US General Accounting Office Building
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - US General Accounting Office Building
OR:
US General Accounting Office Building on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

The U.S. Government Accountability Office Building is an historic government office building, the headquarters of the
Government Accountability Office The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan government agency within the legislative branch that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the s ...
located at 441 G Street NW in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, adjacent to the
National Building Museum The National Building Museum is a museum of architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning in Northwest Washington, D.C., U.S. It was created by an act of Congress in 1980, and is a private non-profit institution. Located at ...
. Unique in its "block style" design, federal office buildings before central
air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...
were designed with interior courtyards and wings, to allow for maximum ventilation and light. While the initial 1941 design utilized a "fish bone" style, with a central spine and interior courtyards,
WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
placed the project on hold while technology advanced. In 1946, an updated, novel "solid building" design made headlines. Untested, planning officials wondered whether such a structure would prove claustrophobic for employees. It was dedicated on September 11, 1951, by President
Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
. The building also serves as headquarters for
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wor ...
.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in central Washington, D.C. This is a list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the central area of Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the cap ...


References


External links

* General Accounting Office Building Government buildings completed in 1951 Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Buildings and structures in Judiciary Square Office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. {{WashingtonDC-struct-stub