Agricultural Hall

Centennial Exhibition
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Agricultural Hall

Item Info

Item No: c090060
Title: Agricultural Hall
Additional Title: Agricultural Hall
Series: Lithograph
Media Type: Lithographs
Notes: "Ackerbau Austells. Geb., Galerie d'agriculture."
Notes: "Length 820 ft. width 540 ft."
Notes:

Lithograph caption:

"For the accommodation of the agricultural part of the Exhibition, which, for obvious reasons, would not assimilate with other parts of the display, the construction of a separate building was considered necessary. Agricultural Hall is the most northern of the regular Exhibition buildings erected by the Centennial Board of Finance. It is north of Belmont Valley, upon ground which slopes gently upward toward Belmont Mansion of revolutionary memory. It is the least expensive of the great buildings, and yet as important as any for the purposes of the display. The materials are wood and glass. The ground-plan consists of a long nave crossed by 3 transepts, each being constructed of Howe truss arches of the Gothic form – a style of building which can be expeditiously put together and at the same time be effective in appearance. The nave is 820 feet long and 100 feet in width. Each end of the nave projects 100 feet beyond the nearest transept. The height of the nave is 75 feet. The central transept is 465 feet long and 100 feet wide, and of the same height as the nave -–75 feet from the floor to the point of the arch. The area covered is 236,572 square feet. The north and south transepts are of the same length as the centre, but they are but each 80 feet wide and 75 feet high. Between the nave and the transepts are courts connected with the buildings, and adding to the space for exhibition. The ground-plan of the structure, with outside spaces at the corners to be made available, may be said to be a parallelogram 465 x 626 feet, not including the nave beyond the transepts. The space thus covered is 7 ¼ acres. The interior is painted in light colors, and presents a cheerful appearance. The naves, transepts and aisles are 16 in number. The architect was James H. Windrim; builder, Philip Quigley. Cost, $197,000.

The exterior shows ornamentation sufficient to make the edifice attractive. A central tower and steeple rises at the intersection of the nave and the main transept. The fronts of the transept and nave are each ornamented with towers rising to a conspicuous height. The court-spaces have Gothic fronts and are not of as great altitudes as the other sections, and serve to break the roof- surface into various heights. The building is full lighted by lantern skylights direct from the roof, and care has been taken to ensure good ventilation."


Notes: 1 lithograph; 12 x 22 cm.
Notes: Architect: James H. Windrim.
Notes: Removed from: Centennial portfolio / Thompson Westcott. Philadelphia : T. Hunter, 1876.
Notes: The Building, situated in a landscaped field. People and horse-drawn carriages are in the foreground.
Creator Name: Westcott, Thompson. Centennial portfolio.
Thomas Hunter, lithographer.