‘Symbolic heart’: Smithsonian Castle to feature original paint from 1855 after restoration

Rachel Schilke

January 30, 04:30 AM January 30, 04:30 AM

Video Embed

Considered to be the “anchor” of the National Mall, the Smithsonian Institution Building is set to undergo a five-year restoration project. The restored building will feature the original paint colors from when the structure was built in 1855.

The Castle, as it is more affectionately called, has not been renovated since the 1950s.

JILL BIDEN TO DONATE INAUGURATION OUTFITS TO SMITHSONIAN COLLECTION

The building is “really overdue” for its restoration work, Historic Preservation specialist Carly Bond said in an interview with the Washington Examiner.

She said a challenging part of the project is balancing the needs of historical buildings with modern use and the overall amount of maintenance it requires to take care of historic structures. Restoration processes include excavation and rehabilitation work on the outside and inside, Bond said.

“When people come back to The Castle, this inside is going to get difficult because we’re going to be restoring the historic finish colors,” Bond said of the inside, which currently has paint from the 1980s.

“We’ve done microscopic analysis to figure out what those are.”

In 1855, The Castle was the only Smithsonian structure, and all of the laboratories, libraries, living quarters, and secretaries operated out of it.

Restoration in the late 1960s transformed the outside to resemble the Victorian era that it originated from. In 1977, the building received Historic Landmark status.

The colors will be from the original paint used when The Castle opened in 1855 to 1900, she said.

“It’s going to look different, but it will be striking and beautiful,” Bond said.

While the restoration process includes a variety of people, the preservation team, consisting only of Bond and one other, comes up with the design and lists specific requirements that architects and designers need to meet when completing renovations. Certain areas, such as interior designs and plaster finishes, must remain intact.

Something, or someone, else must remain intact as well: the body of Institution benefactor James Smithson. Years after his death in Genoa, Italy, in 1829, Smithson’s remains were brought to the Smithsonian in 1904. His body is buried under the castle, with a granite sculpture placed on the main floor.

He is the only body to be buried on the National Mall, Bond said.

Bond said the goal for the project, which has been in design since 2021, is to return 40% of The Castle to public use, allowing for more “beautiful historic interiors” that can be used for public programs, lectures, and events.

The cost of the renovations will be determined after a construction crew is hired, Smithsonian Chief Spokesperson Linda St. Thomas said. The project will be completely federally funded.

Getting renovation projects off the ground can be a challenge in the district, Bond added, due to the multitude of projects seeking approval and the years it takes to design a project.

“It’s really a wonderful feat to be in, to watch something you work on for a couple years, through design, get built and restored,” Bond said.

For the last several decades, The Castle has served as an administrative and instructional building. Its main public interior spaces on the castle’s ground floor have served as a visitor center, while administrative offices and support spaces take up the other floors.

Close to 1 million people visit The Castle every year, Bond said. They consider the castle to be a jumping-off point.

“It’s really popular with visitors, people that don’t know where to start their Smithsonian journeys and come down and learn a little bit about what each section has to offer, and then they plan their day,” Bond said.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Sometimes, Bond said, people visit believing that The Castle itself is the Smithsonian and are surprised to learn that there is more to see and do on the National Mall.

“It’s hard to imagine that we could, at one time, fit in one building,” Bond said. “That’s why it’s really our symbolic heart. … It’s shaped the National Mall.”