Protect the “Sistine Chapel of New Deal Art” Before It Is Lost Forever

THIS IRREPLACEABLE PUBLIC ART AND HISTORIC BUILDING MUST BE SAVED As your constituent, I urge you to take immediate legislative and oversight action to prevent the demolition, neglect, or unprotected sale of the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in Washington, D.C., and the irreplaceable New Deal era murals and sculptures it contains. These works were commissioned with public funds for permanent public benefit. Once destroyed or displaced, they cannot be recreated. Congress has both the authority and the duty to ensure these nationally significant cultural assets are preserved intact and remain accessible to the American people. THESE NEW DEAL MURALS ARE IRREPLACEABLE NATIONAL ASSETS The Cohen Building was constructed in 1939-40 and later named for Wilbur J. Cohen, a principal architect of the Social Security system. Its interior contains major New Deal era artworks, including murals by Ben Shahn and others commissioned under federal art programs created to place high-quality art in civic spaces. As recently reported by the Washington Post, these murals and sculptures are site-specific and in many cases chemically bound to the structure itself, meaning they cannot be removed without being destroyed. The article describes the building as a kind of “Sistine Chapel of New Deal art” and explains why preservationists consider its contents irreplaceable: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2026/01/22/cohen-building-new-deal/ Many of these works are physically inseparable from the building. Once lost, they cannot be reconstructed, replicated, or meaningfully replaced. THIS BUILDING AND ITS ART FACE IMMINENT AND IRREVERSIBLE LOSS The General Services Administration has placed the Cohen Building on a list for accelerated disposition. This process is designed to move federal properties quickly into private hands. Without enforceable protections, a future owner could demolish the building or irreversibly damage the art. Although the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, current law does not guarantee that this designation will prevent the loss of its murals or its structure. CONGRESS MUST ACT NOW TO PREVENT IRREVERSIBLE CULTURAL LOSS Congress should require binding preservation covenants on any transfer of federal property containing site-specific public art or nationally significant cultural resources. Congress should strengthen Section 106 and related review processes so they cannot be bypassed by fast-track disposal programs. Congress should support incentives for adaptive reuse that make preservation financially feasible while keeping these works publicly accessible. These artworks were created for the American people. They belong to our shared national heritage. Their loss would be permanent. I urge you to act now to ensure this irreplaceable building and its art are preserved for future generations.