Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium

Last updated
Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium
Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in February 2020.jpg
Facade of the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in 2020
Location map Washington, D.C. central.png
Red pog.svg
Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium
Location within Central Washington, D.C.
Former namesDepartmental Auditorium
Address 14th Street, and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.
United States
Coordinates 38°53′33.4″N77°1′46.91″W / 38.892611°N 77.0296972°W / 38.892611; -77.0296972
Public transit Federal Triangle station
Owner General Services Administration
OperatorRidgewells Catering
TypeAuditorium
Capacity 1,000
Construction
Built1934
Opened25 February 1935 (1935-02-25)
Rebuilt2000
Architect Arthur Brown, Jr.
Website
eventsatmellon.com
Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium
Architectural style Classical Revival
Part of Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site (ID66000865 [1] )

The Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium (originally named the Departmental Auditorium) is a 750-seat [2] historic Neoclassical auditorium located at 1301 Constitution Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The auditorium, which connects two wings of the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building, is owned by the U.S. government but available for use by the public.

Contents

Description

Aerial view of the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, among other buildings, in the Federal Triangle. The National Museum of American History is in the foreground. Aerial view of National Museum of American History.jpg
Aerial view of the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, among other buildings, in the Federal Triangle. The National Museum of American History is in the foreground.

San Francisco-based American architect Arthur Brown, Jr. designed the auditorium as well as the two buildings adjacent to it. [3] The architectural style of the building is Neoclassical, [4] as are all the buildings in the Federal Triangle development. [3] [5] The portico of the Auditorium provides the motif for the two buildings which are on either side of it. [6] Six Doric columns form the auditorium's portico. [4] Over the portico is a pediment titled "Columbia", by Edgar Walter. [6] The sculpture on the pediment depicts Columbia (the feminine personification of the United States) seated on a throne-like chair, an eagle on her right, a nude youth on her left, and the rays of the sun spreading out behind her. [6] Behind the portico, a second pediment sits over an archway which leads to the colonnade. This sculpture, by Edmond Romulus Amateis, depicts George Washington at the Battle of Trenton. [7] The interior is in the Beaux Arts style. [8] The interior lighting was designed by Brown, and consists of brass and aluminum chandeliers overhead and aluminum and gold leaf bracket lamps on the walls. [9] The ceiling was originally painted blue. [10]

Colonnades link the auditorium to the buildings to the east and west, and galleries in the Auditorium's rear provide interior passages to these buildings as well. The galleries have received much praise. One critic noted, "The open galleries linking the auditorium to its neighbors constitute one of the greatest passages in American architecture." [11]

The entire structure has been called "one of the most magnificent auditoriums in the country." [12]

Construction

The building was constructed as part of the Federal Triangle development. [3] [5] Although plans to redevelop the slum Murder Bay had existed for decades, Congress did not fund the purchase of land or construction of buildings in the area until 1926. [3] [5] In July 1926, the government proposed building a Department of Labor Building between 13th and 14th Streets NW on the north side of B Street NW (now Constitution Avenue NW). [13] In March 1927, the government proposed adding a second building to the east (between 12th and 13th Streets NW) for "Independent Offices" (the building's purpose was later changed to be the headquarters of the Interstate Commerce Commission, or ICC). [14] Design work proceeded slowly. [3] [5] In April 1930, President Herbert Hoover proposed building a $2 million "Departmental Auditorium" to connect the Labor and ICC buildings. [15]

President Hoover laid the cornerstones for the Labor/ICC building on December 15, 1932. [16] Freemasons trained in masonry assisted the President in laying the cornerstones. [16] Hoover personally oversaw the dedication of the cornerstone at the Labor end of the building. His words were broadcast over loudspeaker to the workers at the ICC end of the structure, who placed the ICC cornerstone simultaneously at the President's instruction (becoming the first time in Washington history that a single person dedicated two cornerstones at the same time). [16] William Green, President of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), attended the laying of the cornerstone for the Labor building. [16]

