Frances Perkins Building
Encyclopedia
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 runs alongside Interstate 395
. The structure is named after Frances Perkins
, the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933–1945 and the first female cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
, planning was undertaken to consolidate most of the Department of Labor's offices, then scattered around more than twenty locations. As part of the effort to improve and redevelop the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor, it was decided to create an entirely new building for the Labor Department in that area. The building was designed by the joint venture of Brooks, Barr, Graeber and White of Austin, Texas, and Pitts, Mebane, Phelps and White of Houston, Texas. The principal construction contractor was the J.W. Bateson Company of Dallas, Texas.
Construction on the New Labor Building (NDOL) began in the middle 1960s. When finished in 1975 the new building contained over one million square feet of usable space and cost $95 million. It was one of the first federal buildings to obtain air rights
so that it could be constructed over a freeway, I-395. The ceremonial cornerstone for the NDOL was laid on October 18, 1974, with President Gerald R. Ford and Secretary Peter J. Brennan
presiding. In February 1975 the first wave of employees moved in.
After a number of years, the name “New Labor Building” no longer seemed appropriate. Finally, an employee suggested that the building should be renamed for the former Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins, and the idea was warmly accepted. Senator Carl Levin
of Michigan also played a significant role in the notion. The ceremony to rename the NDOL and dedicate it as the Frances Perkins Building was held on April 10, 1980 – the 100th anniversary of her birth. President Jimmy Carter
and Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall
presided over the ceremony; Senator Levin was present as well, as was Susanna Coggeshall, the daughter of Perkins. A plaque on the building said that Perkins' "legacy of social action enhances the lives of all of us." On the same day, the United States Postal Service
issued a new 15-cent stamp bearing the likeness of Perkins.
The building is located at the northeast corner of Constitution Avenue and 3rd Street NW. The Visitor's Entrance, referred to as the Fountain Entrance, is one block north of Constitution Avenue on 3rd Street NW at 3rd and C Streets NW. The area is congested and the Judiciary Square
station of the Washington Metro
is often the best way to reach the department.
The six-story structure is made of steel and limestone. The building features the Wirtz Library
and the Labor Hall of Fame.
hosted by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis
.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
headquarters of the United States Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
. It is located at 200 Constitution Avenue NW
Constitution Avenue
In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...
and runs alongside Interstate 395
Interstate 395 (District of Columbia-Virginia)
Interstate 395 in Washington, D.C., and Virginia is a 13 mile long spur route that begins at a junction with Interstate 95 in Springfield, Virginia and ends in northwest Washington, D.C. It passes underneath the National Mall near the United States Capitol and ends at a junction with U.S...
. The structure is named after Frances Perkins
Frances Perkins
Frances Perkins , born Fannie Coralie Perkins, was the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, and the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet. As a loyal supporter of her friend, Franklin D. Roosevelt, she helped pull the labor movement into the New Deal coalition...
, the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933–1945 and the first female cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
History
During the time in office of President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, planning was undertaken to consolidate most of the Department of Labor's offices, then scattered around more than twenty locations. As part of the effort to improve and redevelop the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor, it was decided to create an entirely new building for the Labor Department in that area. The building was designed by the joint venture of Brooks, Barr, Graeber and White of Austin, Texas, and Pitts, Mebane, Phelps and White of Houston, Texas. The principal construction contractor was the J.W. Bateson Company of Dallas, Texas.
Construction on the New Labor Building (NDOL) began in the middle 1960s. When finished in 1975 the new building contained over one million square feet of usable space and cost $95 million. It was one of the first federal buildings to obtain air rights
Air rights
Air rights are a type of development right in real estate, referring to the empty space above a property. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building gives one the right to use and develop the air rights....
so that it could be constructed over a freeway, I-395. The ceremonial cornerstone for the NDOL was laid on October 18, 1974, with President Gerald R. Ford and Secretary Peter J. Brennan
Peter J. Brennan
Peter Brennan was United States Secretary of Labor under Presidents Nixon and Ford. He served between February 2, 1973 and March 15, 1975...
presiding. In February 1975 the first wave of employees moved in.
After a number of years, the name “New Labor Building” no longer seemed appropriate. Finally, an employee suggested that the building should be renamed for the former Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins, and the idea was warmly accepted. Senator Carl Levin
Carl Levin
Carl Milton Levin is a Jewish-American United States Senator from Michigan, serving since 1979. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
of Michigan also played a significant role in the notion. The ceremony to rename the NDOL and dedicate it as the Frances Perkins Building was held on April 10, 1980 – the 100th anniversary of her birth. President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
and Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall
Ray Marshall
Freddie Ray Marshall is the Professor Emeritus of the Audre and Bernard Rapoport Centennial Chair in Economics and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin....
presided over the ceremony; Senator Levin was present as well, as was Susanna Coggeshall, the daughter of Perkins. A plaque on the building said that Perkins' "legacy of social action enhances the lives of all of us." On the same day, the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
issued a new 15-cent stamp bearing the likeness of Perkins.
Facilities
Judiciary Square (Washington Metro)
Judiciary Square is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C. on the Red Line.Judiciary Square is located in Northwest, with entrances at 4th and D Street and 5th and F Street. It serves the many courthouses and municipal buildings in the area...
station of the Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
is often the best way to reach the department.
The six-story structure is made of steel and limestone. The building features the Wirtz Library
Wirtz Labor Library
The Wirtz Labor Library is the library of the U.S. Department of Labor. It provides Department of Labor employees and members of the general public with access to both historically significant and current resources pertaining to labor. It is located in the Frances Perkins Building in Washington,...
and the Labor Hall of Fame.
Events
In April 2010, there was a meeting of the Labor and Employment Ministers of the G-20G-20 major economies
The Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors is a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 20 major economies: 19 countries plus the European Union, which is represented by the President of the European Council and by the European Central Bank...
hosted by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis
Hilda Solis
Hilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
.