GROWTH OF THE BUILDING 



IN order to understand clearly the past and future building opera- 

 tions it is well to review the steps which have been taken from 

 the start. 



In 1871, in response to the petition of a large number of citizens, 

 the Legislature authorized the erection of a building for the exclusive 

 use of the Museum in Manhattan Square, and an appropriation of 

 $700,000 was made for this purpose. 



The first section to be constructed was the present North Wing. 

 On June 2, 1874, the corner-stone of the new building was laid by- 

 President Ulysses S. Grant, before a large assemblage of representative 

 citizens. The presence of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, 

 the Secretary of the Navy, and the Governor of the State lent official 

 importance to the event. 



This section was completed in 1877, and the collections which had 

 been acquired by the Trustees were installed for exhibition. On the 

 first floor were exhibited the Jay Collection of shells, the mammals, 

 and an economic collection of woods and building stones. The birds 

 were on the second floor, the anthropological collections on the third, 

 and the fossils on the fourth. The "attic story" was reserved for 

 workrooms and the library. Through lack of space it was necessary 

 to exhibit the reptiles, fishes, corals, minerals, and duplicates in the 

 Arsenal, which was used as an annex to the Museum until it was finally 

 vacated in 1886. 



On December 22, 1877, the new building of the Museum was opened 

 to the public by the President of the United States, in the presence 

 of the Trustees, the Commissioner of Public Parks, and the State and 

 City authorities. 



In 1887 the City made an appropriation of $400,000 for completing 



[146] 