The Labor/ICC building and Departmental Auditorium were dedicated on February 25, 1935. [17] Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins dedicated the $4.5 million Labor building at a ceremony attended by AFL President Green. [17] [18] The ICC portion of the structure cost $4.45 million. [19] The dedications occurred in the Auditorium, and constituted the first event ever held there. [20]

History

Several important events in American and world history have occurred in the Mellon Auditorium. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the re-institution of conscription in 1940 from the Auditorium stage. [21] The signing of the North Atlantic Treaty that established NATO occurred in the Auditorium on April 4, 1949. [22] President Bill Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement there in 1994. [23] The 9/11 Commission released its findings in the Auditorium in 2004. [24] Much of the 2020 Republican National Convention took place in the Auditorium. [25]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took occupancy of the Labor/ICC building in 2002, [26] and the complex was renamed the William J. Clinton Federal Building in 2013. [27] The Departmental Auditorium was renamed the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in 1987 [28] to honor Secretary of the Treasury Andrew W. Mellon, who oversaw the development of the Federal Triangle construction project and plans for the Departmental Auditorium. [3] [5] [29]

The Mellon Auditorium was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site in 1966. [20] It was renovated and restored in 2000. [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White House</span> Official residence and workplace of the president of the United States

The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 when the national capital was moved from Philadelphia. The term "White House" is often used as metonymy for the president and his advisers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson Memorial</span> National memorial in Washington, D.C.

The Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington, D.C. It was built between 1939 and 1943 in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, a central intellectual force behind the American Revolution, a founder of the Democratic-Republican Party, and the nation's third president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Archives Building</span> United States historic place

The National Archives Building, known informally as Archives I, is the headquarters of the United States National Archives and Records Administration. It is located north of the National Mall at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. in Washington, D.C. The rotunda entrance is on Constitution Avenue, and the research entrance is on Pennsylvania Avenue. A second larger facility, Archives II, also known as A2, is located in College Park, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Triangle station</span> Washington Metro station

Federal Triangle station is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., United States. The island-platformed station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines, the station's entrance is beneath the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Brown Jr.</span> American architect

Arthur Brown Jr. (1874–1957) was an American architect, based in San Francisco and designer of many of its landmarks. He is known for his work with John Bakewell Jr. as Bakewell and Brown, along with later works after the partnership dissolved in 1927.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Triangle</span> Collection of buildings in Washington, D.C.

Federal Triangle is a triangular area in Washington, D.C. formed by 15th Street NW, Constitution Avenue NW, Pennsylvania Avenue NW, and E Street NW. Federal Triangle is occupied by 10 large city and federal office buildings, all of which are part of the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. Seven of the buildings in Federal Triangle were built by the U.S. federal government in the early and mid-1930s as part of a coordinated construction plan that has been called "one of the greatest building projects ever undertaken" and all seven buildings are now designated as architecturally historic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Edgar Hoover Building</span> FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The J. Edgar Hoover Building is a low-rise office building located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It is the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building</span> United States historic place

The William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building is a complex of several historic buildings located in the Federal Triangle in Washington, D.C., across 12th Street, NW from the Old Post Office. The complex now houses the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site</span> National Historic Site of the United States in Washington, D.C.

Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in the city of Washington, D.C. Established on September 30, 1965, the site is roughly bounded by Constitution Avenue, 15th Street NW, F Street NW, and 3rd Street NW. The historic district includes a number of culturally, aesthetically, and historically significant structures and places, including Pennsylvania Avenue NW from the White House to the United States Capitol, the Treasury Building, Freedom Plaza, Federal Triangle, Ford's Theatre, the Old Patent Office Building, the Old Pension Office Building, which now houses the National Building Museum, Judiciary Square, and the Peace Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown (Washington, D.C.)</span> United States historic place

