Welcome to the Yates Building. Come on in.

Located at the intersection of Fourteenth and Independence Southwest in Washington, D.C., stands an impressive brick building known as the Sidney R. Yates Federal Building. The foundation was poured in eighteen seventy eight, the keystone says eighteen seventy nine, and the front door is opened in eighteen eighty. Originally designed for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, it was their first permanent home. Today, it's the home of the USDA Forest Service headquarters. Please come with us on a tour of the building.

As we enter into the Yates Building, you will see our grand staircase, which is all original to the building as of eighteen eighty.

To the right, down the hallway, is one of the few remaining items the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has left behind. One of the two vault doors. One here on the second floor, or the other on the first floor.

These vault doors were not used to protect paper money. They were designed to protect the printing plates.

Now, down to the historic wing of the Yates Building.

We are entering into the Gifford Pinchot Conference Room. Originally, it was the director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's office.

Looking around the room, you will see a beautiful marble mantle from Tennessee.

If you look around the room, you will see chandeliers.

These are a throwback to when the building had gas fixtures.

As of eighteen eighty nine, this building went fully electric.

This being the national headquarters, we are extra fancy here. We have a piece of Tiffany's. This placard that memorializes those four service employees who lost their lives during World War one was commissioned by Tiffany's Studios, New York, New York, and cost us eight hundred and seventy five dollars in nineteen twenty one. As we've covered some of the history of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's time here, let's discuss the Forest Service and our history here in this building.

It became our headquarters in nineteen ninety and there are two very significant pieces of Forest Service history located in the office of the chief. As we make our way into the office of the chief, you will see an unassuming desk. This desk is a big piece of Forest Service history as it is Gifford Pinchot's desk. It has been used by almost every single chief forester of the United States.

Across the office in a frame is located the most significant pen in Forest Service history with a little note from Gifford Pinchot, February first nineteen o five, saying that Teddy Roosevelt used this pen to transfer the lands from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Agriculture creating the Forest Service. This is the keynote pen for our agency. Now, let's go up to our clock tower. So the clock tower for the Yates building never had a clock in it until two thousand and fifteen. Resting up against the brick walls here are what was in place before the clock faces were installed. Just simple pieces of plastic covering up the windows. As we make our way up, we will see the back of our clock faces.

Not very impressive, but you see it's a modern clock today.

As you look at the back of this clock face, you will see two thousand and fifteen has been etched into this brick denoting when these were installed. Looking around the room, you also see additional graffiti throughout. Now, let's go upstairs and take a look at our observation platform. From the observation platform, you'll get striking views of Washington D.C., including the Tidal Basin, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, USDA buildings, and the United States Capitol, and picturesque views of the Potomac River.

Hey. Thanks for visiting the Sydney R. Yates Federal Building, home of the USDA Forest Service headquarters. We hope that you enjoyed this video. Have a great day.