THE FREER GALLERY OF ART 
April, 1908, Secretary Charles D. Walcott wrote to Mr. 
Freer, stating that there might be a possibility of securing 
an appropriation from Congress to erect a gallery building 
if Mr. Freer felt that he would be willing to relinquish 
his art treasures during his lifetime and turn them over 
to the Nation in a year or two. Mr. Freer’s reaction to 
this suggestion is very interesting, and later developments 
show that the idea thus implanted in his mind never 
became dislodged. He wrote: 
“Your suggestions excite great possibilities and appeal 
deeply to my higher ideals. Still, I must tell you frankly 
that from the very first my wish has been to retain pos¬ 
session and absolute supervision of the collections as long 
as I live. 
“Perhaps the time has come when I ought to make 
some self-denial in order that students, art lovers, and 
the general public may have such access to these works of 
art as can be afforded by their permanent housing and 
exhibition in the National Capital. To accomplish this 
purpose I am willing, though with a feeling of no little 
personal regret, to cooperate with you. ...” 
Nothing, however, came of the plan of requesting 
Congress to provide a home for Freer’s generous gift, but 
the notion of putting his collections where they would be 
accessible to students and the art-loving public became 
stronger and stronger with Mr. Freer. In 1915 he came 
to a decision, and waiving his right to retain possession 
of his art works during his lifetime, he decided upon the 
early erection of the building and the transfer of the collec¬ 
tions to Washington. 
In December, 1915, Mr. Freer turned over to the Smith¬ 
sonian the sum of $1,000,000 for the erection of the build¬ 
ing, and Mr. Charles A. Platt, of New York, was selected 
as the architect. The location of the building at the 
southwestern corner of the Smithsonian grounds, on the 
corner of Twelfth and B streets southwest, was approved 
by the Fine Arts Commission, plans were prepared and 
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