Downtown is the central business district of Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. It is the third largest central business district in the United States. The "Traditional Downtown" has been defined as an area roughly between Union Station in the east and 16th Street NW in the west, and between the National Mall on the south and Massachusetts Avenue on the north, including Penn Quarter. However, nowadays, Downtown D.C. usually refers to a larger area, as the DC Office of Planning states:

…most residents, workers, and visitors think of Downtown in a broader sense — including areas as far north as Dupont Circle, as far west as Foggy Bottom, and as far east as Capitol Hill. Only about half of the central city workforce is located within the city’s traditional Downtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building</span> United States historic place and federal building

The Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, sometimes called Main Justice, is the headquarters of the United States Department of Justice. It houses Department of Justice offices, including the office of the United States Attorney General. The building was completed in 1935. In 2001, it was renamed after Robert F. Kennedy, the 64th Attorney General of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert C. Hoover Building</span> United States historic place

The Herbert C. Hoover Building is the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the United States Department of Commerce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances Perkins Building</span> Headquarters of the U.S. Department of Labor

The Frances Perkins Building is the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the United States Department of Labor. It is located at 200 Constitution Avenue NW and sits above Interstate 395. The structure is named after Frances Perkins, the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933–1945 and the first female cabinet secretary in U.S. history.

Edmond Romulus Amateis was an American sculptor and educator. He is known for garden-figure sculptures, large architectural sculptures for public buildings and portrait busts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Trade Commission Building</span> United States historic place

The Federal Trade Commission Building, known historically as the Apex Building, is a federal building which serves as the headquarters of the Federal Trade Commission. Completed in 1938, the building was designated by Congress as a contributing structure to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site in 1966, and it was subsequently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James A. Wetmore</span> American architect (1863-1940)

James Alfonso Wetmore was an American lawyer and administrator, best known as the Acting Supervising Architect of the U.S. Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department from 1915 through 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public Buildings Act</span>

The Public Buildings Act of 1926, also known as the Elliot–Fernald Act, was a statute which governed the construction of federal buildings throughout the United States, and authorized funding for this construction. Its primary sponsor in the House of Representatives was Representative Richard N. Elliott of Indiana, and its primary sponsor in the Senate was Bert M. Fernald of Maine (who served on the Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds.

William Louis Ayres, better known by his professional name Louis Ayres, was an American architect who was one of the most prominent designers of monuments, memorials, and buildings in the nation in the early part of the 20th century. His style is characterized as Medievalist, often emphasizing elements of Romanesque Revival and Italian Renaissance, and Byzantine Revival architecture. He is best known for designing the United States Memorial Chapel at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial and the Herbert C. Hoover U.S. Department of Commerce Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew W. Mellon Memorial Fountain</span>

The Andrew W. Mellon Memorial Fountain is a bronze fountain sculpture by Sidney Waugh as a memorial to Andrew W. Mellon. It is located at the eastern tip of the Federal Triangle within the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue, Constitution Avenue, and 6th Street NW in Washington D.C., United States. The fountain is across Constitution Avenue from the West Building of the National Gallery of Art. The Department of the Interior maintains the fountain, which President Harry S. Truman dedicated on May 9, 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of Labor Building</span> United States historic place

