The Smithsonian Castle and The Seneca Quarry

by Arcadia Publishing

Overview

Join author Garrett Peck as he traces the unlikely story of the Smithsonian Castle and the Seneca Quarry.

British scientist James Smithson left a fortune to the country he so admired but had never visited. His gift founded the Smithsonian Institution and built the Smithsonian Castle. Today, the castle's distinct Romanesque facade glows warmly against the cool marble that dominates the National Mall. Yet the story of the stones is just as remarkable as that of the building that they grace. It was a boom-bust ride for the Seneca Quarry—the source of the red sandstone. The quarry saw its first developer die, filed for bankruptcy twice, suffered through floods and contributed to a national scandal that embarrassed the Grant presidency and helped bring down the Freedman's Bank. This is the untold history of the quarry owners and emancipated slaves who toiled there and the many people who work to this day to save Seneca. Join author Garrett Peck as he traces the unlikely story of the Smithsonian Castle and the Seneca Quarry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609499297
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	02/12/2013
Series:	Landmarks
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Garrett Peck is a literary journalist, local historian and author of four books, including "The Potomac River: A History and Guide" and "Prohibition in Washington, D.C.: How Dry We Weren't". He leads the Temperance Tour of Prohibition-related sites in Washington. Peck is a VMI graduate. Richard Stamm is the Smithsonian Castle Collection Curator. He is the author of "The Castle, An Illustrated History of the Smithsonian Building" (Smithsonian Books, 1993).

Table of Contents

Foreword Richard Stamm 7

Acknowledgements 9

Introduction 13

1 The Quarry Master 17

2 The Story of the Quarry 30

3 The Smithsonian Castle 42

4 The Civil War Comes to Seneca 57

5 Stonecutters 69

6 The Seneca Stone Ring Scandal 76

7 The Building Boom 87

8 The Quarry's Final Years 107

9 Saving Seneca 115

Sources 133

Index 139

About the Author 143