The Main Interior Building , officially known as the Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building , located in Washington, D.C. , is the headquarters of the United States Department of the Interior .
67-504: Located in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, it is bounded by 19th Street NW on the west, 18th Street NW on the east, E Street NW on the north, C Street NW on the south, and Virginia Avenue on the southwest. Although the building takes up the entire block, the address is "1849 C Street, NW" to commemorate the founding of the Department of Interior in 1849. To the east is DAR Constitution Hall ,
134-528: A German-speaking congregation in 1768. Concordia German Evangelical Church, located at 1920 G Street NW was finally founded in 1833. Today the congregation is the United Church, and is the oldest religious community remaining in Foggy Bottom. In 1877 the moons of Mars (Phobos and Deimos) were discovered from the old Naval Observatory in Foggy Bottom, which was located here until 1893. Foggy Bottom became
201-400: A central patio , a miniature version of an open courtyard, sometimes covered with glass or a translucent material. Central patios provide natural light to common areas and space for potted outdoor plants. In Gilgit/Baltistan, Pakistan, courtyards were traditionally used for public gatherings where village related issues were discussed. These were different from jirgahs, which are a tradition of
268-554: A courtyard can also can be used to separate a home into wings ; for example, one wing of the house may be for entertaining/dining, and the other wing may be for sleeping/family/privacy. This is exemplified by the Hooper House in Baltimore, Maryland. A courtyard apartment building type appeared in Chicago in the early 1890s and flourished into the 1920s. They are characterized primarily by
335-429: A courtyard—air, light, privacy , security, and tranquility—are properties nearly universally desired in human housing. Almost all courtyards use natural elements. Courtyards were widely used in the ancient Middle East . Middle Eastern courtyard houses reflect the nomadic influences of the region. Instead of officially designating rooms for cooking, sleeping, etc., these activities were relocated throughout
402-535: A floor reserved for mechanical equipment, and fireproofing . Ickes had air conditioning installed in his office in the Old Interior Building and insisted that central air condition be included throughout the new building so that all employees could enjoy it, the first such system in a large government building. Melding aspects of practicality and aesthetics, the Main Interior Building became "one of
469-558: A home, with only a small hole in the ceiling overhead to allow smoke to escape. Over time, these small openings were enlarged and eventually led to the development of the centralized open courtyard we know today. Courtyard homes have been designed and built throughout the world with many variations. Courtyard homes are more prevalent in temperate climates, as an open central court can be an important aid to cooling house in warm weather. However, courtyard houses have been found in harsher climates as well for centuries. The comforts offered by
536-445: A low height, a structure along three sides of a rectangular or square lot, and an open court extending perpendicular to the street. The courtyards are generally deeper than they are wide, but many finer ones are wider than they are deep. Influenced by the privacy and domesticity of a standalone house as much as by strict health codes , the architectural style provided outdoor access and ventilation unseen in earlier multi-unit housing in
603-487: A magnet high school, on the GWU campus. 38°53′54″N 77°02′56″W / 38.89833°N 77.04889°W / 38.89833; -77.04889 Courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary architects as
670-661: A new building specifically for the Department. In 1934 Ickes - who as Administrator of Public Works led the Public Works Administration in addition to his position of Secretary - allotted $ 12.74 million, with the approval of the President, for a new Interior building. Three sites were considered for the Interior Building: One on the National Mall facing Constitution Avenue between 12th and 14th Streets NW,
737-638: A new headquarters were undertaken by Roosevelt's Secretary of the Interior , Harold L. Ickes . Sworn in on March 4, 1933, immediately after the Roosevelt administration took office, Ickes received permission from President Roosevelt to take over the soon-to-be finished Interstate Commerce Building in the Federal Triangle area, but this plan was difficult because it required an act of Congress . As an alternative, Roosevelt recommended that funds be appropriated for
SECTION 10
