NATIONAL MUSEUM BUILDINGS. 231 



The extroim^ IcMioth of the buildino- from cast to west is 447 feet. 

 The nuiin structure is 205 feet Ion*;- by ,57 feet wide and 58 feet lii^h 

 to the top of its corbel course, though, including- the main north and 

 south towers and the carriage porch, it attains at the center an extreme 

 width of 160 feet. The east wing is 82 by 52 feet, the west wing, 

 including its projecting apse, 81 by 40 feet and 38 feet high, while 

 each of the connecting ranges is 60 by 49 feet. 



The main Ijuilding has in the center of its north front two towers, 

 of which the higher reaches an elevation of 145 feet. In the middle 

 of the south front is a single massive tower 37 feet square, including 

 Ijuttresses, and 91 feet high. At its northeast corner stands a double 

 campanile, 17 feet square and 117 feet high to the top of its tinial, at 

 its. southwest corner is an octagonal tower finished with open work 

 above, and at its southeast and northwest corners are two smaller 

 towers. There is also a small tower at the northwest corner of the 

 west wing. 



The location of the building is the center of the original Smith- 

 sonian reservation, or the southern and higher part of the so-called 

 Smithsonian Park, about 20 feet alcove the average level of Pennsyl- 

 vania avenue. The material of which the building is constructed is a 

 fine grade of freestone, of the lilac-gray variety, obtained from quar- 

 ries in the new red sandstone near the mouth of Seneca Creek, a trib- 

 utary of the Potomac liiver, about 23 miles above Washington. The 

 faces of the building are finished in ashlar, laid in courses from 10 to 

 15 inches high. 



At the present time it would not be considered appropriate to design 

 a building of this character for museum purposes, because, while most 

 of the exhibition halls are more or less adapted to their requirements, 

 there is too much waste space, too many dark places, wholly inade- 

 quate accommodations for storage, and few rooms suitable for labora- 

 tories, the latter also being mainly inconvenient of access. The 

 windows were glazed in the beginning with small square pieces of 

 glass, set diamond shape in wooden frames, quite in keeping- with the 

 style of architecture, though admitting less light than larger panes. 

 This manner of glazing has been retained, except at the eastern end, 

 where, at the time of reconstruction, single lights were mainly 

 substituted. 



The building was originally constructed in what seemed to l)e a 

 thoroughly substantial manner, but these qualities were mainh' con- 

 fined to the outer walls and the floors. Subscijuent reconstructions 

 have greatly tended to increase its stability, and the building through- 

 out is now practically fireproof. This has resulted from the introduc- 

 tion of fireproof construction and of iron doors, by means of which 

 any part of the building' can readily be cut oti' from the remainder. 



