The Sidney R. Yates Federal Building, historically known as the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and later the Auditor's Building Complex, is a large historic federal building located on the National Mall and built between 1878–1880 that has housed multiple federal government offices. It is an L-shaped building of red and black brick construction in the Romanesque style and was designed by the office of

James G. Hill James G. Hill (1841–1913) was an American architect who, during the period 1876 to 1883, headed the Office of the Supervising Architect of the United States Department of the Treasury, which oversaw major Federal buildings. During that period ...

, the Supervising Architect of the Treasury. () The brick was provided by the Peerless Brick Company of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. The builder was John Fraser, Superintendent of Construction for the Treasury, and the bricklayers were Bitting & Davidson. The building was originally designed and constructed for the

United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

Bureau of Engraving and Printing The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is a government agency within the United States Department of the Treasury that designs and produces a variety of security products for the United States government, most notable of which is Federal Re ...

(BEP). The Bureau was founded in 1862 to allow the federal government to produce its own official documents; private companies having done so prior to this. The Bureau's machinery and offices were originally located in the

Treasury Building A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or in ...

, but eventually more space was required. In 1878, land was purchased from philanthropist

William Wilson Corcoran William Wilson Corcoran (December 27, 1798 – February 24, 1888) was an American banker, philanthropist, and art collector. He founded the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Early life Corcoran was born on December 27, 1798, in Georgetown in the Di ...

and an Act of Congress on June 28 of that year authorized commencement of construction. The building was completed in 1880. Three additions were later constructed in 1891, 1895 and 1900. The Bureau moved to a larger building at 14th & C Streets in 1914. Following the Bureau's move, the building was used by a number of government agencies, but primarily housed auditors from the Departments of

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

Treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or i ...

, and

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

, and became known as the "Auditors' Complex". Engravers from the BEP also later used space on the west of the building as it provided excellent natural light for their work. By the 1960s, the building had become underutilized and in need of major renovation. It was slated for demolition in 1966, but was postponed due to lack of funding. The building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in April 1978 for its architectural and historical significance. The listing included three contributing buildings, named Annex #1-3, on . Following a repair and modernization campaign in 1985–1987, the

USDA Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

moved into the building in 1990 and continues to occupy the building. In 1988, the 1891 addition known as the South Annex was demolished so that the adjacent

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust hi ...

could expand into the space. In 1999, it was redesignated the Sidney R. Yates Federal Building, honoring

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

Congressman Sidney Richard Yates who helped establish the Holocaust Memorial Museum and served on its council. In 2017, a working clock was added to the tower. It had been a part of the original design, but was not installed due to excessive costs.

References

External links

Historic photo of building from GSA Twitter

Detail Photo of the Clock in the Tower

Details of conservation work by McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory

Details of exterior restoration by Atlantic Refinishing & Restoration

Summary video of exterior restoration
United States Department of Agriculture facilities Government buildings completed in 1880 Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Romanesque Revival architecture in Washington, D.C. {{WashingtonDC-NRHP-stub