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The Senate Has Its Own Longstanding, Secretive Basement Barbershop
https://dcist.com/story/19/06/17/the-senate-has-its-own-secretive-basement-barbershop-that-dates-back-to-the-1800s/
So often, a barbershop is more than just a place to get a haircut. The classic fixtures and familiar rituals serve as the backdrop for community. Today, we’re telling four stories from D.C.’s barbershops—from places that have been here for decades to new spaces that are expanding the bounds of what a barbershop can be.
(snip) Click the link to read about the passing of a long-time barber who was honored by Schumer.
With employees on the federal payroll, this facility has faced repeated calls for privatization over the decades. Yet the establishment remains open to the public, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, with a devoted following among senators, staffers, reporters, and interns who appreciate an inexpensive haircut. “I go back any time that I can,” said Jim Swift, a senior editor at The Bulwark who worked as a Republican Senate staffer a decade ago. “It’s a great place, with great tradition and great history.”
The Senate barbershop dates back to the 19th century, though “its exact date of origin is uncertain,” according to a 2010 report on its history published by the Senate Sergeant at Arms. The shop was initially housed in the Capitol itself, constructed along with bathrooms “to help senators cope with the dirt and distances of Washington” at a time when mud filled the city streets.
“Arguing that the irregular schedules of Senate clientele would hamper a private business, the Senate funded the barbershop’s utilities and products and paid the salaries of barbers,” the report explains. For many years, each senator received a gold-trimmed “shaving mug” inscribed with his name.
Early visitors to the shop included Presidents Andrew Johnson and Teddy Roosevelt, and senators routinely debated the great issues of their time while getting a shave or a trim, including Reconstruction after the Civil War. Some barbers ended up shaping national politics themselves, influencing senators’ beliefs though their friendships and even hitting the campaign trail to support their clients.
(snip) Click the link to read the rest of the story.
So often, a barbershop is more than just a place to get a haircut. The classic fixtures and familiar rituals serve as the backdrop for community. Today, we’re telling four stories from D.C.’s barbershops—from places that have been here for decades to new spaces that are expanding the bounds of what a barbershop can be.
(snip) Click the link to read about the passing of a long-time barber who was honored by Schumer.
With employees on the federal payroll, this facility has faced repeated calls for privatization over the decades. Yet the establishment remains open to the public, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, with a devoted following among senators, staffers, reporters, and interns who appreciate an inexpensive haircut. “I go back any time that I can,” said Jim Swift, a senior editor at The Bulwark who worked as a Republican Senate staffer a decade ago. “It’s a great place, with great tradition and great history.”
The Senate barbershop dates back to the 19th century, though “its exact date of origin is uncertain,” according to a 2010 report on its history published by the Senate Sergeant at Arms. The shop was initially housed in the Capitol itself, constructed along with bathrooms “to help senators cope with the dirt and distances of Washington” at a time when mud filled the city streets.
“Arguing that the irregular schedules of Senate clientele would hamper a private business, the Senate funded the barbershop’s utilities and products and paid the salaries of barbers,” the report explains. For many years, each senator received a gold-trimmed “shaving mug” inscribed with his name.
Early visitors to the shop included Presidents Andrew Johnson and Teddy Roosevelt, and senators routinely debated the great issues of their time while getting a shave or a trim, including Reconstruction after the Civil War. Some barbers ended up shaping national politics themselves, influencing senators’ beliefs though their friendships and even hitting the campaign trail to support their clients.
(snip) Click the link to read the rest of the story.
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