The Arts and Industries Building is the second oldest (after
The Castle) of the
Smithsonian museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
s on the
National Mall
The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institut ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Initially named the National Museum, it was built to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper facility for public display of its growing collections. The building, designed by architects
Adolf Cluss
Adolf Ludwig Cluss (July 14, 1825 – July 24, 1905) also known as Adolph Cluss was a German-born American immigrant who became one of the most important, influential and prolific architects in Washington, D.C., in the late 19th century, respons ...
and Paul Schulze, opened in 1881, hosting an inaugural ball for President
James A. Garfield
James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881 until his death six months latertwo months after he was shot by an assassin. A lawyer and Civil War gene ...
. It was designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1971.
After being closed since 2004, the building reopened in 2021 with a special exhibition, ''Futures'', scheduled to run through July 2022.
Description
The Arts and Industries Building was sited slightly farther back from the Mall than the
Smithsonian Castle
The Smithsonian Institution Building, located near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. behind the National Museum of African Art and the Sackler Gallery, houses the Smithsonian Institution's administrative offices and information center. The ...
to avoid obscuring the view of the Castle from the
Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerous ...
.
The building was designed to be symmetrical, composed of a Greek cross with a central rotunda. The exterior was constructed with geometric patterns of polychrome brick, and a sculpture entitled ''Columbia Protecting Science and Industry'' by sculptor
Caspar Buberl
Caspar Buberl (1834 – August 22, 1899) was an American sculptor. He is best known for his Civil War monuments, for the terra cotta relief panels on the Garfield Memorial in Cleveland, Ohio (depicting the various stages of James Garfield' ...
was placed above the main entrance on the north side.
The interior of the building was partially lit through the use of skylights and clerestory windows. An iron truss roof covers the building. In 1883, the exterior was adjusted to use a more vibrant maroon-colored brick.
The building is composed of four pavilions, one at each corner, about square and three stories tall. These surround a central rotunda. Lower sections or "ranges" were placed outside the pavilions. Pervasive complaints of dampness and the poor health of the building's occupants led to the replacement of the wood floors in the 1890s. Balconies were added in 1896–1902 to increase space after a new Smithsonian Building failed to be authorized by the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
. A tunnel was constructed in 1901 to the
Smithsonian Institution Building
The Smithsonian Institution Building, located near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. behind the National Museum of African Art and the Sackler Gallery, houses the Smithsonian Institution's administrative offices and information center. Th ...
next door.
History
1800s
According to the Smithsonian Archives, "the Congressional appropriation for the 1876
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...
contained an interesting proviso. It stated that the appropriation was considered a loan, and if income from the exhibition allowed the loan to be repaid, Congress would then allow part of those funds to be used to construct a new building for the National Museum."
The success of the exhibits allowed the loan to be paid off soon after the event.
As promised, then, a bill was introduced in Congress two years later by the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian to build a suitable structure.
The bill included plans developed by General
Montgomery C. Meigs
Montgomery Cunningham Meigs (; May 3, 1816 – January 2, 1892) was a career United States Army officer and civil engineer, who served as Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army during and after the American Civil War. Meigs strongly opposed sece ...
, which were based on the Government Building by James Windrim at the
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...
, which was itself inspired by structures at the
1873 Vienna Exposition.
Funds were approved in 1879 and the design was executed by Cluss and Schulze, based on the Meigs plan.
During its construction, the materials featured at the
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...
—up to "sixty box cars worth" of donations
—were too numerous to fit in the
Smithsonian Institution Building
The Smithsonian Institution Building, located near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. behind the National Museum of African Art and the Sackler Gallery, houses the Smithsonian Institution's administrative offices and information center. Th ...
and so were temporarily stored in the
District Armory Building at the corner of 7th Street SW and
Independence Avenue.
According to the aforementioned Smithsonian Archives, "the first event to take place in the new National Museum Building was the Inaugural Ball for President James Garfield and Vice President Chester A. Arthur on March 4, 1881. A temporary wooden floor was laid, two electric lights were placed in the Rotunda, 10,000 bins for hats and coats were erected, 3,000 gas lights were installed, and festive buntings, state flags and seals decorated the halls. A colossal "Statue of America" stood in the Rotundia, illustrative of peace, justice and liberty, grasping in her uplifted hand an electric light "indicative of the skill, genius, progress, and civilization" of America in the 19th century."
