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Jennifer Sergent

Senior Communications Writer | Perkins Eastman

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The Capitol’s Beauty Endures

January 11, 2021

The hours bled from afternoon into night last Wednesday, as I remained transfixed by the television images of rioters laying siege to the U.S. Capitol, this majestic building I love so much, where I used to spend so much time as a Washington correspondent for a group of Florida newspapers in the late 90s and early Aughts.

Photograph by Adam Brockett

I listened to stories from reporters who described being pulled from the press gallery into the Senate chamber to shelter in place, and remembered my own time in that gallery and the House gallery on the other side, running up and down the stairs to catch Members coming off the floor for quick interviews about whatever I was writing that day.

“You know the movie ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?’ There’s a scene set in there [the Senate Press Gallery], and it looks just exactly the same today,” said my friend Tammy Lytle, the former DC bureau chief for the Orlando Sentinel, a fellow member of the Florida press corps who’s remained a close friend.

Here’s a historic photo from the Senate Press Gallery website — not really different from a contemporary image below it.

Photograph by Ron Blunt

Most of all, I remembered the decorum, the shared respect all of us – Members, staff, reporters – held for this place, temporary figures in a centuries-long continuum of democracy playing out within these hallowed halls.

The famed Brumidi corridors. Photo via the National Trust for Historic Preservation
I’ve always adored the shiny encaustic tiles that line the Capitol’s main corridors. There are more than a thousand patterns; they were made in England and took five years to install, from 1856-1861, and they still look new. Photograph via the Architect of the Capitol.

“It sounds kind of old fashioned to say ‘sacred spaces,’ but you’re working in a museum, as well as a functioning government,” said Frank Davies, a former correspondent for the Miami Herald who went on to work for the House Ethics Committee, whose offices were in the main Capitol at the time.

Frank watched on TV as rioters overran the police at the lower-level Crypt — originally designated to be the final resting place for George Washington (though his family declined the invitation). “That’s where I walked by every day to go to work,” Frank told me, noting that this small space contains the state statues from the original 13 colonies.

A star in the middle of the Crypt marks the geographic center of Washington, DC. Photograph via the Architect of the Capitol.

Like Frank, I don’t say “hallowed halls” lightly, nor would anyone else who’s spent any time there. We all have our memories, our reflections upon this building and, to borrow from Lin Manuel Miranda, the rooms where it happened.

“The contrast between what we saw yesterday and how I remember it gave me an appreciation for rules, for procedures, for tradition,” said Sylvia Smith, a former correspondent for the Fort Wayne, Ind., Journal Gazette. “To have that breached, you just see how close we are to total chaos. At the end of the day, there is a value in decorum.”

The order and symmetry of the Capitol’s neoclassical architecture, in my mind, symbolizes what’s expected of our behavior inside. Photograph by Gordon Lau.

Donna Leinwand, another fellow Florida reporter who covered the state’s congressional delegation for Knight Ridder, echoed that sentiment when she shared her memories of being in the press gallery, looking down on the House chamber during each State of the Union address. “Being there in person was the most uplifting experience I’ve ever had covering something,” she says, “because it dawned on me that they’ve been doing this for over 200 years — that this democracy continues to thrive.”

Mark Abraham, the deputy director of the Senate Press Photographers’ Gallery, sent me a picture he took of the State of the Union Address when Speaker Nancy Pelosi presided over a wave of newly elected Democratic women, all in white. You can really get a feel for the grandeur of the House floor and its upper galleries:

The press gallery spans the wall above the lectern. Photograph by Mark Abraham

This weekend, I dug up my copy of Time Magazine, dated Oct. 1, 2001, with Osama Bin Laden’s face filling the cover. In it is a photograph of President Bush addressing a joint session of Congress in the House chamber, nine days after the September 11 attacks. I was in the gallery that evening (fifth person from the caption):

I had forgotten about that huge headline that runs across David Burnett’s picture, and I just hope that it rings true today as we combat virulent far-right nationalism, white supremacy and domestic terror as it did when we were recovering from a foreign terror attack.

I cherish the press pass I held for that somber event.

I started crying as I watched those people break the windows and climb inside, ransacking antique furniture, vandalizing art, and casually draping themselves in chairs occupied by the nation’s leaders. Sickening.

I know that repairs will be made and the Capitol will once again be beautiful. But there will be no forgetting what happened there.

This is what the inaugural stands should look like. Photograph by Mark Abraham

As you can see, I’ve been reaching out to old friends and colleagues I worked with at the Capitol to gather their memories and impressions about what the building means to each of them. I’ve also contacted some of the city’s best photographers who’ve celebrated the Capitol with images that are themselves works of art.

Photograph by Eugene Soh

This has been my therapy in an attempt to replace the recent destruction with the beauty of what I hope will soon be restored.

Former Rep. Mark Foley, who represented the Florida Treasure Coast area where I had newspapers, told me that he used to cross himself every time he climbed up those wide steps. “I would bound up those steps as if every step was a new step and a new day,” he said.

