Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-03-27
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

We understand that the building committee of
this Institution contracted, on Friday, 10Th, for the
erection of their building.
The plan adopted, out OF thirteen different designs
submitted, was, our readers already know that
of Mr.. JAMES RENwIcK, Jun, architect of Grace
Church, Calvary Church, the Church of the Puri-
tans, and other structures creditabe to his profess
sional genius in and about the city of New York.
An outline of its accommodations and extent is
given in note to the Report of the Committee OH
Organization" recently published by the lnstlu-
ton, as follows:
1T comprises museum 200 feet by So Ii
brary 80 feet by SO; gallery of art l25 feet long
two lecture rooms, of which one is capable OF con-
tanning an audience of 500 to 600 persons, and
the other is connected with the laboratory, toge-
ther with several smaller rooms. The style Sc
lected is the later Norman, or rather Lombard,
it prevailed in the twelfth century chiefly in Ger
many, Normandy, and in Southern Europe, imme-
diately preceding the introduction of the Gothic
| To the above we may add that the building has
that lrregulariy of plan which charaerzes the Nor
man and Gothic styles; rendering those much more
capable than the Grecian of convenient adaptation
TO modern purposes and presenting to the eye, in
the different aspects of building, pleasing variety.
There in all nine towers of various shapes and
sizes; several of them small, to eused as elevators
and to receive flues, &c.; the principal tower on
the north front being l45 feet high. +.
| The successful competitors for the contract are
JAMES Dixon a. Co., their bids, both for marble and
freestont finish, being the lowest that were recev-
ed. Mn Dixon is known in this city as one of the
contractors on the General Post Office, SO much
admired both for its beauty of design and solidty Of
execution and bears the reputation of being enter
prsing, Industrious, responsible, and faithful a
builder. He is resident of this city. There is
we learn, associated with him Mr.. Gilbert Came
ron, of New York, well known there as having
credtably completed many extensive building con.
| tracts. .>.@~. II.
i The Board of Regents had authorized, for the
completion of the building and for the furnishing
and fitting up of the same, (including cases
bookcases, &c. an expenditure not exceeding two
hundred and forty-two thousand dollars being the
amount set apart in the act of Congress organizing
the Institution for the erection of suitable buildings
The bid of Messrs. Dixon & Co. for the entire
building, including furniture and fitting up, and the
amount at which the contract with them closed
is too hundred and fve thousand two hundred
and fifty dollars, being nearly thirty-seUen thou
sand dollars within the amount which the building
committee had authority TO expend
The result is highly creditable to the architect
the contract being taken at more than twenty thou
sand dollars below the estimates submitted by him
to the Board of Regents -.
The material adopted for the external walls of thu
building is freestone of approved durability, from
the vicinity of Seneca creek, on the Potomac, som
twenty twenty-five miles above the city. 1t !
from the new red sandstone formation, the sam,
which has furnished, in New Jersey, the beautiful
| freestone used in the erection of Trinity Church
New York. Its color is pinkish or gray, becom
| ing lighter by exposure. 1t is wholly different in
character and quality from the sandstone used fol-
the Capitol, the Patent Office, and the Treasury.
1t is easily worked when first quarred, bu,
becomes by exposure, in the course OF year or
two, so hard that the best tempered tool will hard
ly cut it. 1t ressts moisture so effectually that
in several aqueducts along the line of 1.-The canal
down the face of which water has been tricklng in
cessantly for upwards Of twenty years, the marks
of the chisel are still as sharp when first cut
Some OF the steps to the Capitol of this freestone
and no percepGble abrasion can be discovered il
these, Notwithstanding the long term Of years through
which they have been subjected to daily wear.
| To erect the building of marble instead of free
| stone would have cost as shown by the bids, an
additional sum of t,oenty-three thousand fce h,oa-
dred dollars, and, though the entire amount would
still have been considerably within that to which
the committee allowed to go in their contract,
they considered the difference between the two ma
terias, whether as regards durability or appearance,
not sufficient to justify that increase of expenditure.
Indeed, il is doubtful whether the freestone of the
color selected be not more appropriate for Nor
man building than white marble. Be this as it may,
we feel assured, from careful examination Of the
design, that, executed in the material that has been
chosen, it will present aspect Of grave and i'm
posing beauty.
GEN. ScoTT's MovEMENTs.-The Alexandria
Gazette says:
awe have letter from the Island Of Lobos dated
the 2Sh February which states that there has been most
unreasonable delay the arrival OF transports and munitions
of war that place They weeks later than they
ought have been the latest dates all the troops