Conversation starters
Most popular
Bonneville Seattle is raising funds for the construction of a second Fisher House at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma and we need your help.Researcher: Slaves quarried stone for Smithsonian
December 13, 2012 @ 10:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) - New research has found that the red sandstone for one of the oldest buildings on the National Mall, the Smithsonian Castle, was quarried by slaves.
The Washington Post ( http://wapo.st/SeSC31) reports that anthropology professor Mark Auslander of Central Washington University is publishing new work that shows some slaves likely owned by Martha Washington were responsible for quarrying the stone.
Auslander does not contend that slaves participated directly in building the Castle. That differs from the Capitol and White House, which were partially built by slaves.
The Smithsonian building is a Washington landmark. It was built between 1847 and 1855.
Auslander's findings are being published Thursday with Emory University in Southern Spaces, a peer-reviewed journal. His studies revealed the sandstone came from a Maryland quarry owned by a great-grandson of Washington.
___
Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.