Last updated: April 7, 2021
Place
Arts and Industries Building
Maxwell T. Sickler, June 2019
Quick Facts
Location:
900 Jefferson Drive Southwest, Washington D.C., 20560, National Mall
Designation:
National Historic Landmark
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
1 listed
Scenic View/Photo Spot
Opened in 1881 as the United States National Museum, the Arts and Industries Building of the Smithsonian is one of the founding institutions of America’s museum tradition and serves as a public showcase of the United States’ contributions to global culture and industry. Originally built to display and house material from the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, the Arts and Industries Building was designed by Washington architects Adolf Cluss and Paul Schulze in 1879. It stands today as one of the premier examples of exhibition architecture in the United States. Unlike other exposition buildings from this period, the Arts and Industries Building was designed to be a permanent museum institution and housed the nation’s most important historical and natural artifacts continuing a long tradition of cultural stewardship in Washington D.C. that continues to this day.
Beginning in the 1850’s, European cities began hosting international expositions aimed at displaying the cultural and technological innovations of the industrial age. World’s Fairs, as these events came to be known, were months-long events where new technological, cultural, and artistic ideas and innovations were highlighted. Paris’ Eiffel Tower and London’s Crystal Palace were new technological wonders showcased at these events. In 1876, the United States hosted one of the first major World’s Fairs. Known as the Centennial Exposition, the fair was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the nation’s founding. At the conclusion of the Exposition, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. acquired many of the items exhibited in Philadelphia and attempted to permanently house and display them.
The Smithsonian’s Board of Regents determined that their main building, the Smithsonian Institution Building (now known as the Smithsonian Castle) was not large enough to house the Centennial’s materials and the board made plans for the construction of the U.S. National Museum. In 1879, the Board adopted the design plans of famed Washington architectural firm Cluss and Schulze and hired former Civil War General and engineer Montgomery C. Meigs to oversee construction of the facility. Situated directly adjacent to the Smithsonian Institution Building, the National Museum was officially opened in 1881 and immediately became a prominent Washington landmark hosting important social events including the inaugural ball of President James Garfield. In addition to housing the Centennial Exposition materials, the museum contained many of the nation’s most important historical artifacts including Betsy Ross’ Star-Spangled Banner and the dresses of several First Ladies.
As with most exposition architecture, the National Museum was designed to enclose a large open museum space with a visually compelling and dramatic exterior meant to draw interest from the passing public. Cluss and Schulze’s design included a wide, one-story Greek cross plan with a large central rotunda and iron truss roof system that accommodated the wide and uninterrupted interior exhibit spaces. The building includes nearly 1,000 windows allowing for the interior to be naturally lit. The entrance to the museum is flanked by two large Romanesque Revival towers and a Neoclassical sculpture of a female figure by Caspar Brubel entitled Columbia Protecting Science and Industry.
In 1910, the Smithsonian built the National Museum of Natural History to house the institution’s growing natural history collection after it was determined that the National Museum's increasingly limited exhibit space made it unsuitable for collection maintenance. The Arts and Industries Building, as it was renamed in 1910, continued to display artifacts of American aviation and national history, including the Spirit of St. Louis and the Wright Brothers’ Flyer aircraft that were exhibited in a neighboring building that eventually became the National Air and Space Museum in 1946.
In 1974, the Arts and Industries Building was designated a National Historic Landmark and underwent two years of renovations before reopening for the United States’ Bicentennial in 1976. As part of the nationwide celebrations, the Arts and Industries Building hosted an exhibit on the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition which included many of the original artifacts and attractions from the fair. From the late 1970s to the early 2000s, the Arts and Industries Building hosted a number of experimental exhibits and art installations. By 2009, the deteriorating condition of the building forced the Smithsonian to renovate the structure’s roofing and interior. The renovation process is ongoing and the building remains closed to the public except for occasional public programs. The Arts and Industries Building remains one of the best surviving examples of World’s Fair architecture in the nation. Its role in the development of museums in the United States also establishes its national significance.
Sources:
Boyle, Katherine
2014 Smithsonian will not Reopen Arts and Industries Building after renovation, Washington Post, published 1/29/2014.
National Park Service
1971 Arts and Industries Building National Historic Landmark Nomination, National Park Service
Post, Robert C.
2001 A Corner of the Nation’s Attic, Technology and Culture Vol. 42, No. 3, the Johns Hopkins University Press
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Arts and Industries Building, https://siarchives.si.edu/history/arts-and-industries-building
Smithsonian Institution Archives
1948 Wright Flyer Placed on Display at the Smithsonian, History of the Smithsonian Catalog, https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_2423
Wermiel, Sara E.
2006 Adolf Cluss, Architect: From Germany to America: Shaping a City Worthy of a Republic: at the Charles Sumner School, Technology and Culture Vol. 47, No. 3, Technology
National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) are historic places that possess exceptional value in commemorating or illustrating the history of the United States. The National Park Service’s National Historic Landmarks Program oversees the designation of such sites. There are just over 2,500 National Historic Landmarks. All NHLs are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.