REPORTS OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 661 



connected with it, to be performed according to the plans and directions of the 

 architect. 



As it is intended that the above specifications and the plans will cover the whole 

 and perfect completion of the building, and all of its appurtenances, no claim for 

 extra work will be allowed unless caused by actual alterations of the plans. And 

 the parties to the contract will be bound to submit to the decision of the architect of 

 the building, in the sum of ten thousand dollars. 



JAMES EENWICK, Jr. 



Architect and Civil Engineer. 



Mr. Hough offered the following resolution, which was adopted : 



Resolved, That in locating the building for the Smithsonian Institution, the centre 

 of the principal building, exclusive of projections, be placed upon the centre of the 

 lot or site of said Institution from north to south, iand upon the centre of Tenth 

 street. 



Mr. Hough, in offering the above resolution, stated, that as he was compelled, on 

 Monday next, to leave the city, he desired to say, that if this resolution should be 

 reconsidered, so as to place the building centrally between 7th and 12th streets, he 

 would make no objection. 



And, on motion, the committee adjourned. 



Sixteenth Meeting, March 24, 1847. 



Present, Messrs. Seaton and Owen. 



The chairman submitted from Mr. Eenwick. architect of the Institution, the fol- 

 lowing report to the Building Committee of the Smithsonian Institution : 



Gentlemen : In compliance with your resolution of Friday, the 19th ultimo, by 

 which, in company with Dr. Owen, I was directed to examine and report upon the 

 quarries of freestone on the farm of Mr. Peter, at Seneca creek and Bull Run, and 

 those on the adjacent lands, with a view of ascertaining their capability of affording 

 a sufficient quantity of building material of good quality, and of color suitable for 

 the purposes of the Institution, I beg leave to state that we proceeded on Saturday 

 morning to the localities of the quarries of freestone occupying the whole eastern 

 bank of the Potomac, from the mouth of the Seneca creek to a point distant about 

 one mile north of it, where our examination terminated. We also found the stone 

 extending up all the valleys of the smaller streams, as far as we examined them. 



The quality of the stone varies from that which is highly argillaceous, and easily 

 decomposed, to that which is silicious, and well calculated to stand the weather and 

 the attacks of frost. 



It also varies in color and texture ; some of the strata being highly laminated, and 

 others what is technically termed liver-rock, showing but little signs of stratification ; 

 and the color varies from a cold blue to a warm lilac gray. 



The quarries which appear to have been worked to the greatest extent, are those 

 called the College quarries, from their belonging to the College at Georgetown. The 

 color of the stone in these is generally a blue gray, (see specimen 21, of Dr. Owen's 

 report,) and is rather cold and unpleasant in its aspect ; though several of the strata 

 or layers in the middle of the quarry were of a pleasant and warm gray. See speci- 

 men No. 23. These latter, however, are difficult of access, having several strata of 

 inferior stone over them, and cannot therefore be obtained without great and unnec- 

 essary expense, and should only be resorted to in the event that no other stone of 

 equal color and quality can be found in a more favorable position. 



The College quarries lie to the northwest of Bull run and Seneca creek. The dip 

 of the strata is at an inclination of about 20° to the southwest. 



To the northwest of these quarries, and on the same face, are quarries belonging to 

 Mr. Peter, where we found the buff-colored stone, (specimen No. 24.) It is much to 

 be regretted that this stone is neither sufficiently durable, from its being argillaceous, 

 nor found in sufficient quantities for the purposes of the Institution, as, in my 

 opinion, it surpasses in color any stone I have as yet seen in this country ; resem- 

 bling in hue that used in Edinburgh, and the Caen and Bath stones, which were so 

 much used and so highly esteemed by the architects of the middle ages. 



To the north of this quarry is one belonging to Mr. Lee. The color of the stone 

 in this is a warm gray, and the texture is fine and highly silicious, and the quality is 

 excellent. It is a"liver-rock, and is found in several strata of considerable thickness, 

 which would afford an abundant supply. Some of the layers, however, contain cop- 

 per, which might possibly render it liable to stain by long exposure, unless carefully 

 selected. See specimen No. 25. 



From this quarry, the most northern one we examined, we proceeded in a south- 



