Smithsonian Building
National Historic Landmark

Smithsonian Building

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
66000867

About this property

The Smithsonian Institution Building, more commonly known as the Smithsonian Castle or simply The Castle, is a building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., housing the Smithsonian Institution's administrative offices and information center. Built as the first Smithsonian museum building, it is constructed of Seneca red sandstone in the Norman Revival style (a recalling of a 12th-century combination of late Romanesque and early Gothic motifs; built in the Gothic and Romanesque revival styles). It was completed in 1855 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Location

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.88872, -77.02609

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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Everything a full report reveals about Smithsonian Building

This page lists Smithsonian Building. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
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
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Freer Gallery Of Art
Industrial
0.1 mi
Arts and Industries Building
Civil War
0.1 mi
National Mall
Listed
0.2 mi
U.S. Department of Agriculture Administration Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
U.S. Department of Agriculture Cotton Annex
Early Republic
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Smithsonian Building listed on the National Register?

Smithsonian Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Smithsonian Building?

Smithsonian Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Smithsonian Building a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Smithsonian Building 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 Smithsonian Building?

The period of significance for Smithsonian Building is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1846.

Can I research the history near Smithsonian Building?

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District of Columbia history

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