Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-07-02
The National Museum.
DESCRIPTION OF rHs NEW rrIpr,

much OF which dates from the gifts az fonelgn
governments 70 the United States. and from the
exhibit OF the United States on the occasion of
IT'S centennial International exhibition. laylng
| DORMANT and inaccessible 10 the public an an
preparation OF $3.50 600 was made nv t'onyrsss
March T. 1879. for the erection OF a fre-proof
g ounidlhg ior The National Museum, on the public
| GROUNDS near the building OF the Smithsonian
| Institution. The funds we've TO be exnendad
under the control OF the board OF regents OF the
snltnsonian. The regents created a building
| DR.. Parker, and Prof. s. r. Baird are the mem
oers on invitation OF this board, Major cen
eral NJ. G. Meigs consented TO act as corsulttn,r
Snslneer. s,s. on March 25th following, the com.
| mission placed the construction OF the buiding
IN charge OF MesSrs. Cluss a SchulEe architecfs
tne authors OF the adopted designs who ara
,h 10 nnlsh the building within the limit OF
INT moderate amount placed at their disposal r
for description or the building, we 0uose
from lne Official report OF the architects under
Ga,e OF jar uary !. lSSe, as follows The building
starts on tne ground in the form OF a sauare
! win SIDES OF S21 feet extreme length This ts
sulmounted by cross and a dome. Within IFS
9I 5aca1es, net area OF l02, 200 square feet. or
under ground the boiler room and nInes os %
SIeam-heatlng apparatus, coal cellar. two
lafge cellars Tor storage purposes. From one
p,tb vi thtSe cears suoterranean communication
WIN Ihe adjacent Smithsonian building IS es
taolished, which, besides ordinary uses viii
serve IN cases OF panic. fire. tumuit robbery
gec' @ 0h Ihe main foor there are available. In
another py wide and l0rty archways. 10 So0
square feet or floor space, and a proporfionate
amount amount OF wall space for exhibition purposes.
d furtner, there are available on the main tloor
ana TWO upper stores OF four corner naI1lionS
ana eight towers, % 4oO square feet OF flooT
space. divided of INTO 1856 rooms for ADMINISTERS.
o'a,,p ono puiposes, offices, working rooms, photo
glapher. the necessary modern accommoda-
/ uons, etc, etc. And finally. about 900 sduare
| ieel OF hoor space on galleries which are in
tehded Ia part for special exhibits aud in par
Inc lot. nsft-F..s
OF the exhibits. Wv
on the whole the one-story plan which has
| pIe.aiied among experts ever since the Par
| ehhlbltlon OF lS61, has been adopted Rut n
| The introduction or upper stories in ornaments
| pdtlulonS ana towers, ample Office room Ia
| peen secured without encroaching matpriln,
center OF the building is octagonaI on The rroupa
| HooI, ana Is Surm0unted by l6-sided polyCof
| OF "a feet diameter which contains A tier ~
laIge windows, and constitutes a dome liz.
| structure with slate roof and lantern
| crowned by a decorative 1iniaL This dome A.
=. leei nlgh on the side walls, or los feet to the
| top OF the final.
-Four nayes OF 65 feet In width ana 1I7 feet IN
| length radiate from the dome and extend n tho
| outside walls OF the building: these uaves form
a Cheek cross, over the center OF which th1,
uolhe rises, and part OF the spaces between the
arms or the cross are fitted up with nails of Is
rect square, and or the same height rs the nayes.
