Everything about The James Madison Memorial Building totally explained
The
James Madison Memorial Building is one of three buildings that make up the
Library of Congress and is part of the
United States Capitol Complex. The building was constructed from
1971 to
1976, and serves as the official
memorial to
President James Madison. It is located between First and Second Streets SE on
Independence Avenue, in Washington, DC.
History
With the help of former
Librarian of Congress Lawrence Quincy Mumford, plans for a third Library of Congress building were started in
1957.
Congress appropriated planning funds for the structure in
1960, and construction was approved by an act of Congress on
October 19,
1965 that authorized an appropriation of $75 million. Excavation and foundation work began in June
1971, and work on the superstructure was completed in
1976. The cornerstone, inscribed with the date
1974, was laid on
March 8, 1974. Dedication ceremonies were held on
April 24,
1980, and the building actually opened on
May 28, 1980. It was decided to name the building after Madison largely because he was the person who originally suggested in
1783 that the
Continental Congress form a
library containing a list of books that would be useful to legislators.
The
Architect of the Capitol was charged with the responsibility for the construction of the Madison Building under the direction of the
Senate and
House Building Commissions and the Joint Committee on the Library. These bodies also consulted with a committee appointed by the
American Institute of Architects and the James Madison Memorial Commission. The total authorization for construction eventually was increased to $130,675,000.
Designed by the firm of DeWitt, Poor, and Shelton Associated Architects, the James Madison Memorial Building is one of the three largest public buildings in the
Washington D.C. metropolitan area (along with
The Pentagon and the
F.B.I.’s
J. Edgar Hoover Building). The building contains 2,100,000 square feet with 1,500,000 feet of assignable space.
Culture
The Madison Building is home to the
Mary Pickford Theater, the "motion picture and television reading room" of the Library of Congress. The theater hosts regular free screenings of classic and contemporary movies and television shows.
Further Information
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