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Hall), with a basement beneath and a large lecture room above. Two galleries on the second floor were used to display artifacts and art. This area is now the
Visitor's Information and Associates' Reception area. The East Range contained laboratory space on the first floor and research space on the second. The East Wing contained storage space on the first floor and a suite of rooms on the second as an apartment for the Secretary of the Smithsonian. This space is currently used as administrative offices and archives. The West Range was one story and used as a reading room. The West Wing, known as the chapel, was used as a library. The West Wing and Range are now used as a quiet room for visitors to go.
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and his family. The West Wing was completed later the same year. A structural collapse in 1850 of partly completed work raised questions of workmanship and resulted in a change to fireproof construction. The Castle's exterior was completed in 1852; Renwick's work was completed and he withdrew from
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The building comprises a central section, two extensions or ranges, and two wings. Four towers contain occupiable space, while five smaller towers are primarily decorative, although some contain stairs. As constructed, the central section contained the main entry and museum space (now the Great
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and a
Children's Museum was installed near the south entrance. A tunnel connected to the Arts and Industries Building. A general renovation took place in 1968–70 to install modern electrical systems, elevators and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The
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In
February 2023, the Castle closed for a planned five-year renovation. The project would include restoration of many aspects of the building, and removal of an upper floor of offices to restore the Grand Hall to its original appearance.
259:, also in Washington D.C. The building committee held a nationwide design competition in 1846 and selected Renwick's design by a unanimous vote. Renwick's second design, which was Gothic Revival in style, was used in the design of
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The
Smithsonian Castle houses the administrative offices of the Smithsonian. The main Smithsonian visitor center is also located here, with interactive displays and maps. Computers electronically answer most common questions. A
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On the exterior, the principal tower on the south side is 91 feet (28 m) high and 37 feet (11 m) square. On the north side there are two towers, the taller on 145 feet (44 m) tall. A
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The building committee selected
Gilbert Cameron as the general contractor, and construction began in 1847. The East Wing was completed in 1849 and occupied by Secretary
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Initially intended to be built in white marble, then in yellow sandstone, the architect and building committee finally settled on Seneca red sandstone from the
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The plan allowed for expansion at either end, a major reason for the informal medieval-inspired design, which would not suffer if asymmetrically developed.
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Despite the upgraded fireproof construction, a fire in 1865 caused extensive damage to the upper floor of the building, destroying the correspondence of
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was dedicated in 1987, along with the
Renwick Gate facing Independence Avenue, built from Seneca redstone retrieved from the demolished D.C. Jail.
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further participation. Cameron continued the interior work, which he completed in 1855. Construction funds came from "accrued interest on the
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The construction of the original
Smithsonian Building in 1847-1855 was funded from the accrued interest on the Smithson bequest.
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Smithsonian
Institution Building, 1000 Jefferson Drive, between Ninth & Twelfth Stre, Washington, District of Columbia, DC
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in 1865–67. Further fireproofing work ensued in 1883, also by Cluss, who by this time had designed the neighboring
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263:. A cardboard model of Renwick's winning design survives and is on display in the Castle. Renwick was assisted by
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in contrast to the granite, marble and yellow sandstone from the other major buildings in
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in
England and the ideas of knowledge and wisdom. The façade is built with red sandstone from the
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at the northeast corner is 17 feet (5.2 m) square and 117 feet (36 m) tall.
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Renwick designed the Castle as the focal point of a picturesque landscape on the
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Smithsonian Institution Building, The Castle at Google Cultural Institute
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Histories of the Smithsonian Institution's Museums and Research Centers
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The Castle was the first Smithsonian building, designed by architect
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Around 1900, the wooden floor of the Great Hall was replaced with
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745:"Enslaved Labor and Building the Smithsonian: Reading the Stones"
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Revival style (a recalling of a 12th-century combination of late
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Enslaved Labor and Building the Smithsonian: Reading the Stones
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786:. Charleston, SC: The History Press. pp. 122–126.
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Historic American Buildings Survey in Washington, D.C.
768:, Smithsonian Institution, May 13, 1977, p. 49,
722:. Charleston, SC: The History Press. pp. 42–56.
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The Museum: A Short History of Crisis and Resilience
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808:"Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)"
1498:John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
690:. New York: Oxford University Press. pp.
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831:"Smithsonian Castle to close for renovations"
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1431:Smithsonian Contributions and Studies Series
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720:The Smithsonian Castle and the Seneca Quarry
410:motifs. This style was chosen to evoke the
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682:Scott, Pamela; Lee, Antoinette J. (1993).
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600:. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
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321:, confiscated by Union forces during the
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1541:1855 establishments in Washington, D.C.
1256:Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems Program
945:. New York: New York University Press.
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63:Main façade of the Smithsonian Building
1551:Government buildings completed in 1855
594:"National Register Information System"
278:is displayed in front of the building.