/ the sidewalks OF both being ~ feet hlrh while
| the height 10 the ridge or the slate roOfs f. 10
| ble Tor the purpose OF so perfecling the drain
| age OF the roofs that accumulatiOns OF ice ana
! Su0W can nowhere 0OStruct it. The Spacps hn-
tween the high walls OF and around the Greek
! cross on one side. and the exterior walls OF the
| building on the other side. are allotted mainly
| 10 eight halls OF reduced height covered by
iean-to metal roofs, the extreme height OF which
is 81 1eet BN this treatment wall-SEace5 are
| obtained for the Introduction OF ciere-story
windows, which light the square halls and as
slSl ia nghtiDg the nayes. The four symmetr-
cdl exterior Waiis OF the building are broken by
projections In the center and at the corners al q
| theSe nave been amply utilized for miscelaue-
| GUS administrative purposes, as stated above A
| modernlZed RomaneSque style or architecture
was adopted for the new building in order 10
/ Keep relationship with the adjacent SmithsO-
nian Building, which is designed IN Norman a
| variety OF this style. To mOdernize this style
was found necessary on account or the different
| building material. brick in place OF red sand
| stone, and TO do justice TO the modern demands
| or perfect safety and elegance OF construction
or greatest possible available floor space, OF
easy communications, efficient drainage, a well
calculated and pleasing admission OF light, free
circulation OF air and all other hygienic de-
mands made upon the new building
The external architecture is based upon the
general arrangement OF the interior, il shows
plainly the prominence OF the four naves and
the careful management OF the light for the CEN
tral portion OF the building. Four main en-
frances are In the centerS OF the facadeS be-
tween two lofty towers or So feet height. these
act as buttresSes for the naves. Between the
towers, above and recedng from the dOorways,
there are large arched windows set with orna-
mented glass; and above those the gables OF the
nayeS are formed they contain Inscription
plates, and are crowned by allegorlcal groups of
designed by C. Buberl OF New York, introduces
Columbia as the protectress OF science and In
dustry. The second group by the same artist
represents peace with the fine arts.
10 both sides OF these prominent central fea-
lures there are curtain walls, q feet In height,
which have the effect OF arcades. Pavilions are
| placed at the corners; they are or less height
| than the towers, but sufficiently raised above
the curtain walls 10 overcome the unfavorabe
/ effect which these comparatively low walls
would otherwise produce. In the rear OF the
| curtain walls the clere story rises TO the full
| height Of the naveS, the roofs OF which terInl-
nate against the side walls or the dome. The
dome Is treated in similar way and strictly In
| the same character as the curtain walls above
| alluded to. In addition to the windows In the
solid masonry or exterior walls, clere-Story and
| dome, lofty lanterns have been provided above
the centerS or the naveS and square halls so as
to AFFORD perfect light for this enormous space
without resorting TO fiat skylights, which for
various reasons IL was well 10 avoid. These
lanterns. square and oblong, together with
those OF the related features OF the pavilions,
have been Sc arranged, In combination with
towers. groups, clere story and the rising dome
iD the background, as 10 ihaale picturesque
effect i'm the sky lines or the building.
All the.maSonry above ground Is composed OF
brfch~oIk. built hollow, with air spaces, for
outside " al ornamented and laid in black NOR
tar for the 'scing or exterior walls. To neu-
tralize the mo, ~GtOny and commonplace ap-
pearance which co I'D not have been avoided
with d-brick fronts O. such extent, sufficient
quantity or bun bricks h. - been introduced In
panels and spandr1s, inters, asea ~ VIII Slhdii
number OF blue bricks IN NC olndulenlai
Woik OF biick corniceS- A ba UourSe vi
granite extends all around the bull. 'ns. ne
wrought work OF the main entrances, >inuoM ',
siils inscription plates, copings, etc. i tS euo
OF grey ONO freeStone. Anything else In .nS IN.
G m ui ~
the principal designs and executed ia sub
stantial metal work. The floor beams girders
end roofs consist, or are constructed OF
rolled and shaped iron. The floors are fire.
proofed by brick arches and concrete. OF roofs
mere are no less than thirty-seven. many OF
them are or most complicated construction. The
lanterns On the ridges OF the naves are large
enough TO cover moderate-siZed dwellings. The
light but solid frame work OF all the roofs is left
In 1ull view, painted ia light neutral tinte. The
covering OF the metal roofs is laid upOn fire.
proofed gratings, suggested by Gen. NJ. c.
Melgs. The states are hung TO iron purlines ia
the sashes al through the building are glazed
with two glass for each pane having an inter-
mediate air space. In all windows facing the
nallS, the outer pane, consists OF obscured glass
IN order TO obtain mellow light and TO avoid
the necessity OF shades. The floors OF the main
haIls is or concrete, but the rooms and smaller
nall are hoored with Florida pine laid on con-
crete.
The interior is plastered In sand finish. washed
IN Units It's lofty proportions IL is expected.
VIII without any elaborate decoration tend Ia
helghten the effect OF the objects on exhibition,
instead OF interfering with them The wide
entrance doors w md