Eight months later the museum officially opened to the public.
"It contained 80,000 square feet of exhibit space with specially designed mahogany exhibit cases. The exhibit halls contained exhibits on geology, metallurgy, zoology, medicine, anthropology, art, history and technologies such as ceramics, printing, transportation, textiles, fisheries, and agriculture."
Under the guidance of
George Brown Goode
George Brown Goode (February 13, 1851 – September 6, 1896), was an American ichthyologist and museum administrator. He graduated from Wesleyan University and studied at Harvard University.
Early life and family
George Brown Goode was born Febru ...
, a historian and ichythyologist, a Division of Arts and Industries and Materia Medica was established that same year
and materials from the museum were sent to many late nineteenth century
expositions to teach people about the country's political and natural history.
1900s
In 1910, the
natural history collections were moved to the new
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with 7 ...
, and the old National Museum Building was renamed the Arts and Industries Building.
In 1964 additional exhibitions were moved to the National Museum of History and Technology, now known as the
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...
.
In the middle of 1975, the building was closed to the public to begin moving its remaining exhibits to the newly constructed
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States.
Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...
. Restoration work was performed over the next year at a cost of $4.5 million, including the installation of air conditioning.
In May 1976, the Arts and Industries Building reopened with ''1876: A Centennial Exhibition'', featuring the Philadelphia Exposition artifacts it was originally built to house. Added later were series of temporary exhibitions and a children's theater, known as the ''Discovery Theater''.
2000s
By 1995, the building was reported to be in disrepair and at risk of closing down. By 2000, plastic tarps were in place to protect visitors from debris from the crumbling roof. In 2004, the building was closed to the public indefinitely, as funding for the necessary repairs was uncertain.
The building's uncertain future and deteriorating condition led the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
to name it in 2006 as one of
America's Most Endangered Places, an annual list of endangered historic sites. In 2009 it was scheduled to receive $25 million in funds from the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Gr ...
for renovation work.
Revitalization of the shell alone was solicited in 2010. A complete restoration was projected to cost $200 million ($65 million in structural renovations alone) and last until the year 2014. It has also been discussed as a possible site for a national
Latino American
Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify as ...
museum. In January 2014, the Smithsonian announced that the building would remain closed for the foreseeable future, citing funding concerns. But on April 12, 2015, Smithsonian Acting Secretary Albert Horvath said about 40 percent of the building would reopen in fall 2015 for use as a short-term exhibit space. Smithsonian officials said that the building had been architecturally stabilized, and minor refurbishments made to the bathrooms,
HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...
system, and interior paint scheme. Horvath said the building would not completely reopen and its fate had not yet been clarified or determined.
After 2015, the building was used occasionally for special events, such as the
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, launched in 1967, is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage presented annually in the summer in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is held on the National Mall for two weeks around the F ...
. The Arts and Industries Building reopened in November 2021 for its first exhibition since 2004, ''Futures'', scheduled to run through July 2022. Afterward, the building is scheduled to be closed for significant renovations, which would allow it to be permanently reopened as early as 2028. The building was evaluated as a possible home for the
National Museum of the American Latino or the
Smithsonian American Women's History Museum.
The building has hosted a number of exhibitions and artists in residence, such as
Catie Cuan
Catie Cuan an artist and innovator in the field of choreorobotics. She is a robotics Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Early life and education
She earned a bachelor’s degree from the Unive ...
, a Futurist-in-Residence who performed at the closing ceremonies of the FUTURES exhibit on July 6, 2022.
See also
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C.
The District of Columbia, capital of the United States, is home to 75 National Historic Landmarks. The National Historic Landmark program is operated under the auspices of the National Park Service, and recognizes structures, districts, objects, a ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in central Washington, D.C.
*
Architecture of Washington, D.C.
References
External links
*
Historical photographs of the building National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
*
"Arts and Industries Building Gets a Little Love" ''Smithsonian Magazine''
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National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C.
Cultural infrastructure completed in 1881
National Mall
Victorian architecture in Washington, D.C.
Smithsonian Institution museums
Historic American Buildings Survey in Washington, D.C.
1881 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Southwest Federal Center