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Archive for October 2018 (14 posts)

Pic of the Week – A Look inside the Public Vault at the Congressional Cemetery

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A shared fascination with Washington D.C.’s history draws people from across the world to visit the United States Capitol, the Library of Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court and the District’s many museums. One site that visitors frequently overlook is the final resting place of many of the authors of Washington’s early history, the Congressional Cemetery. Contrary to what the name might suggest, the Congressional Cemetery is not a government cemetery, and people continue to seek plots there today. According to the Cemetery, you do not need to be a member of Congress to be buried there, “You only need to be dead.”

The Cemetery contains an eclectic cast of characters, from signer of the Declaration of Independence and Vice President, Elbridge Gerry to the silent movie actress Mary Fuller, who appeared in the first film adaptation of Frankenstein. Our picture of the week is a look at the public vault at the Congressional Cemetery. Before modern refrigeration and funerary techniques were available, when someone passed away, the Cemetery housed their remains in the vault while they awaited transportation to the location where they would be buried. These walls housed the remains of First Lady Dolley Madison, as well as Presidents William Henry Harrison, John Quincy Adams, and Zachary Taylor, just to name just a few, until the vault fell out of use. You can learn more about the history of the vault and why Dolley Madison’s remains were kept there for a long period of time by watching this C-Span recording.

Outside the Public Vault at the Congressional Cemetery. Photo by Robert Brammer.

Outside the Public Vault at the Congressional Cemetery. Photo by Robert Brammer.

Outside the Public Vault at the Congressional Cemetery. Photo by Robert Brammer.

Inside the Public Vault at the Congressional Cemetery. Photo by Robert Brammer.

 

We hope you have a safe and happy Halloween, and enjoy revisiting some of our posts from Halloweens past.

Disciplining Judges for “Bad Tweets”

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The following is a guest post by Sayuri Umeda, a foreign law specialist who covers Japan and various other countries in East and Southeast Asia. Sayuri has previously written posts for In Custodia Legis on various topics, including Engagement under Japanese Law and Imperial House Rules, Is the Sound of Children Actually Noise?, How to Boost your Medal Count in the Olympics, South Korean-Style, Two Koreas Separated […]

Calendars and Schedules on Congress.gov

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When Congress passed the Library of Congress’ budget (H.R.5895) for FY2019, H. Rept. 115-696—LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2019—included the following language related to Congress.gov: Congress.gov Calendar: Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Library of Congress and the Government Publishing Office shall update the Congress.gov website to include […]

An Interview with Tiffany Jones, Intern with the Office of External Relations

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Describe your background I was born in Queens, New York and I’m the first generation born in America being that both of my parents are from Guyana, which is in South America. I am the oldest of four siblings. What is your academic/professional history? I successfully earned my B.S. in communications technology and a minor […]

A Congress.gov Interview with Chalonda Newman, Quality Assurance Lead

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Today’s interview is with Chalonda Newman, quality assurance lead for Congress.gov within the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) of the Library of Congress. Describe your background. What is your academic/professional history? I am an information technology specialist with years of experience developing web-based applications for the Library of Congress.  Prior to becoming a software developer, I worked […]

Remembering the Ancestors for Indigenous People’s Day

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Greetings from Piscataway/Pamunkey lands! As Indigenous Peoples Day approached, the blog team discussed writing about the holiday and a new program that is going to air soon. It seemed like a good time to remember some of the earlier residents of this country: the Ancestral Puebloans. Conservators have worked to preserve many of their dwellings in […]

An Interview with Stephanie Crespo Méndez, Intern with the Digital Resources Division

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Describe your background I was born and raised in Añasco, Puerto Rico, a small town on the west coast of the island. I was able to learn English while enrolled in a specialized bilingual school. I have a loving and supportive family who always encouraged me to pursue academic excellence. In addition, I am the eldest of […]

Congress.gov New, Tip, and Top for October 2018

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We have had a busy month.  Dr. Hayden recently blogged about the CRS reports website.  Robert shared the news about our enhanced Congress.gov saved search email alerts.  He also posted about the new experimental Congress.gov Chrome browser extension. What’s new to Congress.gov in October? New Enhancements for October 2018 For this release the Congress.gov Enhancements include: Enhancement – Advanced Legislation Search – […]