[United States Government Manual] [June 15, 2003] [Pages 45-46] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]UNITED STATES BOTANIC GARDEN Office of Executive Director, 245 First Street SW., Washington, DC 20024 Phone, 202-226-8333. Internet, www.usbg.gov. Conservatory, 100 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20024 Phone, 202-225-8333 Production Facility, 4700 Shepherd Parkway SW., Washington, DC 20032 Phone, 202-563-2220 Director (Architect of the Capitol) Alan M. Hantman, Acting Executive Director Holly H. Shimizu ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The United States Botanic Garden informs visitors about the aesthetic, cultural, economic, therapeutic, and ecological importance of plants to the well-being of humankind. The U.S. Botanic Garden has artistic displays of plants, exhibits, and educational programs promoting botanical knowledge through the cultivation of an ordered collection of plants; fostering plant conservation by acting as a repository for endangered species; and growing plants for the beautification of the Capitol complex. Uniquely situated at the heart of the U.S. Government, the Garden seeks to promote the exchange of ideas and information relevant to its mission among national and international visitors and policymakers. The Garden's collections include orchids, epiphytes, bromeliads, carnivorous plants, ferns, cycads, cacti, succulents, medicinal plants, rare and endangered plants, and plants valued as sources of food, beverages, fibers, cosmetics, and industrial products. The U.S. Botanic Garden's facilities include the Conservatory, Bartholdi Park, an administration building, and an off-site Production facility. The Garden is currently undergoing a significant expansion and transformation. The Conservatory, one of the largest structures of its kind in this country, re-opened on December 11, 2001, after undergoing major renovation that required more than 4 years to complete. In addition to upgraded amenities for visitors, it features 12 new exhibit and plant display areas. Renovation of the [[Page 46]] administration building and Bartholdi Park are scheduled for 2005-2006. A new public feature, the National Garden, is planned for the three-acre site just west of the Conservatory. Outdoor plantings are showcased in Bartholdi Park, a home landscape demonstration area located across from the Conservatory. Each of the displays is sized and scaled for suitability in an urban or suburban setting. The gardens display ornamental plants that perform well in this region arrayed in a variety of styles and themes. Also located in this park is Bartholdi Fountain, created by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (1834- 1904), sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. The Garden's staff is organized into horticulture, operations, administration, and public programs divisions. Programs for the public are listed in a quarterly calendar of events and also on the Garden's Web site. A horticultural hotline is available to answer questions from the public. The U.S. Botanic Garden was founded in 1820 under the auspices of the Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences, an organization that was the outgrowth of an association known as the Metropolitan Society, which received its charter from Congress on April 20, 1818. The Garden continued under the direction of the Institute until 1837, when the Institute ceased to exist as an active organization. The U.S. Botanic Garden remained abandoned until 1842, when it became necessary for the Government to provide accommodations for the botanical collections brought to Washington, DC, from the South Seas by the U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-42, under the leadership of Capt. Charles Wilkes. The collections were temporarily placed on exhibit at the Patent Office upon return of the expedition in June 1842. Thus, the first greenhouse for this purpose was constructed in 1842 on a lot behind the Patent Office Building under the direction and control of the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library, from funds appropriated by Congress. The act of May 15, 1850 (9 Stat. 427), provided for the relocation of the Botanic Garden under the direction of the Joint Committee on the Library. The site selected was on The Mall at the west end of the Capitol Grounds, practically the same site the Garden occupied during the period it functioned under the Columbia Institute. This site was later enlarged, and the main area continued to serve as the principal Garden site from 1850 to 1933, when the Garden was relocated to its present site. Although the U.S. Botanic Garden began functioning as a Government- owned institution in 1842, the records indicate that it was not until 1856 that the maintenance of the Garden was specifically placed under the direction of the Joint Committee on the Library and a regular, annual appropriation was provided by Congress (11 Stat. 104). Presently, the Joint Committee on the Library exercises its supervision through the Architect of the Capitol, who has held the title of Acting Director since 1934. For further information concerning the United States Botanic Garden, contact the Public Programs Division, 245 First Street SW., Washington, DC 20024. Phone, 202-225-8333. Plant Hotline, 202-226-4785. Internet, www.usbg.gov. E-mail, [email protected]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------