Photograph by Patrick Koetzle

Most people probably don’t know that the Capitol complex once housed the Library of Congress before it got its own building, or that the original Supreme Court was located here:

Photograph by Gordon Lau

“You just marvel at the incredible grandeur and the personal feeling of intimacy there,” Mark said. On one hand, the Rotunda is high enough to fit the Statue of Liberty, but if you have a Member’s pin, a staff ID or a press pass, you also know all the labyrinthine tunnels underneath it, the “hideaway” offices for senators in back hallways, the secret stairways, and the little nooks you can sneak into.

Years after the Clinton impeachment, in fact, I spotted Linda Tripp, former friend of intern Monica Lewinsky, in those halls — and pulled her aside into a private alcove to ask her questions about how the intervening years had treated her. I got a cool little story out of that.

Constantino Brumidi’s Sistine-like fresco, called the Apotheosis of Washington, depicts George Washington rising to the heavens, flanked by female figures representing Victory and Liberty. Photograph by Gordon Lau.

Speaking of that impeachment, Tammy told me that during the Senate trial, when we were there on a Saturday, she remembers having to race from the House to the Senate side. Because the tourists weren’t there, the quickest way to do this was to go right across the Rotunda.

“As I was running back, I passed through the Rotunda, and I literally stopped in my tracks because I was the only person there,” she said. “I stopped in the middle of the Rotunda amid all the beautiful art and the grandeur of that dome, and I felt like such a little person in history.”

Photograph by Mark Abraham

I know what Tammy means. During a reporting fellowship in the 90s, we got to take a field trip to the top of the dome. We circled the balcony just under the frescoes (where you can see how huge those painted figures are!), and then stepped through a door to climb steps between the inner and outer domes until we got to the tiny outside balcony circling the base of the cupola underneath the statue of Freedom. Talk about feeling small!

Photograph by Patrick Koetzle
Photograph by Birch Thomas

“It’s a majestic dome up close and from a distance — visible from miles away if you happen to be driving along the Potomac river,” said Peter Urban, who used to cover Washington for the Connecticut Post, among other regional newspapers.

That’s why so many photographers continue to photograph it, and it looks different every time, depending on the time of day and the mood each photographer creates around it.

This one captures the quiet, soft beauty of winter:

Photograph by Birch Thomas

While this one takes on a gritty, urban vibe. It feels very Watergate to me:

Photograph by Ather Ahsan

And while there’s a cloudy sky in the one below, it just feels hopeful in a way, with all those lush green trees lining a park plaza that leads up to the Capitol’s west front.

Photograph by Andy Feliciotti

Andy Feliciotti, also known as @someguy on Instagram, has a killer highlight feed dedicated to all his drop-dead images of the Capitol. Here’s one of my favorites:

Photograph by Andy Feliciotti

I’ll end with a shot by Birch Thomas, which now strikes me as deeply ironic. Let’s all hope going forward that our democratic temple will be adequately guarded, both literally AND philosophically.

Photograph by Birch Thomas

No wait, how can I end it that way? Let’s reclaim the Patriot badge in a glorious way with this shot by Mark Abraham.

Photograph by Mark Abraham

My sincere thanks goes out to all my friends and these incredible photographers for letting me share their words and images. Love and peace to you all for a better 2021.

Filed Under: Architecture, Art/Photo Tagged With: DC Architecture, DC Photography, U.S. Capitol

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Craig Hoelscher says

    January 24, 2021 at 6:25 am

    Both Sacred Geometry and ideals, so wonderous. Let us continue to protect them, as you said, “both literally AND philosophically”.

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 24, 2021 at 9:51 am

      Beautifully put, thank you Craig!

  2. Pollie says

    January 19, 2021 at 1:14 pm

    Wonderful tribute Jennie to a national treasure. Your personal account, interviews and photos are a real pleasure to read and a feast of patriotic pride for the eyes, heart and soul. I feel healing and strength growing in the optimism of your piece.

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 19, 2021 at 1:56 pm

      Thank you my dear Pollie!

  3. Martin McReynolds says

    January 18, 2021 at 6:47 pm

    Wonderful tribute in words and images. It was good to see my former Miami Herald colleague Frank Davies mentioned.

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 19, 2021 at 11:51 am

      Thanks Martin — likewise, this post gave me an excuse to catch up with old colleagues — silver lining!

  4. Carol Guensburg says

    January 18, 2021 at 8:43 am

    Jennifer, thanks for the enlightening, encouraging piece — including these exquisite photos!

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 18, 2021 at 9:59 am

      Hello Carol! Thanks so much for writing in — I hope you and Craig are well 🙂

  5. Maria Kisting says

    January 16, 2021 at 6:52 pm

    Shame on all the people that rioted & caused such treason & destruction to our beautiful capital. Thank you Jennifer for the beautiful memories that you shared with us

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:05 am

      Thank you Maria for your kind words! Praying for a peaceful inauguration week.

  6. Gina Dolin says

    January 16, 2021 at 9:17 am

    What an uplifting story in these troubled times.

