Fourth Biennial Symposium
on the Historic Development
of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.
March 31 & April 1, 2001
organized by
The Latrobe Chapter
Society of Architectural Historians
in cooperation with the
School of Architecture,
University of Maryland, College Park and
the Art Deco Society of Washington

This symposium will examine the life and work of John Joseph Earley (1881-1945) who developed a "polychrome" process of concrete slab construction and ornamentation that was admired nationwide. In the Washington metropolitan area, his products graced a variety of buildings—all formed by the staff of the Earley Studio in Rosslyn, Virginia. Sessions will include papers on the development of concrete as a material, Earley’s life and work, his refinement of the medium of exposed aggregate concrete and his use of patterns. A number of preservation case studies will be presented. Sunday’s session will be devoted to a bus tour of Earley’s work in the Washington, D.C. area.