The WBC Craftsmanship Awards Program was created to bring public recognition to those people who, because of exceptional workmanship and individual effort, deserve such an honor.

The first Craftsmanship Awards Committee, headed by Arthur B. Heaton, organized the inaugural Craftsmanship Awards program in 1950. Seven craftsmen were awarded certificates for their work on the 10-story Editors Building at 1731 H Street, NW, owned by the Kiplinger Agency—publisher of the Kiplinger Letters. Several misunderstanding arose about who was eligible to receive the awards, so they were discontinued until 1956.

In 1962, the program received national recognition after being selected for distinguished achievement in the business and public interest by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Washington Building Congress Craftsmanship Awards has been a model for similar organizations in other parts of the country.

Awards are made for a wide range of skills, for elaborate and technical installation of mechanical systems, truly beautiful cabinet and woodwork, artistic painting, and masonry and stonework. Although award winners represent a wide range of trades and skills, they have one thing in common—they are craftsmen who treasure their trade and will never settle for anything less than the best.

The Washington Building Congress believes that the recognition of fine craftsmanship is of tremendous value to the entire local construction industry. Public recognition of superior craftsmanship is deeply satisfying to the individual doing the outstanding work and encourages other tradesmen to take more pride to their work as well. 

In 1992, the Craftsmanship Awards Program Chairman Darrel Rippeteau, of Rippeteau Architects, created the Star Awards. The Star Award winning craftsmen exhibited the key characteristics of all the Craftsmanship Award winners and provided a focus on “the essence of craftsmanship” in these categories: Visual Excellence, Technical Excellence and Excellence in the Face of Adversity. 

The Craftsmanship Awards Program has grown to be on the most popular and important events in the entire construction industry.

During the past years, the awards have been greatly expanded to include 10 categories (35 subcategories). As the awards have grown in prestige, and the volume and caliber of construction in the city has increased, the celebration of craftsmanship has expanded.

In the last 50 years over 6,900 craftsmen have been recognized for their craftsmanship in over 2,200 winning projects.