The historic Pension Building under construction between 1882 and 1887.
Collection of the National Building Museum
An exterior frieze measuring 1,200 feet long and 3 feet high wraps the building. The frieze depicts a parade of Civil War military units and was designed by Bohemian-born sculptor Caspar Buberl (1834-1889).
234 busts representing the building occupations— created to replace the missing originals—fill the niches about the center court.
President McKinley's Inaugural Ball, 1901.
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Architect / Engineer
Montgomery C. Meigs (1816-1892), Quartermaster General in charge of provisions during the Civil War
Construction Dates
1882-1887
Original Cost
$886,614.04
Exterior Dimensions
400 feet by 200 feet, 75 feet to cornice level
Materials
15,500,000 bricks with brick and terra cotta ornament
Exterior Frieze
1,200 feet long, 3 feet high, made of terra cotta. Features a continuous parade of Civil War military units designed by Caspar Buberl (1834-1899)
Great Hall
316 feet by 116 feet, 159 feet (approximately 15 stories) at its highest point.
Corinthian Columns
75 feet high, 8 feet in diameter, 25 feet in circumference. Each built with 70,000 bricks and originally painted to resemble marble in 1895
Busts
234 busts designed by Gretta Bader in 1984.
Arcade
72 Doric-style columns on the ground floor and 72 Ionic-style columns on the second floor.
Inaugural Balls
First Inaugural Ball at the National Building Museum was held by Grover Cleveland in 1885, the tradition continues to the present day.
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