South side of the Arts and Industries building
As we mark the bicentennial of his birth, Montgomery Meigs remains perhaps the least known major figure of the Civil War. Called “second only to Grant,” as quartermaster general of the Union Army, Meigs had sole responsibility for the expenditure of more than $1 billion (the equivalent of $16 billion today) for military provisions, equipment, and transportation, and his leadership was crucial in terms of efficiency and organization and in reducing the rampant corruption that characterized the office before him.
He was active as an engineer and architect both before and after the Civil War, and his impact on the Washington area remains highly visible and vital. As an engineer, Meigs was responsible for the construction of the House and Senate wings and the dome of the U.S. Capitol and the design and construction of the aqueduct that continues to bring water to Washington. As an architect, he developed the original concept for the Smithsonian Arts and Industries building and the design and construction of what is now the National Building Museum. At his urging, the Custis-Lee estate was turned into Arlington Cemetery.
Meigs was also patron of the arts, held 13 patents for his inventions, and was recognized for his accomplishments as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and a regent of the Smithsonian.
Delve into the fascinating life and legacy of this 19th-century Renaissance man in a richly illustrated lecture presented by historian and urban studies specialist Bill Keene.