#1732845467532804-486: A time. A courtyard surrounded by 12 houses, for example, would provide a shared park-like space for those families, who could take pride in ownership of the space. Though this might sound like a modern-day solution to an inner city problem, the grouping of houses around a shared courtyard was common practice among the Incas as far back as the 13th century . In San Francisco , the floor plans of "marina style" houses often include
871-688: A typical and traditional building feature. Such spaces in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court . Both of the words court and yard derive from the same root, meaning an enclosed space. See yard and garden for the relation of this set of words. In universities courtyards are often known as quadrangles . Courtyards—private open spaces surrounded by walls or buildings—have been in use in residential architecture for almost as long as people have lived in constructed dwellings. The courtyard house makes its first appearance c. 6400 –6000 BC (calibrated), in
938-452: Is a place of privacy and tranquility, almost always incorporating a garden and water feature. In some cases, houses are constructed with multiple courtyards that increase in privacy as they recede from the street. Strangers would be received in the outermost courtyard, with the innermost ones being reserved for close friends and family members. In a more contemporary version of the Chinese model,
1005-683: Is the Simon Bolivar Memorial. George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium and Smith Center are frequently home to major concerts, as is DAR Constitution Hall . Foggy Bottom is also home to the original location of the United States Naval Observatory . The southern edge of Foggy Bottom is home to many federal government offices, including the State Department. The Main Interior Building (headquarters of
1072-536: The Neolithic Yarmukian site at Sha'ar HaGolan, in the central Jordan Valley , on the northern bank of the Yarmouk River, giving the site a special significance in architectural history. Courtyards have historically been used for many purposes including cooking, sleeping, working, playing, gardening, and even places to keep animals. Before courtyards, open fires were kept burning in a central place within
1139-580: The 2010 United States Census , there are 14,642 residents, of whom 78.3% are white. The Foggy Bottom neighborhood is served by: George Washington University (GWU) is located in Foggy Bottom. Public schools in Foggy Bottom are part of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) system. The neighborhood elementary and middle school located in Foggy Bottom is School Without Walls at Francis-Stevens . Residents are zoned for Cardozo Education Campus for high school. DCPS also operates School Without Walls ,
1206-930: The Department of the Interior ), the Bureau of Indian Affairs headquarters, and the Federal Reserve Board buildings all lie on or around Virginia Avenue . To the east lies the Eisenhower Executive Office Building , home to the Executive Office of the President of the United States and the Office of the Vice President of the United States . On the other side of the office is the White House , outside of
1273-603: The Federal Reserve , the World Bank , and the International Monetary Fund ; the core of the neighborhood is occupied by George Washington University . Within greater Foggy Bottom, there is a four block Historic District with modest row houses and alleys dating from as early as the 1870s and housed working class Irish, German and African Americans during the historic period of 1860-1915. The Foggy Bottom area
1340-620: The Harry S Truman Building in 1947. Late into the 20th century, Foggy Bottom witnessed a drastic change in demographics. There was a racial transformation within the area, as a white revival emerged. Many different factors forced out the black population, including the Foggy Bottom Taxpayers Protective Association opposing federal intervention. The renovations enacted by the Alley Dwelling Authority rendered
1407-618: The Pan American Health Organization , and the Organization of American States are all located in the neighborhood. In addition, the Mexican and Spanish embassies are located in Foggy Bottom, both on Pennsylvania Avenue . Foggy Bottom, along with the rest of Washington D.C, was designed using the L'Enfant Plan , which created squares of housing with open space left in the middle. Foggy Bottom's alley life issue emerged during
SECTION 20
#17328454675321474-842: The Secretary of the Interior and major bureaus with their employees. It includes the Interior Museum and Interior Library. From 1852 to 1917, the Interior Department was headquartered in the Patent Office building, which today houses the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum of the Smithsonian Institution . From 1917 until the completion of the Main Interior Building,
