Architect of the Capitol considering display on Jan. 6 riot

Officials at the Capitol are considering a display focused on the deadly Jan. 6 riot.

One of the artifacts from the pro-Trump insurrection included in the display could be shattered glass from the windows of the East Front doors of the Capitol. The glass was replaced on Thursday after it was broken last month by a mob seeking to stop Congress’s certification of the 2020 Electoral College vote.

However, the old glass was preserved, the office of the Architect of the Capitol confirmed to The Hill on Thursday.

“Moving forward, we are looking at options to display a collection from January 6,” the office said in a statement.

A spokesperson added that broken panes have also been removed from the historic Columbus Doors. The bronze doors show several scenes in the life of explorer Christopher Columbus.

Additional information about a possible collection was not immediately available. 

Several reporters have shared photos of the broken glass in the doors following the riot, as well as other damage the building sustained.

6 days since Wednesday’s attack, the Capitol now looks more like its usual self.

But some remnants of the damage remain, like the cracked glass in the doors leading from the east front center steps to the Rotunda and the boarded-up windows in the Senate. pic.twitter.com/ZJay6KKR87

— Cristina Marcos (@cimarcos) January 13, 2021

The doors on the East Front of the Capitol. The white spots in the door frame and stone are powder residue from pepper balls.
Things I learned the hard way: there is still potency in the powder 48 hours later. pic.twitter.com/pEeFI3lDK8

— Kristin Wilson (@kristin__wilson) January 8, 2021

Doors at the East Front entrance of the Capitol. Still not fixed for inauguration, will be very symbolic seeing this in the background shot of @JoeBiden @KamalaHarris arrival and departure today. pic.twitter.com/9dO9BVAs0S

— Ariana Freeman (@ArianaFreeman12) January 20, 2021

Reps. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) expressed support for such an idea in a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Administration Committee Chair Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) on Thursday.

“We write to request that the glass panes from the doors to the Capitol Rotunda which were damaged during the failed January 6th insurrection be preserved and prominently displayed for future generations to bear witness to the events of that day and the fragility of our democracy,” the Democratic representatives wrote.

They pointed to other “impressions of history” that can be found throughout the Capitol, such as chisel marks left by slaves and a bullet hole in the Republican House leadership desk from a 1954 attack by Puerto Rican nationalists.

“Just as these reminders of our complicated past remain, so too must some of the damage caused by the insurrectionists on January 6th, 2021,” Phillips and Kim continued. “We believe these items must be preserved as a symbol to those who remain, and to educate future Americans about the fragility of our union and the preciousness of our democracy.”

The Jan. 6 riot resulted in five deaths, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, as well as damage and debris around the complex.

The report on a potential display on the Capitol breach comes on the third day of the second impeachment trial of former President Trump over his role in the violence. Democrats and many Republicans have accused Trump of inciting the mob.

—Updated at 10:04 p.m.