 70 percent back in place. Houston humbly claimed, "I didn't do much for this project besides find a manufacturer that could replicate the curved brick, matching the shape and color found all around the fountain to replace the bricks that could not be reused." Houston found a North Carolina company that he said did an amazing job replicating the brick-curved shape and color and found another company to glaze them. (Houston was too modest to mention that it was also his responsibility to keep the project on time and on budget — which he did.)

While taking apart the stone and bricks, the team conducted its own investigation; it was confirmed that the water intrusion and freeze/thaw cycle of the seasons caused most of the problems for the fountain, including spalling (pieces breaking off) and cracking. The original capstone's crack was caused because of a groove made in it to allow for the copper lining. Houston jokes, "If I was there in the 1880s, I'd be the one cautioning everyone that this would cause the issues we're seeing today."

Mason Supervisor Franco Divalentin waterproofs the fountain bowl with a cement-based mixture; The Summerhouse fountain has been restored, but visitors should still not drink the water.

Now the team ensures that everything is watertight, including the scuppers — where the water comes out. It is not for drinking. This work allows the fountain to operate and not continue to harm itself. This maintenance is the first step in stabilizing the current situation for the Summerhouse.

This project was a great example of how teamwork across jurisdictions showcases the talent of the AOC. I've already mentioned work performed by the OCE CD and Capitol Grounds and Arboretum; the project also included work from the Capitol Building Sheet Metal Shop that manufactured the replacement bronze grates and the Plumbing Shop from Capitol Grounds and Arboretum that rebuilt the entire drainage system, including installing a bigger drain and retrofitted pieces in the grotto.

Jim Kaufmann, Director of Capitol Grounds and Arboretum, also notes that the Summerhouse is not only a structure but also includes landscaping, and his jurisdiction has the ability to bring it back to what it should look like. During this maintenance project, Capitol Grounds and Arboretum reviewed Cultural Landscape Reports and focused on restoring the soil, using high-pressure air to air-till it to avoid damaging the roots of the mature trees. The team removed invasive and undesirable plants, including poison and English ivy. They will be replaced with native clematis and passionflower vines and other plant selections that are more eco-friendly while maintaining the aesthetic of the original landscape design.

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Capitol Grounds and Arboretum staff gather for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the reopening of the historic structure.

So far, two beds are completed, and work is progressing on other beds and on the grotto. By the time all the plants fill in, it will be close to a preservation effort, in theory, or "a modern sympathetic preservation effort," states Jill McClure, Jurisdiction Executive for the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum.

This project is just one example of how the AOC continues to strive to preserve the Capitol campus, including the Summerhouse, which is a place to take a break from the demands of our fast-paced lives to peacefully contemplate — while in the middle of one of the busiest places in the world.