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1006:C-SPAN Tour of the Smithsonian Castle
829:Ruane, Michael E. (January 5, 2023).
743:Auslander, Mark (December 12, 2012).
688:Buildings of the District of Columbia
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1058:African American History and Culture
598:National Register of Historic Places
545:National Register of Historic Places
991:Historic American Buildings Survey
893:"Smithsonian Institution Building"
568:"Smithsonian Institution Building"
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402:The building is completed in the
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1305:Museum Conservation Institute
1293:Biodiversity Heritage Library
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361:East entrance to the building
185:, more commonly known as the
1261:Conservation and restoration
1163:Archives of American Gardens
654:. Smithsonian. p. 233.
331:Arts and Industries Building
247:, whose other works include
18:United States historic place
1561:James Renwick Jr. buildings
1405:Air & Space/Smithsonian
971:Geographic data related to
288:Montgomery County, Maryland
177:View facing northeast, 1864
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1097:Jazz Masterworks Orchestra
233:National Historic Landmark
993:(HABS) No. DC-141, "
871:The Architect's Newspaper
810:. Smithsonian Institution
138:NRHP reference
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319:Beaufort, South Carolina
261:Trinity Episcopal Church
1581:Smithsonian Institution
1042:Smithsonian Institution
941:Redman, Samuel (2022).
628:. National Park Service
574:. National Park Service
369:View facing southeast,
249:St. Patrick's Cathedral
199:Smithsonian Institution
193:, is a building on the
109:38.8887472; -77.0259972
1467:National Design Awards
1288:Libraries and Archives
1283:Environmental Research
782:Peck, Garrett (2013).
718:Peck, Garrett (2013).
393:Benjamin Henry Latrobe
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255:and the Smithsonian's
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1477:Woodrow Wilson Awards
1102:Numismatic Collection
397:United States Capitol
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1508:The Wilson Quarterly
1447:James Smithson Medal
1278:Conservation Biology
1190:Encyclopedia of Life
1153:Cooper–Hewitt Design
935:, December 12, 2012.
522:United States portal
467:Enid A. Haupt Garden
383:using elements from
343:Enid A. Haupt Garden
315:Alexandria, Virginia
1426:Smithsonian Channel
1126:Arts and Industries
836:The Washington Post
164:Designated NHL
100: /
1515:Smithsonian Police
1462:Langley Gold Medal
845:on January 5, 2023
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323:American Civil War
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187:Smithsonian Castle
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1348:Folklife Festival
1317:Tropical Research
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925:Mark Auslander, "
412:Collegiate Gothic
245:James Renwick Jr.
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416:Seneca quarry
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381:National Mall
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156:Added to NRHP
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92:38°53′19.49″N
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1398:American Art
1396:
1376:Affiliations
1358:Global Sound
1266:Astrophysics
1232:
1147:
1080:American Art
942:
930:
905:. Retrieved
901:the original
896:
887:
875:. Retrieved
869:
859:
849:February 11,
847:. Retrieved
842:the original
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479:South façade
455:North façade
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388:
385:Georg Moller
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295:Joseph Henry
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276:Joseph Henry
274:A statue of
265:Robert Mills
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197:housing the
190:
186:
182:
180:
95:77°1′33.59″W
15:
1419:Smithsonian
1114:Heye Center
1063:African Art
877:January 13,
814:February 4,
487:Current use
406:style with
374: 1870
353:Description
327:Adolf Cluss
107: /
83:Coordinates
1535:Categories
1412:STEM in 30
1073:Udvar–Hazy
684:"The Mall"
551:References
408:Romanesque
226:Romanesque
216:and early
214:Romanesque
203:Seneca red
191:The Castle
189:or simply
1369:Education
1170:Hirshhorn
1131:Asian Art
1121:Anacostia
431:campanile
235:in 1965.
206:sandstone
128:Architect
123:1849–1855
1421:magazine
1353:Folkways
1326:Cultural
1244:Research
650:(2003).
508:See also
338:terrazzo
145:66000867
73:Location
1271:Chandra
1158:Gardens
1141:Sackler
1050:Museums
907:May 11,
632:May 11,
578:May 10,
239:History
229:revival
208:in the
1440:Awards
1338:Latino
1207:Postal
1175:Latino
1148:Castle
949:
790:
726:
698:
658:
222:Gothic
218:Gothic
210:Norman
1486:Other
1390:Media
1136:Freer
692:94–96
494:crypt
120:Built
947:ISBN
909:2009
879:2023
851:2023
816:2023
788:ISBN
724:ISBN
696:ISBN
656:ISBN
634:2009
580:2009
498:tomb
317:and
224:and
181:The
1221:Zoo
975:at
929:,"
500:of
418:in
387:'s
302:."
286:in
251:in
140:No.
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