Pension Building
Museum in Washington, D.C. Built 1887 by Montgomery C. Meigs. Added to the National Register in 1969, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
The National Building Museum is a museum of architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning in Northwest Washington, D.C., U.S. It was created by an act of Congress in 1980, and is a private non-profit institution. Located at 401 F Street NW, it is adjacent to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and the Judiciary Square Metro station. The museum hosts various temporary exhibits in galleries around the spacious Great Hall.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | 4th and 5th Sts. between F and G Sts., NW, Washington, DC |
| County | District of Columbia |
| Listed | Mar 24, 1969 |
| Listed for | Engineering, Politics and government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 69000312 |
| Built | 1887 · more from the 1880s |
| Architect | Montgomery C. Meigs |
| Type of place | museum, public building, nonprofit organization |
| Style | Art Nouveau architecture |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark, District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites |
| Contributing resources | 1 building |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | 4th and 5th Sts. between F and G Sts., NW, Washington, DC |
| Website | nbm.org ↗ |
| Coordinates | 38.8977° N, 77.0176° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Washington | 675 listed places in Washington → · walking tours → |
| Nearest national park unit | Ford's Theatre National Historic Site · under a mile · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Fort Dupont Park Picnic Areas 4 miles · Rock Creek Park Group Picnic Areas (Dc) 5 miles · Greenbelt Park Ranger Station 9 miles |
Explore
Drawings & photographs
Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 4 records ↗
Map
Nearby in District of Columbia
Local history books for Washington
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Guidebooks to historic places in Washington, D.C.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Pension Building listed on the National Register?
Mar 24, 1969. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Pension Building built?
1887, designed by Montgomery C. Meigs, in the Art Nouveau architecture style.
Source: Wikidata
Can I visit Pension Building?
Yes. Pension Building is recorded as open to the public, and hours are on the official website.
Source: Official website
Where is Pension Building?
4th and 5th Sts. between F and G Sts., NW, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia. The nearest national park unit is Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, under a mile away.
Are there historic photographs or drawings of Pension Building?
Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.
Source: Library of Congress
Where is the nomination form for Pension Building?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Pension Building?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Fort Dupont Park Picnic Areas, 4 miles away. Rock Creek Park Group Picnic Areas (Dc) is 5 miles away, and Greenbelt Park Ranger Station is 9 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Pension Building?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 69000312. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.