The Washington Building Congress is the only local organization that recognizes the superior skills of craftsmen through our Craftsmanship Awards Program, an annual celebration of excellent work performed in our local industry. Members benefit from the credibility that comes with having skilled workers recognized for their excellence by a highly respect professional organization.

The WBC Craftsmanship Committee, headed by Arthur B. Heaton, organized the first Craftsmanship Awards 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. The new format adopted that year is the same format which continues through today.

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 stone work. 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 takes pride in the knowledge that "instant" workmanship is not the pattern followed by conscientious tradesmen. The 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 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. This award program has done a great deal to further the growth and development of superior craftsmanship in Washington area.

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 53 years (1956-2009) over 8,500 craftsmen have been recognized for their craftsmanship in over 2,500 winning projects.

The WBC Craftsmanship Awards Program has certainly come a long way since that day in 1950 when seven craftsmen were awarded certificates of performance on the jobsite.