The Department of Labor Building, also known as the

William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building The William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building is a complex of several historic buildings located in the Federal Triangle in Washington, D.C., across 12th Street, NW from the Old Post Office. The complex now houses the headquarters of the Enviro ...

, is a historic office building, located at 14th Street, and

Constitution Avenue Constitution Avenue is a major east–west street in the northwest and northeast quadrants of the city of Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was originally known as B Street, and its western section was greatly lengthened and widened bet ...

, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Federal Triangle. It was the headquarters building for the

United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemploy ...

from its opening until the 1970s. It later housed the U.S. Customs Service, and is currently occupied by the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon pro ...

(EPA).

History

Arthur Brown, Jr. designed the building between 1928 and 1931, and construction was completed in 1934. The building was constructed as part of the Federal Triangle development.Gutheim, Frederick Albert and Lee, Antoinette Josephine. ''Worthy of the Nation: Washington, DC, From L'Enfant to the National Capital Planning Commission.'' 2d ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. Bednar, Michael J. ''L'Enfant's Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington.'' Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. Although plans to redevelop the slum

Murder Bay Murder Bay was a disreputable slum in Washington D.C. roughly bounded by Constitution Avenue NW, Pennsylvania Avenue NW, and 15th Street NW. The area was a center of crime through the early 20th century, with an extensive criminal underclass ...

had existed for decades,

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

did not fund the purchase of land or construction of buildings in the area until 1926. In July 1926, the government proposed building a Department of Labor Building between 13th and 14th Streets NW, on the north side of B Street NW (now Constitution Avenue NW)."4 Sites Selected for U.S. Buildings in Local Program." ''Washington Post.'' July 8, 1926. In March 1927, the government proposed adding a second building to the east (between 12th and 13th Streets NW) for "Independent Offices" (the building's purpose was later changed to be the headquarters of the Interstate Commerce Commission, or ICC).Whitaker, Charles B. "Building for the Glory of Washington." ''New York Times.'' March 6, 1927. Design work proceeded slowly. In April 1930,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

proposed building a $2 million "Departmental Auditorium" to connect the Labor and ICC buildings. President Hoover laid the cornerstones for the Labor/ICC building on December 15, 1932."Hoover Lays Stone of Labor Building." ''New York Times.'' December 16, 1932. Freemasons trained in

masonry Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...

assisted the President in laying the cornerstones. Hoover personally oversaw the dedication of the cornerstone at the Labor end of the building. His words were broadcast over loudspeaker to the workers at the ICC end of the structure, who placed the ICC cornerstone simultaneously at the President's instruction (becoming the first time in Washington history that a single person dedicated two cornerstones at the same time). William Green, President of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), attended the laying of the cornerstone for the Labor building. The building was designated by Congress as a contributing structure to the

Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in the city of Washington, D.C. Established on September 30, 1965, the site is roughly bounded by Constitution Avenue, 15th Street NW, F Street NW, and 3rd Street NW. The hi ...

in 1966, and it was subsequently listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Agency occupants

The Department of Labor was the original occupant of the building. It vacated the building in 1979 when its employees moved to the

Frances Perkins Building The Frances Perkins Building is the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the United States Department of Labor. It is located at 200 Constitution Avenue NW and sits above Interstate 395. The structure is named after Frances Perkins, the U.S. Sec ...

. The Customs Service took occupancy in 1979 and remained until the late 1990s, when it moved to the

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, named after former United States President Ronald Reagan, is located in downtown Washington, D.C., and was the first federal building in Washington designed for both governmental and priv ...

. In 2002 EPA moved in, and the building was designated as the "EPA West" building. In 2013 Congress designated the

as a complex including the EPA West Building, along with two adjacent buildings which were formerly known as the Interstate Commerce Commission Building (and subsequently designated as "EPA East") and the Ariel Rios Federal Building.

References

External links

wikimapia
*https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/3643241562/ {{Federal Triangle Buildings of the United States government in Washington, D.C. Office buildings in Washington, D.C. Government buildings completed in 1934 United States Department of Labor United States Environmental Protection Agency Arthur Brown Jr. buildings Office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Historic district contributing properties in Washington, D.C. 1934 establishments in Washington, D.C. Federal Triangle

History

Agency occupants

See also

References

External links