704 REPORTS OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 



It is the belief of the undersigned, that the above amount of $284,000 will, with 

 proper economy, be sufficient to defray the expense of completing the building, and 

 that when thus finished, it will, for cheapness and durability, be unsurpassed by any 

 building with which I am acquainted. 



By a resolution, passed at the same time as the one directing the above alteration 

 in plan, the honorable the Board of Kegents also decided at the suggestion of the 

 Hon. Jefferson Davis, " that the exterior of the building, and the interior of the 

 towers be completed in accordance with the plan, and within the time specified in 

 the contract." 



To carry out this decision, the operations on the building, during the last year, 

 have principally been directed to the completion of the exterior of the building and 

 towers. 



It was the hope of the undersigned, that the towers would have been finished and 

 roofed in before the winter. 



This expectation, has, however, not been realized, owing to the delay occasioned 

 by the repairs in the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, which was not navigable for a 

 period of nearly four months. 



The contractor was therefore unable to convey his stone from the quarry, and very 

 little work was done on the building during the months most favorable for working. 



The present condition of the building is as follows : The eastern and western 

 wings are completed with the exception of some small items which will be left un- 

 finished until a few weeks before the completion of the present contract. 



The central is roofed in and slated, and enclosed in such manner as to be perfectly 

 protected from the weather. 



The principal front tower is carried up to a height of one hundred and twenty-two 

 feet, and covered in temporarily for the winter. 



The stone and mason work of the lower central front tower is completed, and the 

 roof is on and slated. 



The campanile and northeast corner towers are roofed in. 



The central south tower is carried up to a height of forty feet. 



The southeast and southwest corner towers are carried up to the height of the 

 cornice of the cell of the main building. 



The contractor states, that all the stones necessary for the completion of the build- 

 ing are quarried. The greater portion of them are delivered at the building, and 

 will be cut during the present winter. 



During the last year portions of the roads around the building have been graded 

 and many trees and shrubs have been set out on the grounds. 



It is a source of satisfaction to the undersigned that the walls of the building have 

 not as yet, shown any signs of settlement. When the various heights of the wall 

 and towers, ranging from twenty-six to one hundred and twenty-two feet are con- 

 sidered, this circumstance affords a satisfactory proof that the principles adopted in 

 the construction of the building are correct, and that the care taken in calculating 

 the weights and pressure of the different walls has not been uselessly expended, and 

 that the construction of these most important parts of the building has been well 

 performed. 



The following is a statement of the amount expended in the building up to the 

 31st of December, 1850 : 



Amount expended on building up to December 1, 1847, was, as then 

 stated $25,002 67 



Amount expended from December 1, 1847, to December 31, 1848 53,934 74 



Amount expended from December 31, 1848, to December 31, 1849 56,383 76 



The amount expended on the building during the year 

 1850, has been as follows : 



Paid G. Cameron, contractor $24,000 00 



Paid architect, superintendent, and incidental expenses of 

 office 2,459 42 



Miscellaneous 1,868 05 



Grounds, improvement of 1,616 46 



29,943 93 



Making total amount expended on building up to December 31, 1849, $165,265 10 



I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



JAMES KENWICK, Jr., 

 Architect Smithsonian Institution. 