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:06 am

      Thank you Gina, it was certainly uplifting to write 🙂

  7. Rhonald Angelo says

    January 15, 2021 at 1:11 pm

    Jennifer, thank you for such an inspiring article. Beautiful photos to support it. Well done.
    Rhonald Angelo

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:06 am

      Rhonald thank you so much for your kind comment! Here’s to better times ahead.

  8. Marie Moore says

    January 15, 2021 at 9:21 am

    Thank you for this. We walked there yesterday and saw the massive barriers surrounding it.

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:07 am

      Wow, I haven’t gone near the place. I live in Arlington and am just hunkering down until hopefully the city calms down after the inauguration! We are definitely bummed not to be able to go down there and celebrate Biden’s win.

  9. Susan Negro says

    January 15, 2021 at 1:39 am

    Amazing. Thank you.

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:08 am

      Thank YOU for writing, it means a lot to get feedback 🙂

  10. Kathy Curran says

    January 14, 2021 at 3:22 pm

    Thank you for this thoughtful and healing article. I have never worked there but I have visited and I too cried to see the Disrespect and destruction. Your thoughts, memories and beautiful pictures have restored my home. Best wishes to you

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:08 am

      Best wishes to you too Kathy! We all need some healing after this horrific year.

  11. Charlie Fulp says

    January 13, 2021 at 8:52 pm

    I am not shut down over this, as a Vietnam Era Vet, I am ragging bull mad. I want the girl Liz from Knoxville behind bars. Having served on the 38th parallel at a place called Camp Alamo and on the west side of Germany in what was called the English sector and watch MIGs fly near us, makes me wish I could have had my M60 that day in Washington. No Congress person earned there money on Wednesday, no one stood their ground in defense of our Constitution. Who do we court marshal?

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:10 am

      Thanks for writing, Charlie. I think everyone who voted to uphold the people’s votes did their job that day. It’s just distressing that so many members didn’t.

  12. Nancy West, NCIDQ says

    January 13, 2021 at 3:50 pm

    Jennifer,
    Magnificent article. Echoing Jan Lupton’s comments. And would love to see the Post do an entire Weekend
    special section using your commentary and photos.
    Thank you,
    Nancy West, NCIDQ

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:16 am

      Nancy you are too kind! Thank you so much.

  13. Cate says

    January 13, 2021 at 12:35 pm

    Stunning

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:16 am

      Thank you Cate!

  14. Debbie Pegher says

    January 13, 2021 at 7:15 am

    Beautifully written and visually positive images to heal hearts.
    Thank you for your creative expression. We will get through this together

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:16 am

      Thank YOU Debbie!

  15. Chuck McCutcheon says

    January 12, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    Great story and photos! Made my day.

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:17 am

      A belated thank you, Chuck! It’s been nice to get back together with colleagues who know this building so well and share memories. Very therapeutic!

  16. Deborah Pegher says

    January 12, 2021 at 8:26 pm

    Beautifully spoken through your mindful words. Thank you for leaving us with lovely visuals and helping us heal through your creative expression.

  17. Diane says

    January 12, 2021 at 6:35 pm

    Well..thank you for the beautiful words and images.

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:11 am

      Thank you Diane!

  18. Patty Jordan says

    January 12, 2021 at 6:24 pm

    A beautiful post. Thank you. As a resident of Capitol Hill, me, my family, friends & neighbors so appreciate (and continually try to capture) the grandeur from the grounds. And perhaps, we’ve always felt a little, that it’s our lawn too – to sled, sit, walk and enjoy. I was gutted to see what has happened. This post was just the panacea I needed. May I share?

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:12 am

      A very belated thank you, Patty. Yes, share away! I do hope the Capitol can return to being the people’s house, and that those fences will come down.

  19. Charlotte Palmer Lekakos says

    January 12, 2021 at 1:23 pm

    Thanks Jennifer for this breath of fresh air!
    Well done!

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 17, 2021 at 10:12 am

      Thank you Charlotte!

  20. Danna says

    January 12, 2021 at 10:03 am

    Gosh Jen, what a wonderful, healing, beautiful article. It’s just what we needed.

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 12, 2021 at 11:03 am

      Glad you agree, it was certainly healing to write it — an excuse to get in touch with old friends and colleagues, too!

  21. Nicole Fauteux says

    January 12, 2021 at 9:27 am

    Thanks for sharing these recollections, Jennifer, and these gorgeous photos. They provide an uplifting counterweight to last week’s images.

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 12, 2021 at 11:02 am

      Thank you Nicole!

  22. Jan Lupton says

    January 12, 2021 at 8:06 am

    Jennifer-
    Thank you for uplifting a broken heart!
    I loved your article and all of the fabulous photographs.
    I pray with you that the Capitol is preserved and protected in its majesty for future generations who respect and appreciate it as we do!
    Jan Lupton, ASID

    • Jennifer Sergent says

      January 12, 2021 at 9:24 am

      Jan, thank you for those sentiments. Glad to know I’m not the only one who was completely shut down over this!

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