Pension Building
4th and 5th Sts. between F and G Sts., NW, Washington, DCThe Joint Committee on Landmarks has designated the Pension Building a Category I Landmark of importance which contributes significantly to the cultural heritage of both the Nation and the District of Columbia, "Meigs old Red Barn," as the building has often been called, belongs to a very small group of major Washington buildings built in the Victorian style, and its interior space is perhaps the most spectacular in the city. It must be preserved and used appropriately.
Built as a memorial to the soldiers and sailors of the Civil War, the Pension Building was designed by General Montgomery C. Meigs, U. S. Army (retired) and former Quartermaster General of the Union Army, who also designed the Cabin John Bridge, Construction was begun on November 2, 1882, and the Pension Bureau's 1,500 employees began to move into the building in May 1885. During construction, historic documents (including a Record of the Rebellion, topographical and battlefield maps, a facsimile of the Declaration of Independence, and other War and State Department publications) enclosed in metal cases were inserted in several of the great columns to preserve them against "time or accident or hostile violence."
Even before the building was completed, the huge central hall was the scene of Cleveland's first inaugural ball on March 4, 1885. Inaugural balls were also held there for Benjamin Harrison (1889), Cleveland (1893), McKinley (1897 & 1901), Theodore Roosevelt (1905), and Taft (1909). Purchase of a ticket was the only admission requirement, and attendance grew from 9,000 at Cleveland's first to 18,000 at Taft's.
During the 40 years--1885 to 1926--that the Pension Bureau occupied the building, $8.3 billion were paid to 2,763,063 veterans (and their wives) of the War of Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican War, and Civil War, Notable occupants included James Tanner, famed champion of Civil War veterans who lost both feet at the Second Battle of Bull Run, at 18. In 1889 "Corporal" Tanner was appointed U. S. Commissioner of Pensions, but resigned in the same year after raising pension payments without the approval of his superior, the Secretary of the Interior. He later became the Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.
When the Pension Bureau moved to new quarters in 1926, the General Accounting Office moved into the building and stayed until 1950. Since then the Pension Building has housed a variety of emergency and permanent agencies, with the Civil Service Commission as the chief occupant until late 1963. Part of the building is now assigned to the Inaugural Committee for temporary use. The Smithsonian Institution would like to restore the Pension Building for use as a museum.
Local significance of the building:
Built as a memorial to the soldiers and sailors of the Civil War, the Pension Building was designed by General Montgomery C. Meigs, U. S. Army (retired) and former Quartermaster General of the Union Army, who also designed the Cabin John Bridge, Construction was begun on November 2, 1882, and the Pension Bureau's 1,500 employees began to move into the building in May 1885. During construction, historic documents (including a Record of the Rebellion, topographical and battlefield maps, a facsimile of the Declaration of Independence, and other War and State Department publications) enclosed in metal cases were inserted in several of the great columns to preserve them against "time or accident or hostile violence."
Even before the building was completed, the huge central hall was the scene of Cleveland's first inaugural ball on March 4, 1885. Inaugural balls were also held there for Benjamin Harrison (1889), Cleveland (1893), McKinley (1897 & 1901), Theodore Roosevelt (1905), and Taft (1909). Purchase of a ticket was the only admission requirement, and attendance grew from 9,000 at Cleveland's first to 18,000 at Taft's.
During the 40 years--1885 to 1926--that the Pension Bureau occupied the building, $8.3 billion were paid to 2,763,063 veterans (and their wives) of the War of Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican War, and Civil War, Notable occupants included James Tanner, famed champion of Civil War veterans who lost both feet at the Second Battle of Bull Run, at 18. In 1889 "Corporal" Tanner was appointed U. S. Commissioner of Pensions, but resigned in the same year after raising pension payments without the approval of his superior, the Secretary of the Interior. He later became the Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.
When the Pension Bureau moved to new quarters in 1926, the General Accounting Office moved into the building and stayed until 1950. Since then the Pension Building has housed a variety of emergency and permanent agencies, with the Civil Service Commission as the chief occupant until late 1963. Part of the building is now assigned to the Inaugural Committee for temporary use. The Smithsonian Institution would like to restore the Pension Building for use as a museum.
Engineering; Politics/government; Architecture
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
About National Register Listings
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.
The District was the site of a major flood in 1889: On June 4, 1889, a massive flood swept through the city, causing extensive damage and killing more than 20 people. The flood was caused by heavy rainfall and a failure of the city's sewer system.