1541-406: The 1860s when an influx of Irish and German immigrants attempted to move into Foggy Bottom. This influx was a result of the large number of industrial buildings that were located in Foggy Bottom. There were no immediate houses available for these new immigrants, so they were forced to move into the uninhabited alleys that were located in the middle of the squares. The situation became worse after
1608-651: The 1950s, Heurich Brewing also sponsored the city's professional baseball team, the Washington Senators . Industry consolidation led the brewery to cease operations in 1956. In 1961–1962, the brewery buildings were razed to make way for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts . Heurich Jr., and his two sisters donated a portion of the brewery land to the Kennedy Center in memory of their parents, and established
1675-478: The 19th century, Foggy Bottom became a community of laborers employed at the nearby breweries , glass plants, and city gas works. These industrial facilities are also cited as a possible reason for the neighborhood's name, the "fog" being the smoke given off by the industries. Foggy Bottom attracted few settlers until the 1850s, when more industrial enterprises came into the area. Funk also set aside land in Hamburgh for
1742-549: The ADA and the arrival of the Department of State began to improve the living conditions in the alleys over time. The ADA was given the task of evaluating homes and streets to see if they met proper living conditions. Specific documentation would state the reasons why the area needed to be renovated. This documentation would then be sent from the authority to legislation for approval. Individual legislators included, but not exclusively, Eleanor Roosevelt . Common reasons given for why an area
1809-788: The Christian Heurich Family as one of the Founders of the national cultural center. Although the firm was founded in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, the modern beer was brewed in Utica , New York . Points of interest in Foggy Bottom include the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts , Friendship Lodge Odd Fellows Hall, and the Watergate complex , site of the Watergate scandal 's burglaries that led to President Richard Nixon 's resignation . George Washington University has grown significantly over
1876-471: The Civil War when a wave of newly freed Black Americans moved to Washington and began populating the alleys. Construction of the alleys continued until 1892 because the government needed to reduce overcrowding in residential areas. For the next decade, the government largely left the alleys untouched. However, at the turn of the 20th century, the government began relegating more responsibilities and authority to
1943-816: The Conference Hall (Auditorium), the Activity Space (Gymnasium), the Cafeteria with courtyard, the Employees Lounge (South Penthouse, now offices) with soda fountain , the Interior Museum , the Art Gallery (currently used for offices), the Indian Arts and Crafts Shop, the Broadcasting Studio (North Penthouse), and the parking garage. Systems for maintainable, efficiency, and fire protection were also included in
2010-787: The German Presbyterian communities. The lot that was sold to the German Lutherans was located on the corner of 20th and G Street. The lot sold to the German Presbyterians was located on the southeast corner of 22nd and G Street. The Lutheran lot would not be in use until 1833 and the Presbyterian until the 1880s. The lot that was sold to the German Lutheran community was turned into the Concordia German Church . By
2077-577: The German and the Irish immigrants that had been prevalent since the 1860s began to move out. In 1934, after conditions in the alley had deteriorated, the government created the Alley Dwelling Authority , a new government entity that specifically dealt with improving Washington D.C.’s alleys. The ADA was authorized to demolish or redevelop any alley if it was deemed to be worth saving or not. The addition of
Main Interior Building - Misplaced Pages Continue
2144-499: The Health Department, which began demolishing the alleys because of the copious amounts of crime and disease. The living conditions of the inhabitants were quite abysmal, with half of the population sharing or having no toilet facilities Furthermore, crime was a major problem; a section of Foggy Bottom was nicknamed "Round Tops" because of a well-known gang that was active in the area. The following decades showed an improvement in
2211-474: The Interior Department was housed in what is now the U.S. General Services Administration Building , between E and F Streets and 18th and 19th Streets NW. By the time President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office, the Department of the Interior had outgrown its headquarters, and satellite offices in 15 additional rented offices in Washington left employees scattered across the city and overcrowded. Plans for
