Main Portion of SI Building Completed
Social Media Share Tools
Object Details
- Subject
- Alexander, B. S (Barton Stone) 1819-1878
- Cameron, Gilbert
- Smithsonian Institution Building (Washington, D.C.)
- Smithsonian Institution Building Lecture Hall
- Category
- Chronology of Smithsonian History
- Engraving of the Smithsonian Institution Building, 1855. Smithsonian Institution Archives, negative number SIA2012-1449.
- Goode, George Brown, ed. The Smithsonian Institution, 1846-1896, The History of Its First Half Century. Washington, D.C.: De Vinne Press, 1897, p. 835
- Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1854, p. 69-71
- Summary
- Under the direction of B. S. Alexander, the main portion of the Smithsonian Institution Building or "Castle" is completed, except for a few, unimportant additions. The total cost for the building, grounds, and furnishings is $299,414.14. From June 13, 1853, when Gilbert Cameron, the original contractor, commenced work on completion of the building, the project has been uninterruptedly prosecuted without any further accidents. The completed upper story has a Lecture Room of about 100 feet in length in the middle, which comfortably seats 1500 and can hold upwards of 2000. The optical and acoustic properties of the lecture room are considered unsurpassed by any other in the U.S.
- Contact information
- Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu
- December 1854
- Smithsonian Archives - History Div
- Topic
- Buildings
- Finance
- Grounds
- Lectures and lecturing
- Major Events in Smithsonian History
- Record ID
- siris_sic_506
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Usage conditions apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.