Thomas B. Grooms, a long-time
resident of Capitol Hill, is passionate about the architecture and history of
his vibrant and well-preserved nineteeth-century neighborhood. When not managing
the nationally acclaimed Design Excellence Program in the Office of the Chief
Architect of the U.S. General Services Administration, Mr. Grooms is busy
looking to renovate and restore houses on the hill.
Mr. Grooms has designed private and
government projects in the United States and abroad. His love of Capitol Hill
began when he was a first-year law student at Georgetown University and
especially after he bought his first home there in 1969. He considers the Hill
his “spiritual home” because of its rich national history, its exquisite
architecture, and because its people have a “love, loyalty, and commitment to
their neighborhood.”
The Majesty of Capitol Hill
is his first published book, though he writes extensively when he
documents federal buildings produced through the Design Excellence Program. He
has also written and coproduced short films with his book's photographer, Taylor
J. Lednum, including Architecture and Democracy and Of Our Time:
Changing the Course of Federal Design.
In addition to his law degree from
Georgetown University, Mr. Grooms earned a degree in political science and
English from DePauw University, and a BFA in environmental design from
Parsons School of Design in New York.
Mr. Grooms' interest in historic
preservation, architecture, and landscape architecture prompted his desire to
share the uniqueness of his locale. Though he travels extensively, he always
looks forward to returning home to Capitol Hill.