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were due to cracked cast iron plates, joint leakage, and drains clogged by bird droppings. Taken together this would significantly increase the level of Dome corro- sion over time. During further investigations the AOC structural con- sultants, LZA Technology, performed a computerized structural analysis finding the original cast-iron truss structure to be in "exceptional" shape. Under George White's direction, Hoffman designed a series of improve- ments to protect the gutters and maintain the Dome, including catwalks to make worker access safer and easier. Since then, additional weather-related deterioration had occurred with more than 1,300 cracks, rusted connections, and other deficiencies discovered in a 1999-2000 comprehensive AOC investigation. I had requested and received an emergency appropriation of $7.5 million to fund the first phase of this work, dis- cussed in detail below. Since it was better funded, it was much more informative than the work undertaken ten years earlier. These significant findings resulted in a comprehensive five-volume remediation master plan documenting all of the problem areas. This served as the blueprint for subsequent phases of the implementa- tion work which has now been successfully concluded under the stewardship of Stephen Ayers, the 11th Architect of the Capitol. This multi-phased, quarter-of-a-century-long proj- ect spanning the tenures of three Architects of the Capitol speaks to the importance of continuity, as each Architect conscientiously built on the efforts of his predecessor for the overall good of the Congress, the American people, and our nation's historic structures on Capitol Hill. It is extraordinary to me that, with nine major incre- mental phases of Capitol growth, and the many ongo- ing historic preservation efforts, we can still celebrate a unified Capitol at the crest of Jenkins Hill that projects the confident spirit of architectural harmony, nobility, and strength—the American icon most recognized and admired around the world. Ongoing historic preservation efforts have also been Fig. 2. The Dome, looking southwest, nearing completion in 1862 15 THE CAPITOL DOME