Located on the Downtown East Side, the Pension Building has had a long and
interesting history. This building was solely erected in order to serve the needs of Union
veterans after the end of the Civil War. Congress decided to pass laws, which greatly
expanded the eligibility for pensions of the wounded, maimed, widows, and orphans of that
particular war.
Designed by army engineer and architect Montgomery Meigns, the Pension
Building was planned to provide a natural air-conditioned environment for the employees of
the building and a circulation system which was easily accessible to its users, who were
many times disabled. The design was finished in 1881, with visions of a massive structure,
which would be constructed in 1882 and 1887 of 15.5 million inexpensive bricks in contrast
to the vastly expensive and ornate State, War, and Navy Building. Meigns wanted the
building to have an eclectic mixture of Renaissance palaces, fortified city houses into
which families could retreat during times of war.
The
Pension Building's elevation of its courtyard is two levels which with arches outlined by
simple, narrow moldings carried by slender columns. This was based on Danato Bramente's
Roman Palazzo della Cancelleria.
All of the Pension Building's decorative elements mark it as a monument to acclaim the
victorious Union Army of the Civil War. Meigns decided to name the four gates, which makes
an additional allusion to fortification. The northern gate is called the Gate of Invalids,
which presides over Justice.The southern gate is called the Gate of the Infantry, which is
looked over by truth. As for the eastern gate known as the Naval Gate, it is protected by
the god of War, Mars. Finally, the west Gate of the Quartermaster is the watched over
by the Greek goddess of wisdom, Minerva also known as Athena in Roman mythology. There is
also a belt course of crossed swords between the second and third stories which Meign used
to reinforce the military character of the building.
A man by the name of Buberl was responsible for the building's most meaningful and
spectacular feature, which is the 1,200-foot frieze dividing the ground story and the main
level. The Boston Terra Cotta Company made the 3-foot tall bisque terracotta
panels. All along this terra cotta are pictures of cavalry, artillery, infantry, navy
and quartermaster's corps which are shown in their characteristic dress and pose.
In 1984, extensive renovations helped to make the Pension building's structure
more stable, clean the exterior, and redo some of the interior decorations. The
decorations included the present color scheme and marbleizing, reproduction of shallow
urns to be placed on the edge of the upper arcade, and commissioning of white plaster
busts.
Bibliography:
1. Scott, Pamela, Lee, Antoinette J., Society of Architectural
Historians: Buildings of the United States: Buildings of the District of Columbia, New
York, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1993
Located on the Downtown East Side, the Pension Building has had a long and
interesting history. This building was solely erected in order to serve the needs of Union
veterans after the end of the Civil War. Congress decided to pass laws, which greatly
expanded the eligibility for pensions of the wounded, maimed, widows, and orphans of that
particular war. 
Designed by army engineer and architect Montgomery Meigns, the Pension
Building was planned to provide a natural air-conditioned environment for the employees of
the building and a circulation system which was easily accessible to its users, who were
many times disabled. The design was finished in 1881, with visions of a massive structure,
which would be constructed in 1882 and 1887 of 15.5 million inexpensive bricks in contrast
to the vastly expensive and ornate State, War, and Navy Building. Meigns wanted the
building to have an eclectic mixture of Renaissance palaces, fortified city houses into
which families could retreat during times of war. 
The
Pension Building's elevation of its courtyard is two levels which with arches outlined by
simple, narrow moldings carried by slender columns. This was based on Danato Bramente's
Roman Palazzo della Cancelleria. 
All of the Pension Building's decorative elements mark it as a monument to acclaim the
victorious Union Army of the Civil War. Meigns decided to name the four gates, which makes
an additional allusion to fortification. The northern gate is called the Gate of Invalids,
which presides over Justice.The southern gate is called the Gate of the Infantry, which is
looked over by truth. As for the eastern gate known as the Naval Gate, it is protected by
the god of War, Mars. Finally, the west Gate of the Quartermaster is the watched over
by the Greek goddess of wisdom, Minerva also known as Athena in Roman mythology. There is
also a belt course of crossed swords between the second and third stories which Meign used
to reinforce the military character of the building. 
A man by the name of Buberl was responsible for the building's most meaningful and
spectacular feature, which is the 1,200-foot frieze dividing the ground story and the main
level. The Boston Terra Cotta Company made the 3-foot tall bisque terracotta
panels. All along this terra cotta are pictures of cavalry, artillery, infantry, navy
and quartermaster's corps which are shown in their characteristic dress and pose. 
In 1984, extensive renovations helped to make the Pension building's structure