Smithsonian Institution Building (the Castle)

The Smithsonian Institution Building, known as the Castle, stands at 1000 Jefferson Drive SW on the south side of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was designed by the architect James Renwick Jr. in a Norman, or Romanesque Revival, style and built of red Seneca sandstone from a quarry in Maryland between 1847 and 1855. The Smithsonian Institution was established by an act of Congress in 1846 after the British scientist James Smithson left his estate to the United States to found an institution for the increase and diffusion of knowledge. Smithson, who never visited the United States, died in 1829, and his remains were brought to the Castle in 1904 and now rest in a crypt in the building's north entrance. The Castle originally contained a museum, laboratories, a library, a lecture hall and living quarters for the first Secretary, Joseph Henry. A fire in 1865 destroyed the upper floors and the Smithsonian's early collections, and the building was rebuilt in the following years. Today the Castle serves as the Smithsonian's information center and administrative headquarters. The Great Hall, restored in 1987 to its Victorian character, offers a model of the National Mall and an introduction to the Smithsonian's museums, with an orientation film and touchscreen maps. A crypt room displays Smithson's tomb and a few of his personal items, including a replica of his portrait, and the building's interior includes the Commons gallery and a historic Renwick-designed hall. The surrounding Enid A. Haupt Garden, on the south side, is a Victorian-style garden above the Smithsonian's underground museums. The Castle's collection is interpretive, thematic and orientation-focused rather than an object-heavy museum, so a visit lasts between 30 minutes and an hour. Preservation has included major renovations in the 20th and early 21st centuries, with the building in continuous use and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Admission is free.