NATIONAL MUSEUM BUILDINGS. 199 



The location of the building was fixed in the middle of the Smith- 

 sonian reservation as to north and south, the center of the main 

 structure being upon the axis of Tenth street southwest. 



Toward the close of the year 1847, as stated in the committee's 

 report, the contractor was covering in the east connecting range, and 

 hoped still to cover in the east wing before the frost interfered. He 

 had also begun to la}" the foundations of the west wing and connecting 

 range, but nothing had yet been done toward the erection of the main 

 building. 



The corner stone was laid on May 1, 1847, with imposing Masonic 

 ceremonies, the day being regarded in Washington in the nature of a 

 public holidaj'. A procession over a mile in length, composed 

 of the various lodges of Free and Accepted Masons of the District 

 of Colum])ia, with a large delegation of Masons from Baltimore and 

 Philadelphia, the District militia, and three militar}- bands, having 

 formed at the city hall, proceeded to the Executive Mansion, where 

 it was joined by the President, heads of Departments, members of 

 the diplomatic corps, etc., and thence to the Smithsonian grounds. 

 The marshal in chief was Mr. William Beverly Randolph. After 

 prayer l\v the grand chaplain of the Grand Lodge of MarA'land, the 

 ceremony of laying the stone was performed by Grand Marshal Ben- 

 jamin B. French, assisted by Col. James Page and Mr. Charles Gilman, 

 grand masters of Penns3dvania and Marvland, respectively. An 

 address was then delivered by Hon. George M. Dallas, chancellor of 

 the Board of Regents. A national salute was fired by the Columbia 

 Artillery and one of the bands played a national air. The ceremonies 

 closed with the benediction, pronounced b}^ Rev. Frank S. Evans. 

 The gavel used and the apron worn b}^ the grand marshal were the 

 same that had been used by Washington in conducting the Masonic 

 ceremonies upon the la_ying of the corner stone of the national Capi- 

 tol. In a cavity of the stone were deposited, in a leaden box and 

 leaden casket, many articles appropriate to {he purpose, and among 

 them an engraved plate, inscribed with the names of the members of 

 the establishment, the officers and Board of Regents of the Institution, 

 the building committee, and the architects. The ceremonies were 

 witnessed by at least 6,000 or 7,000 persons. 



1848. 



At the close of 1848 the building connnittee reported that the east 

 wing and adjacent range would probably be ready for occupation early 

 in January. The interior of this part was at that time finished except 

 the shelving of the cases for the apparatus and the furnaces and ven- 

 tilating apparatus. Battlements, not in the original plan, had been 

 added to the eastern cloister, as the roof seemed too conspicuous. 