2278-585: The Interior for eight years (1961–1969). Stewart Udall died in March, 2010 at the age of 90. Ickes wanted to promote Native American art , as the Bureau of Indian Affairs was included in the cabinet department. The building was designed to include a shop in which arts and crafts by living Native American artists would be sold. Today, the Indigenous Peoples Craft Shop on the first floor continues to include work by Native American artists. Three murals in
2345-584: The Nation's vast resources" and the "cornerstone of a conservation policy that will guarantee the richness of their heritage", while Ickes saw it as a "symbol of a new day." In 2010, the United States Congress passed legislation designating the Main Interior Building in Washington as the "Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building.", in honor of his contributions. The bill was signed into law on 8 June 2010. Stewart Lee Udall served as Secretary of
2412-459: The United States. More and more, architects are investigating ways that courtyards can play a role in the development of today's homes and cities. In densely populated areas, a courtyard in a home can provide privacy for a family, a break from the frantic pace of everyday life, and a safe place for children to play. With space at a premium, architects are experimenting with courtyards as a way to provide outdoor space for small communities of people at
2479-469: The area between 24th and 18th NW Street. There are reportedly two more founders: Robert Peter and James Linigan. The three had control of the land until 1791 when the territories were given to the city of Washington and the United States government. In the town of Hamburg, a German community was founded by many German immigrants. In 1768, Funk sold two lots of territory to both the German Lutheran and
2546-608: The area fit the description of a proper city. In 1948, the area of land occupied by the West Station Works was purchased by the Watergate Project. The plant was demolished, and the Watergate complex was constructed on the same plot of land. Today, there is no physical remnant of the plant. It is a historical location today. It is bounded roughly by 17th Street NW to the east, the Potomac River and Rock Creek Parkway to
2613-513: The city's northwest quadrant. It stretches west of the White House towards the Potomac River , north of the National Mall , east of Georgetown , south of the West End neighborhood and west of Downtown D.C . The neighborhood is best known for hosting the headquarters of the U.S. Department of State , for which the name "Foggy Bottom" is commonly used as a metonym . It is also home to federal agencies and international institutions, including
2680-407: The content of the message in the mural. He saw each work of art as a medium to expound upon the administration's philosophy of conservation or to portray one of the programs of the Interior Department. He inspected murals painted in the building daily (some were painted in studios and brought to the buildings for installation). No mural was complete until Ickes approved it. In Ickes' official portrait,
2747-408: The courtyards in the houses. Such structures afforded protection, and could even be made defensible. The traditional Chinese courtyard house, (e.g. siheyuan ), is an arrangement of several individual houses around a square. Each house belongs to a different family member, and additional houses are created behind this arrangement to accommodate additional family members as needed. The Chinese courtyard
Main Interior Building - Misplaced Pages Continue
2814-464: The current site of the National Museum of American History ; another on a cluster of small lots on the east, west, and north sides of the old Interior Building; and a third just south of the old Interior building and Rawlins Park in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. On March 21, 1934, the third proposed site was selected. The plot including the area between 18th and 19th Streets and C and E Streets NW and
2881-406: The design. These included a central vacuum system , a floor between the fifth and sixth floors for mechanical equipment (including plumbing , electrical panels , telephone equipment, and air conditioning) and fire and security systems ( automatic sprinklers in the parking garage and storage areas, a fire detection system on the mechanical floor , and 11 stairways for rapid evacuation). Despite
2948-407: The double city-block building as "monumental...Its colossal pilasters and pillars emphasize monumental scale rather than relate the size of the building to the individual. It was meant to emphasize a new "heroic age of government," and "every aspect of the building tells this story." At the dedication ceremony held on April 16, 1936, President Roosevelt referred to the building as "symbolical of
3015-508: The emphasis on functionalism of the building, art and architecture are also featured. Decorative detailing such as bronze grilles and hardware, the light fixtures , and plaster moldings , "reflecting the architect's and his client's concern for design materials and craftsmanship." Some architectural details feature Interior Department symbols, including a buffalo motif on doors . The building contains more Public Work Administration artwork than any other government building and includes
