Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-12
Smithsonian Institution Celebrates Its EghtySecond
Tn Men VIII Have FT James S -
First SnnltEm
How the Building Was Con-

/ For the plans of the building the
regents finally settled upon those fur
nished by James Renwick, jr Robert
Mills, whose design for the Washington
Monument was adopted and who did
other creditable work in the city was
| selected to superintend the building
operations at 81 900 year. Mr.. Rem
Wick's plans seem to have been along
the same lines of church then being
erected in Stuyvesant Square, New
York. the style of architecture being Of
! the later Norman-or, more strictly,
| The Lombard-style as 1t prevailed in
Germany. Normandy and in Southern
| Europe in the twelfth century.
On motion of William w. Seaton
mayor of Washington, the board Of
regents decided that the exterior walls
of the building be ct freestone of the
| lilaC-gray color the stone being reputed
! to be we'll calculated to stand the
weather and the attacks of frost and
to be easily obtained In sufficient guam
titles at the quarries of freestone occu-
plying the whole eastern bank of the
Potomac from the mouth of Seneca
Greek to point distant at least one
mile north of 1t.
The contract for erecting the build
lis was awarded to James Dixon and
Gilbert Cameron for the sum of $685.
| $50, the work to occupy period of five
years Dixon subsequently withdrew
and Cameron completed the building
AS building operations progressed, some
defects appeared which necessitated GER
! tain deviationS from the original plans
and which insured in the end a more
! substantial structure All the mistakes
/ however. were not detected and one
( fatal mistake in construction resulted
! in the disastrous fire of January "a
/ 1865. the loss from VIII CHI could not be
estimated in dollars and cents.
| THE obtaining of the site for the
Smithsonian Building is an inter.
eSting phase in the institutions his
| tory. Section 4 of the establishing act
provides:
And be it further enacted, That after
become organised. !, shall be their duty
fe 9s snsh nHnng witch may syo be sy
the public gToqpd n the elty Of Wss,nst9
tinted states the seeretar eSo Of state the
War, the Secretary Of the Navy- and the
Commissioner of the Patent, once shall
/ consent 10 the same, DNt II INe DefE0tH
/ last named shall not consent then sucr
location may be made upon any other OF
the public grounds within the city of Wash.
| tnEton, belonging to the United States
which said regents may select by and wits
| the consent of the persons herein named
! and the said ground selected shall be
| set out by proper metes and bounds, auc
| a description of the same shall he made
| and recorded IN a book to be provided fo'
that purpose. and signed by the SAIL
regents. or so many Of them as may be
convened at the time of their said organ
md MD AfarA ant
certified by the chancellor and secretary OF
the Board of Regents. shall be received in
evidence in all courts of the extent and
| boundaries OF the lands appropriated IL
thc said institution; and upon the makinc
Of such record. such site and lands Shal
he deemed and taken 10 be appropriated
by force 20 this act TO the said institution
No other site suited the regents ex.
cept the Mall. although legislation fol
the purchase from the local Govern
mcnt Of the City Hall was enacted