Old Patent Office Building

The Old Patent Office Building (Old Patent Office Building ) is a building in Washington, DC., The building was home of its completion from 1865 to 1932 the U.S. Patent Office, then to the Second World War, the Civil service commission. Only a word of power President Dwight D. Eisenhower could save it from demolition in 1958, are now in the building, the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum confiscated.

The building is located in the Chinatown neighborhood in Washington, about halfway between the Capitol and the White House. The building occupies an entire block between F and G Streets and 7th and 9th Street NW. Originally, the U.S. Patent Act provides that at any patented invention, a model had to be filed, the Large buildings should serve to accommodate all models.

Construction began in 1832 under Robert Mills, who suggested a bold design with wide arches and halls of stone. After clashes in Congress, succeeded Mills rival Thomas U. Walter in 1851 to take over the execution and to incorporate more support structures made ​​of wood. The Old Patent Office is one of the largest federal building of the 19th century in the style of the Greek Revival. 1877 burned down the west wing, while the fire destroyed about 87,000 models of patents.

On January 12, 1965, the Old Patent Office Building, a National Historic Landmark. Since 1968, the building was home to two institutions of the Smithsonian Institute. The American Art Museum is located in the northern part of the building, the Portrait Gallery in the south. The last extensive restoration and extension work took place in the years 2006/2007.