3082-462: The entrance and from the central atrium. The hearth, which used to inhabit the centre of the home, was relocated, and the Roman atrium most often contained a central pool used to collect rainwater, called an impluvium . These homes frequently incorporated a second open-air area, the garden, which would be surrounded by Greek-style colonnades , forming a peristyle . This created a colonnaded walkway around
3149-491: The former inhabitants displaced. Similarly, the West End witnessed the same changes. Another factor of the change in demographics was orchestrated by Democratic Senator Theodore G. Bilbo , who called for an "Alley Moving Day" forcing the black population out of the alleys. The neighborhood is predominately white and has a large number of off-campus university student residents that affect demographics on income, age and race. As of
3216-512: The greater wealth arose from the majority of white residents, but also that black wealth was steadily increasing due to new job patterns. In 1856, construction began on the West Station Works, a plant owned and operated by the Washington Gas Light corporation, at the intersections of 26th and G St. NW. The construction began the development of the area now occupied by the Watergate complex and throughout broader Foggy Bottom. The location
3283-404: The ground floor, with private rooms located upstairs. The central uncovered area in a Roman domus was referred to as an atrium . Today, we generally use the term courtyard to refer to such an area, reserving the word atrium to describe a glass-covered courtyard. Roman atrium houses were built side by side along the street. They were one-storey homes without windows that took in light from
3350-669: The headquarters of the Daughters of the American Revolution , as well as the World Resources Institute and the American Red Cross National Headquarters . To the west is the Office of Personnel Management headquarters. To the north is Rawlins Park, which includes at its eastern end a statue of Major General John A. Rawlins , and Triangle Park is to the south. The building includes offices of
3417-462: The most functional and innovative government office structures in Washington" in the 1930s. Ickes reported in a Cabinet meeting that the Interior Building cost 10 to 15 percent less to operate than the buildings in the Federal Triangle even with air conditioning, and cost less per square foot. Ickes also ensured that group assembly space and employee amenities were added to the building, including
SECTION 50
#17328454675323484-549: The neighborhood. Foggy Bottom is also home to numerous international and American organizations. The World Bank buildings, the International Finance Corporation , the International Monetary Fund , the Office of Personnel Management , DAR Constitution Hall of the Daughters of the American Revolution , the American Pharmacists Association , the American Red Cross National Headquarters ,
3551-427: The new Interior Building. He designed most of it himself, and financed it through PWA." Ickes did not design the building, but many of its features were a result of his influence in the planning, design, and construction stages. The building design was directed as utility and economy. Significant aspects include wide central corridors, open courtyards , movable steel office partitions, acoustically treated ceilings ,
3618-415: The overall living conditions in the alleys of Foggy Bottom. The Health Department's effort to reduce crime and overcrowding largely succeeded until the 1920s, when prohibition began being enforced. Because breweries were a major source of income for the inhabitants of Foggy Bottom, prohibition created a new wave of lower-class workers who flocked to the alleys to set up bootleg liquor stores. During this time,
3685-450: The owners could charge more for rent. Higher rent prices were acceptable at the time because of a boom in hiring. Rents usually ranged anywhere from seventeen to thirty-seven dollars a month. These prices fluctuated often because of the available jobs and the condition of the houses. Older houses were typically cheaper than new homes, only some of which came with running water, gas heaters or cooling systems. Statistics suggest that, on average,
3752-496: The past decades and now covers much of the neighborhood, which has many historic old homes and numerous mid-rise apartment buildings. The historic portion of the Foggy Bottom neighborhood is preserved and listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Just south of the Watergate complex, on the Potomac River , lies the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts , home of the National Symphony Orchestra and numerous other theatrical and musical exhibitions. On Virginia Avenue
