National Historic Landmark

National Portrait Gallery

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000902

About this property

The Old Patent Office Building is a historic building in Washington, D.C. that covers an entire city block between F and G Streets and 7th and 9th Streets NW in the Penn Quarter section of Chinatown. Built 1836–1867 in the Greek Revival style, the building first served as one of the earliest U.S. Patent Office buildings. The building has housed many U.S. federal government departments, including the first exhibits of the Smithsonian Institution. The structure now houses two Smithsonian art museums: the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.

Location

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.89788, -77.02275

Categories

SCIENCEARCHITECTUREINVENTION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Downtown Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Eight Hundred Block of F St. NW
Industrial
0.1 mi
General Post Office
Modern
0.1 mi
Lansburgh, Julius, Furniture Co., Inc.
Industrial
0.1 mi
Equitable Co-operative Building Association
Pre Contact
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was National Portrait Gallery listed on the National Register?

National Portrait Gallery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is National Portrait Gallery?

National Portrait Gallery is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is National Portrait Gallery a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. National Portrait Gallery has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for National Portrait Gallery?

The period of significance for National Portrait Gallery is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near National Portrait Gallery?

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District of Columbia history

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