Luxurious Simplicity
About this object Though conscientious in spending, the architect nonetheless found that the building's appearance was often compared to an extravagant hotel lobby.
About this object Unlike the cramped, single room spaces in Cannon, each Longworth office consisted of a main greeting room, a private office for the representative, and an individual lavatory.
About this object In 1949, while the Chamber was under construction, the House of Representative assembled in 1100 Longworth, the usual home the the Committee on Ways and Means.
The largest room in the building is the assembly room, which seats 450 and has served as the Ways and Means Committee room since 1938. Filled with Ionic pilasters and columns and constructed from simpler materials than the Cannon caucus room, the colonial revival style room embodies the nationalist design style popular in the 1930s and 1940s. The room’s original muted color scheme ranged from light tan to creamy orange, keeping the focus on the detailed craftsmanship of the molded eagles and swags of foliage and fruits. Gold curtains and jade green carpeting, which complemented the green leather covered chairs, decorated the room. The upper rostrum, made of American walnut, features a large eagle and served as the room’s focal point.