National Archives Building

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• The building was constructed above an underground stream, which required driving 8,575 piles into the unstable soil before the large concrete foundation was poured.
• Granite was used to construct the base of the building, and limestone was used for the exterior superstructure.
• The Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, located in the center of the building, is where the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and Bill of Rights are displayed.
• This building includes 21 floors of stacks for storage of books, documents, photographs, and film.
• There are 72 Corinthian columns that adorn all four sides of the exterior, each measuring 53 feet in height, 5.66 feet in diameter, and weighing 95 tons.
• The main entrance on Constitution Avenue is guarded by the largest bronze doors in the world, each weighing 6.5 tons, and measuring 38.6 feet high, 10 feet wide, and 11 inches thick.
• The name "Archives I" refers to the construction of "Archives II" in 1993 in nearby Adelphi, Maryland. The new building provides twice as much storage space as this building.