Volta Bureau

In the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., you'll find the Volta Bureau, a historic building closely tied to the life and work of Alexander Graham Bell. Bell, best known for inventing the telephone, devoted himself to supporting people with hearing loss after selling his patents for sound-recording inventions. With the proceeds from transferring his rights to the American Graphophone Company, he founded the Volta Bureau in 1887 to spread knowledge about deafness and promote education. The current building was constructed in 1893 in the Neoclassical style from yellow sandstone and brick, and has served ever since as a center for research and teaching in this field. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972 and stands near Georgetown University.

The history of the site goes back to the 1880s, when Bell, together with Charles Sumner Tainter and his cousin Chichester Bell, set up a laboratory for telecommunications and phonograph research. There they developed, among other things, improved wax cylinders for sound recording, which later formed the basis of the commercial record industry. After the laboratory was dissolved, Bell moved his activities into the newly built structure, which originally served as a carriage house before it was replaced by the new building. The building's architecture, designed by the architects Peabody and Stearns, is unique in Georgetown and reflects the academic revival style.

Today the site is part of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which emerged in 1908 from the merger of the Volta Bureau with another association. You can tour the historic building, which is protected as a National Historic Landmark. The institution has continued its work and remains active to this day in supporting people with hearing impairments. The building stands not only for Bell's scientific achievements but also for his personal commitment, which was deeply shaped by his family, especially his deaf wife, Mabel.