The Library of Congress - Thomas Jefferson and John Adams Buildings — Historic Renovation

Project Details

Owner: The Architect of the Capitol, Washington, DC
Contract Amount: $20,400,000 (Phase I)
$6,400,000 (Colonnades)
$1,921,985 (Forecourts)
$19,997,306 (Phase II)
Architect: Arthur, Cotton, Moore & Associates, Royal Oak, MD

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The Library of Congress Facility is located adjacent to the U.S. Capitol. It is a National Historic Landmark, and is the largest public library in the United States. Currently, the facility consists of three buildings:

The respective vintage of each building is late 1890's, mid 1930's and early 1970's.

Phase 1 Renovation & Restoration

The Thomas Jefferson and John Adams buildings were designated for major renovation in the 1980's. The Phase I renovation included the:

Grunley also restored all ornamental and flat plaster, restored and replicated the historic woodwork, upgraded all doors, frames and hardware and restored the marble and mosaic tile elements throughout. Finish work included painting of all areas, cleaning of all stone, preservation of woodwork and restoration of specialty painting.

Grunley Construction received numerous awards on this project, including three craftsmanship awards from the Washington Building Congress.

Colonnades and Forecourts

Under separate contracts, Grunley constructed six interior freestanding colonnades and installed architectural library casework and shelving within the pavilion areas of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Each colonnade was clad with millwork to match the architectural design of the adjacent elements. The forecourt installation added two-story bookcases and shelving the full length of both sides of the pavilion areas.

Phase 2 Renovation & Restoration

The Phase II renovations were procured using a best value relationship and Grunley was selected as the general contractor even though it was not the low bidder. The general scope was to update the building systems in the West Main Pavilion, all levels of the north and west wings of the Jefferson building and the south portion of the Adams building to current codes and to preserve the architectural integrity of these monumental historic buildings. The renovations were similar in scope to those completed during Phase I.

Grunley Construction received numerous awards for this project, including a national award for Most Outstanding Historic Renovation of the Year, 1995.