The U.S. Patent Office, Washington, D.C., 1880-1900

In 1836, the U.S. Congress authorized the building of a new patent office. The white marble neoclassical building, located in the center of Washington, D.C., was to be a general repository of American inventions and improvements in machinery and manufactures. Inside the three-story building, government officials displayed thousands of patent models along with other national treasures.