710 REPORTS OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 



"Washington, D. C, December 30, 1854. 



Gentlemen : I have the honor to report to you that the work on your building 

 has been prosecuted during the past year without intermission, and that the central 

 portion of it is now nearly completed. 



There are some small matters yet to be attended to, and a few trifiing.repairs and 

 alterations yet to be made in the other parts of the building. These can all be 

 completed in a few weeks. 



I am happy to state that the building has been completed without any accident, 

 either to the workmen employed, or to the building itself, and that in my opinion, 

 every part of the work has been substantially done. 



I have devoted much study to the plans which have been executed, and given the 

 work my personal supervision nearly every day. 



An examination of the rooms of the central building will impress one with the 

 idea of great simplicity. There is not much ornament, but still enough, as I think, 

 to enable the building to do its duty with grace and dignity. 



The lower hall is equally adapted to the purposes of a museum or a library. The 

 lecture room is the best which it was possible to make within the walls of the build- 

 ing, and now that it has been completed, I am happy in being enabled to state that 

 were it to be made over again, I would not alter any of its essential features. 



I would not be doing justice to Professor Henry were I not to acknowledge the 

 great assistance I have received from him in arranging the details of this room. I 

 am free to confess that during the progress of the work he has given me suggestions 

 which have materially improved my plans. 



It will be seen by an examination of the payments which have been made to the 

 contractor, that the cost of completing the building considerably exceeds the esti- 

 mates which I prepared before the work was begun. This is due in part to the rise 

 in the prices of materials and labor, but principally to the execution of many 

 improvements which were not originally contemplated, but which it was thought 

 best to make during the prosecution of the work. These improvements were the 

 sewers for drainage ; the cisterns for supplying water ; the substitution of stone for 

 iron stairs ; the making of new sashes for many of the windows ; the strengthening 

 and in part reconstruction of the roof of the main building, putting in copper 

 gutters and leaders on the towers, besides other alterations and additions tending 

 to swell the cost of the work. 



Hoping that my efforts to improve your building will meet your approbation, as 

 well as that of the Board of Eegents, 



I am, gentlemen, very respectfully, you obedient servant, 



B. S. ALEXANDER, 

 Architect Smithsonian Institution. 



To the Building Committee op the Smithsonian Institution. 



A full statement of the amount due the contractor cannot be given until a more 

 precise estimate of all the items of work done under the direction of the architect 

 has been made. 



Respectfully submitted. 



RICHARD RUSH, ) 



WILLIAM H. ENGLISH, \ Building Committee. 



JOSEPH HENRY, J 



Report of the Building Committee for the year 1855. 



The Building Committee of the Smithsonian Institution present the following 

 report of their operations and expenditures during the year 1855 : 



It was stated in the last report that the main or centre building was nearly finished 

 on the 1st of January, 1855. Since then the whole edifice has been completed, and 

 the final report of the architect approved by the committee. After the construction 

 of the new lecture-room, the east wing of the building was entirely unoccupied. It 

 consisted of a single room 75 feet long, 45 feet wide, and about 30 feet high. This 

 has been divided into two stories, the lower one principally consisting of a large room 

 at present used for the reception and distribution of all the articles of exchange, and 

 also a depository of the extra copies of the publications of the Institution. The 

 upper story is occupied by a suite of rooms for the accommodation of the Secretary, 

 in accordance with the original intention of the Board, as expressed in their resolu- 

 tion fixing the compensation of that officer. The fitting up of this wing was made 

 under a separate contract with Mr. Wm. Choppin, and the whole completed to the 



