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Smithsonian Institution Building
Smithsonian Institution Building
For similar uses and terms, see Smithsonian (disambiguation).
History
The Castle was the first Smithsonian building, begun in 1847 by architect James RenSmithsonian Building wick, Jr., whose other works include St. PatU.S. National Register of Historic Places rick’s Cathedral in New York City and the U.S. National Historic Landmark Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, also in Washington D.C. Renwick was selected by a unanimous vote following a design competition in 1846. A cardboard model of Renwick’s successful design survives. Renwick was assisted by Robert Mills,[3] particularly in the internal arrangement of the building.[4] Initially intended to be built in white marble, then in yellow sandstone,[4] the architect and committee finally settled on red Seneca sandstone from the vicinity of Seneca Creek in Montgomery County, Maryland. The sandstone was substantially less expensive than granite or marble, and while initially The Castle easy to work, was found to harden to a satisWashington, D.C. Location: factory degree on exposure to the elements. 38°53′19.49″N 77°1′33.59″W /The East Wing was completed in 1849 and Coordinates: 38.8887472°N 77.0259972°W / occupied by Secretary Joseph Henry and his 38.8887472; -77.0259972 family. The West Wing was completed later the same year. A structural collapse of partly 1855 Built/Founded: completed work in 1850 raised questions of James Renwick, Jr. Architect: workmanship and resulted in a change to fireproof construction. The exterior was comSmithsonian Institution Governing body: pleted in 1851. By 1952 Renwick’s work was October 15, 1966[1] Added to NRHP: completed and he withdrew from further parJanuary 12, 1965[2] Designated NHL: ticipation. Gilbert Cameron took over responsibility for interior work, and all work NRHP Reference#: 66000867 was finally completed in 1855.[3] Despite the upgraded construction, a fire The Smithsonian Institution Building, locin 1865 caused extensive damage, destroying ated on the National Mall in Washington, the correspondence of James Smithson, D.C. behind the National Museum of African Henry’s files, two hundred oil paintings of Art, houses the Smithsonian Institution’s adAmerican Indians by J.M. Stanley, and the ministrative offices and information center. contents of the public libraries of Alexandria, The building is constructed of red Seneca Virginia and Beaufort, South Carolina, confissandstone in the faux Norman style (a 12thcated by Union forces during the American century combination of late Romanesque and Civil War. The ensuing renovation was underearly Gothic motifs) and is appropriately taken by local Washington architect Adolph nicknamed The Castle. It was designated a Cluss in 1865-67. Further fireproofing work National Historic Landmark in 1965.[2] ensued in 1883, also by Cluss, who by this time had designed the neighboring Arts and Industries Building. A third and fourth floor were added to the East Wing, and a third
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floor to the West Wing. Electric lighting was installed in 1895.[3] Around 1900 the wooden floor of the Great Hall was replaced with terrazzo and a Children’s Museum was installed near the south entrance. A tunnel connected to the Arts and Industries Building. A general renovation took place in 1968-70 to install modern electrical systems, elevators and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.[3]
Smithsonian Institution Building
Description
The Castle was designed by Renwick as the focal point of a picturesque landscape on the Mall, using elements from Georg Moller’s Denkmäler der deutschen Baukunst. Renwick originally intended to detail the building with entirely American sculptural flora in the manner of Benjamin Henry Latrobe’s work at the U.S. Capitol, but the final work used conventional pattern-book designs. [4] The building comprises a central section, two extensions or ranges, and two wings. Four towers contain occupiable space, while five smaller towers are primarily decorative, although some contain stairs. As constructed, the central section contained the main entry and museum space (now the "Great Hall"), with a basement beneath and a large lecture room above. Two galleries on the second floor were used to display artifacts and art. The East Range contained laboratory space on the first floor and research space on the second. The East Wing contained storage space on the first floor and a suite of rooms on the second as an apartment for the Secretary of the Smithsonian. The West Range was one story and used as a reading room. The West Wing, known as the "chapel", was used as a library.[3] On the exterior, the principal tower on the south side is 91 feet (28 m) high and 37 feet (11 m) square. On the north side there are two towers, the taller on 145 feet (44 m) tall. A campanile at the northeast corner is 17 feet (5.2 m) square and 117 feet (36 m) tall.[3] The plan allowed for expansion at either end, a major reason for the informal medievally-inspired design, which would not suffer if asymmetrically developed. [4]
Smithsonian Castle at day-break
A statue of Joseph Henry is displayed in front of the building.
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Smithsonian Institution Building
Current use
The Smithsonian Castle houses all the administrative offices of the Smithsonian. The main Smithsonian visitor center is also located here, with interactive displays and maps. Computers electronically answer most common questions. A crypt just inside the north entrance houses the tomb of James Smithson.[5] [2]
[3]
See also
• Seneca Quarry, the source of Seneca sandstone in Maryland, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Gallery
[4]
[5] The Castle viewed from the National Mall
http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/ detail.cfm?ResourceId=657&ResourceType=Building ^ "Smithsonian Institution Building". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/ detail.cfm?ResourceId=1104&ResourceType=Buildin Retrieved on 2009-05-10. ^ Morton, W. Brown III (February 8, 1971). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination: Smithsonian Institution Building". National Park Service. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/ Text/66000867.pdf. Retrieved on 2009-05-11. ^ Scott, Pamela; Lee, Antoinette J. (1993). "The Mall". Buildings of the District of Columbia. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 94-96. ISBN 0-19-509389-5. "Smithsonian Institution Building". Histories of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museums and Research Centers. Smithsonian Institution. http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/ historic/history.htm#sib. Retrieved on 2009-05-11.
External links
A taxidermied Snow Leopard is exhibited inside the building. • Smithsonian Institution Building official site • Smithsonian Institution Building, 1000 Jefferson Drive, between Ninth & Twelfth Stre, Washington, District of Columbia, DC: 27 drawings, 128 photos, 7 data pages, 11 photo caption pages, 4 color transparencies, at Historic American Building Survey
References
[1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Institution_Building" Categories: National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C., National Mall, Smithsonian Institution, Gothic Revival architecture in the United States, James Renwick, Jr. buildings This page was last modified on 20 May 2009, at 05:51 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
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