Stand before the Smithsonian Institution Building, a Hogwarts-like spire sandwiched between the Washington Monument and the US Capitol, and you might just get a sense of how deeply rooted the Smithsonian Institution is in our nation’s heritage. This building, often referred to simply as “the Castle,” now contains the tomb of James Smithson, who in 1846 got the ambitious project off the ground with a generous donation of $500,000.
Back then, the plan was to erect a museum that would … (View original article)