The Department of Labor Building, also known as the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building, is a historic office building, located at 14th Street, and Constitution Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Federal Triangle. It was the headquarters building for the United States Department of Labor from its opening until the 1970s. It later housed the U.S. Customs Service, and is currently occupied by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ↑ "AWMA Capacities". Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. Archived from the original on 2011-09-03. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gutheim, Frederick Albert and Lee, Antoinette Josephine. Worthy of the Nation: Washington, DC, From L'Enfant to the National Capital Planning Commission. 2d ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. ISBN   0-8018-8328-8
  4. 1 2 Applewhite, E.J. Washington Itself: An Informal Guide to the Capital of the United States. New York: Knopf, 1981. ISBN   0-394-74875-1
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Bednar, Michael J. L'Enfant's Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. ISBN   0-8018-8318-0
  6. 1 2 3 Goode, James M. The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C.: A Comprehensive Historical Guide. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974. ISBN   0-87474-138-6
  7. ↑ Ovason, David. The Secret Architecture of Our Nation's Capital: The Masons and the Building of Washington. Reprint ed. New York: HarperCollins, 2002. ISBN   0-06-095368-3
  8. ↑ Wurman, Richard Saul. Washington, DC Access. 3d ed. New York: Access Press, 1992. ISBN   0-06-277039-X
  9. ↑ Tompkins, Sally Kress and Boucher, Jack E. A Quest for Grandeur: Charles Moore and the Federal Triangle. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1993. ISBN   1-56098-161-X
  10. ↑ Look, David W. and Perrault, Carole L. The Interior Building: Its Architecture and Its Ar. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 1986.
  11. ↑ Wilson, Richard Guy. "Arthur Brown, Jr., California Classicist." Progressive architecture. December 1983.
  12. ↑ Goode, James M. The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C.: A Comprehensive Historical Guide. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, p. 168. ISBN   0-87474-138-6
  13. ↑ "4 Sites Selected for U.S. Buildings in Local Program." Washington Post. July 8, 1926.
  14. ↑ Whitaker, Charles B. "Building for the Glory of Washington." New York Times. March 6, 1927.
  15. ↑ "Hoover Urges Funds For Six New Buildings." Washington Post. April 23, 1930.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Hoover Lays Stone of Labor Building." New York Times. December 16, 1932.
  17. 1 2 "Capital Dedicates New Labor Edifice." New York Times. February 26, 1935.
  18. ↑ "Work On New I.C.C. Structure Nearing." Washington Post. April 21, 1931; "Firm Here Enters Low Bid on Razing." Washington Post. May 21, 1931.
  19. ↑ "Capitol Triangle At Last Completed." Associated Press. August 4, 1935.
  20. 1 2 Wheeler, Linda. "A Gilded Setting for a Golden Summit." Washington Post. April 23, 1999.
  21. ↑ "Stimson Will Draw First Number In Draft Lottery at Noon Oct. 29." New York Times. October 22, 1940.
  22. ↑ "Russians May See Signing Of the Pact if They Wish." New York Times. April 1, 1949; Lawrence, W.H. "12 Powers Charge Russians Distort Defensive Treaty." New York Times. April 3, 1949; "Acheson Sees Pact As Bolstering U.N." New York Times. April 3, 1949; "Dedication for Peace." New York Times. April 5, 1949; Apple, R.W. "How the Midwives of NATO Prevailed." New York Times. April 23, 1999.
  23. ↑ MacArthur, John R. The Selling of "Free Trade": NAFTA, Washington, and the Subversion of American Democracy. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 2001. ISBN   0-520-23178-3
  24. ↑ Kean, Thomas H. and Hamilton, Lee H. Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission. Reprint ed. New York: Random House, Inc., 2007. ISBN   0-307-27663-5; Felzenberg, Alvin S. Governor Tom Kean: From the New Jersey Statehouse to the 9-11 Commission. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2006. ISBN   0-8135-3799-1
  25. ↑ Kilgore, Ed (August 14, 2020). "Most Republican Convention Speeches Will Be Delivered From D.C." Intelligencer.
  26. ↑ "Environmental Protection Agency, Wast Building, Washington, DC". Real Estate / Explore Historic Buildings. U.S. General Services Administration. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  27. ↑ Volcovici, Valerie (2013-07-17). "EPA renames headquarters after former President Clinton". Reuters.
  28. ↑ Sec. 9, Pub. L. 100-113, August 21, 1987; 101 Stat. 746. Archived January 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  29. ↑ Cannadine, David. Mellon: An American Life. Reprint ed. New York: Random House, Inc., 2008. ISBN   0-307-38679-1
  30. ↑ Moeller, Gerard Martin and Weeks, Christopher. AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C. 4thed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. ISBN   0-8018-8468-3
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.