US General Accounting Office Building
National Register of Historic Places

US General Accounting Office Building

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
September 20, 1995
Type
Building
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
95001086

About this property

The U.S. Government Accountability Office Building (the GAO Building -- formerly known as the General Accounting Office Building) is a historic government office building mainly serving as the headquarters of the Government Accountability Office, a legislative branch agency that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress in an independent and nonpartisan capacity. Unlike most other federal government buildings it is directly owned and operated by the agency itself and is managed by EMCOR Government Services (Emcor / EMCOR Group) through a government contract, rather than the General Services Administration in order the prevent a conflict of interest with the executive branch agencies they audit; unlike other legislative branch agencies it is not operated by the Architect of the Capitol which manages the physical infrastructure for core buildings that are part of the United States Capitol Complex. It is located at 441 G Street NW in Washington, D.C. 20226 in the Judiciary Square neighborhood, the building is adjacent to the National Building Museum. Unique in its "block style" design, federal office buildings before central air conditioning 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 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. The building also serves as headquarters for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Location

441 G St., NW.
Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.89668, -77.01760

Categories

ARCHITECTUREART
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

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Questions about this property

When was US General Accounting Office Building listed on the National Register?

US General Accounting Office Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1995.

What type of historic resource is US General Accounting Office Building?

US General Accounting Office Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for US General Accounting Office Building?

The period of significance for US General Accounting Office Building is recorded as the early_republic era.

Can I research the history near US General Accounting Office Building?

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