U.S. Capitol Hall of Columns

EverGreene’s conservators restored the remarkable scagliola and faux marble finishes throughout the U.S. Capitol’s Hall of Columns and adjoining Vestibule. These richly veined architectural surfaces are among the Capitol’s finest examples of decorative plaster craftsmanship, designed to evoke the appearance of rare and costly marble while showcasing the extraordinary skill of 19th-century artisans.

Decades of alterations and aging had compromised the historic finishes. In the Vestibule, sections of the original scagliola were removed or damaged during the installation of elevators in the 1950s. Elsewhere, conservators found that multiple applications of non-original coatings had obscured the depth and translucency of the faux marble, leaving eight scagliola panels discolored and visually flattened.

EverGreene’s treatment program carefully reversed these changes while preserving as much original material as possible. Conservators removed layers of overpaint and deteriorated surface coatings, stabilized and consolidated delaminated plaster, repaired areas of loss, and meticulously recreated missing sections to match the original color, veining, and polished finish. The restoration returned the Hall of Columns and Vestibule to their intended appearance, revealing the craftsmanship and visual richness that have distinguished these iconic Capitol interiors for more than a century.