REPORTS OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 591 



with the Institution, to have stone from the Seneca creek quarries delivered to him 

 in the city at that price. 



East Chester marble was offered at seventy-jive cents. 



The committee ought here to state, that the proposals by owners of granite and 

 marble quarries in Maryland, to deliver material for our building, were at a consid- 

 erably lower rate than they otherwise would have been, in consequence of the liber- 

 ality evinced by the directors of the Baltimore and Ohio Eailroad, and of the Balti- 

 more and Susquehanna Eailroad, towards the Institution. The chairman of the 

 committee had an interview with Mr. McLane and Mr. Howard, the presidents of 

 these railroads, and the directors of both companies passed resolutions, that if we 

 decided to use Maryland marble or granite, they would transport it at the rate of 

 two and a half cents per ton, per mile, instead of four cents, the visual charge for the 

 transportation of similar materials. As it happened, the committee had no occasion 

 to avail themselves of this liberal proposal ; but it doubtless materially influenced 

 the amount of the bids subsequently put in for the erection of the building in mar- 

 ble and granite. 



Such is a brief summary of the measures adopted by the committee, and of the 

 information collected by them, and which will be found in detail on their journal, on 

 the important subject of building material. While engaged in collecting that infor- 

 mation, they caused to be inserted in the city journals, advertisements, inviting from 

 contractors proposals for the erection of the Institution building ; the external walls 

 to be of upper Potomac freestone, or of marble or of granite, or of blue gneiss ; and 

 separate proposals were requested in each of these materials. Meanwhile the archi- 

 tect and superintendent attended in the office of the Institution, with specifications, 

 ready to give the necessary information to all applicants. 



The day originally set as the last on which bids would be received, was the 10th of 

 March ; but as the specifications were delayed by the printers several days beyond 

 the time appointed by the public advertisement for the inspection of bidders, the 

 committee extended the time for receiving bids to the 15th March. 



On the 16th of March the bids were opened, in the presence of the Building Com- 

 mittee and of the architect and superintendent. A number of these were found to 

 be proposals to deliver materials only, or to execute a small portion of the work, as 

 the brick work, alone ; the stone cutting at so much per foot, &c. These are spread 

 on the journal of the committee, and will be found to contain much valuable infor- 

 mation as to prices. 



The bids to erect the building were found to be fourteen in number, and to vary in 

 amount from $190,000 to $318,000 — the lowest being that of James Dixon & Co., of 

 Washington, and the estimate being for Seneca freestone, laid up in rubble masonry. 

 The bids by the same firm, as given in the explanatory correspondence of the same 

 date and in a personal communication on the 18th March, for ashlar finish, were also 

 the lowest put in, namely : 



For marble ashlar $228,500 



And for Seneca freestone ashlar 205,250 



After a careful examination of the subject, the committee decided that, to the par- 

 ticular design as adopted by the Board, with its numerous vertical lines often closely 

 approaching each other, the finish of regularly coursed ashlar was the best suited 

 and would make a more substantial job than broken rubble. 



They concluded, also, that with a complete conviction on their minds of the dura- 

 bility of the Seneca freestone, and with a doubt whether it did not assort even better 

 with the Lombard style of architecture adopted than marble, it was inexpedient to 

 expend twenty-three thousand dollars additional to obtain the latter material. They 

 informed James Dixon & Co., therefore, that their bid of $205,250 for the erection 

 of the building in Seneca stone, finished in coursed ashlar, was accepted. 



The result, your committee think, has proved that their selection of material was 

 a judicious one. 



On inquiry the committee found that the firm of James Dixon & Co. consisted of 

 James Dixon, of Washington, and Gilbert Cameron, of New York. The latter gen- 

 tleman executed a portion of the work on Trinity church, and was a contractor on 

 Calvary church, New York. 



A contract was signed by the committee, and by Messrs. Dixon and Cameron, on 

 the 19th of March. It will be found, accompanied by the specifications, which make 

 part of the same, on the journal of the committee. It includes a portion, but not 

 the whole, of the furniture ; the portion included, however, being the most expensive 

 part of it, and comprehending the shelving cases, desks, drawers, and tables, in the 