3819-462: The perimeter of the courtyard, which influenced monastic structures centuries later. The medieval European farmhouse embodies what we think of today as one of the most archetypal examples of a courtyard house—four buildings arranged around a square courtyard with a steep roof covered by thatch. The central courtyard was used for working, gathering, and sometimes keeping small livestock. An elevated walkway frequently ran around two or three sides of
3886-419: The plans for the Main Interior Building are shown lying on the table in front of him. Construction of Main Interior began in April 1935 and was completed in December 1936. The building was the first New Deal building in the capital- authorized, designed, and built by the Roosevelt administration. It was notable for the speed of the project, with construction completed in 18 months. The Interior Museum described
3953-433: The shop were completed by PWA artists. Breaking Camp at Wartime and Buffalo Hunt by Allan Houser depict the Apache . Deer Stalking by Gerald Nailor depicts Navajohunters creating sandpainting . Other murals in the building are by Maynard Dixon , Gifford Beal , and William Gropper . Among them: Foggy Bottom Foggy Bottom is a neighborhood of Washington, D.C. , United States , located in
4020-515: The site of the George Washington University 's 42-acre (17 ha) main campus in 1912. Foggy Bottom was also the name of a line of beer by the Olde Heurich Brewing Company , which was founded by German immigrant Christian Heurich 's grandson, Gary Heurich. He tried to revive the tradition of his family's Christian Heurich Brewing Company, which had ceased production in Foggy Bottom. Christian Heurich Brewing Company's most successful products bore such local names as Senate and Old Georgetown. During
4087-431: The west, Constitution Avenue and the National Mall to the south, and Pennsylvania Avenue NW to the north. Foggy Bottom is thought to have received its name due to an atmospheric quirk of its low lying, marshy riverside location, which made it susceptible to concentrations of fog , and later, industrial smoke. The United States Department of State gained the metonym "Foggy Bottom" when it moved its headquarters to
SECTION 60
#17328454675324154-413: The work of the second-highest number of PWA artists, more than any except the Franklin Street Post Office Station in Washington. As in other aspects of the building design, Ickes was involved in every step of the artwork: The Secretary reviewed preliminary sketches and often provided valuable critiques. He inspected all full-size mural cartoons taped on walls and frequently requested changes, especially
4221-575: The year as appropriate to accommodate the changes in temperature and the position of the sun. Often the flat rooftops of these structures were used for sleeping in warm weather. In some Islamic cultures, private courtyards provided the only outdoor space for women to relax unobserved. Convective cooling through transition spaces between multiple-courtyard buildings in the Middle East has also been observed. In c. 2000 BC Ur , two-storey houses were constructed around an open square were built of fired brick. Kitchen , working, and public spaces were located on
4288-412: Was chosen for its proximity to the Potomac River , which made it convenient to unload barges of coal for the plant. The daily operation of the West Station Works attracted laborers to the area, most of them unskilled. By 1860, the unskilled population in Foggy Bottom was at 42%, compared to 9% in 1850. The influx of people spurred development in the area, and 40 years after the works were completed,
4355-509: Was in need of renovation were: too many people in one home; too many African Americans in and around the area; or that the exterior paint had faded. After the ADA gained approval from legislation, it would then give the occupants of the houses anywhere from two to four months to vacate the building. By July 1, 1944, all of the houses in Foggy Bottom had been evacuated and plans were set forward for renovation. This act sought to produce larger living spaces for individuals with better conditions so that
4422-406: Was one of the few double-block sites in the city where an intervening street (D Street) could be eliminated for development. Waddy Butler Wood was selected as the architect to design the new Interior Building. Secretary Ickes was deeply involved in the design of the new building, and the January 9, 1937 edition of the Washington Daily News stated that "Secretary Ickes has a paternal concern for
4489-411: Was the site of one of the earliest European settlements in what is now Washington, D.C. , when German settler Jacob Funk (or Funck) subdivided 130 acres (0.53 km ) near the meeting place of the Potomac River and Rock Creek in 1763. The settlement officially was named Hamburgh , but colloquially was called Funkstown . In 1765, German settlers established the town of Hamburg on what would become
#531468