How to Use the Images

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This building was inspired by the architecture of the U.S. Treasury Department Building, constructed in Washington, D.C., in the mid 19th century. Unlike the solid masonry construction of the Treasury Department Building, Louisville’s federal building featured modern materials such as concrete and steel columns and beams under a limestone facade. The main facade has 18 engaged columns (columns attached to a wall), a rusticated (made up of stone blocks separated by deep horizontal grooves) ground floor with arched windows, and projecting pavilions (sections of a building) with free-standing columns and a pediment (triangular section formed by a low-pitched gable roof) at each end.

Questions for Photo 5

1. What was happening in the country while this building was under construction? (Refer to Reading 4 if necessary.) Why was the completion of a building like this important to the citizens of Louisville?

2. Based on the written description, try to identify some of the building’s architectural features. Click here for a drawing to help you identify architectural features.

3. Can you identify the types of activities that would have taken place in this building when it was constructed? Which of these activities still take place in the building today? (Refer to Reading 4 if necessary.)

* The image on this screen may print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Photo 5.