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ffi Smithsonian Insrirurion August IO,20t7

Kathryn G. Smith National Historic Landmarks & National Register Coordinator National Capital Region, 1100 Ohio Drive, SW Washington , DC20242

Dear Ms. Smith,

The Smithsonian lnstitution (Sl) has recently been in the midst of a supplementalsection 106 review of exterior signage for the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American . The Renwick Gallery was newly restored and rehabilitated under a significant capital improvement, which included a Save America's Treasures grant from the National Park Service (NPS). Free-standing internally illuminated signs was installed behind the building's areaway fence without review after the init¡al sect¡on 106 review associated with the rehabilitation project. Sl initiated a supplemental Section 106 review to address the signage at the request of NPS, and in order to close-out the grant, Sl entered into a "conditional no adverse effect" commitment as evidenced in our letter to the DC State Historic Preservation Office (DC SHPO) dated December L9, 20L6, and subsequent Determinatíon of Effect dated December 22,20L6. 5l entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with NpS - State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants division dated December 30, 2AL7, to remove the existing signs and revise a new signage program that will have "no adverse effect" on the Renwick Gallery and the Lafayette Square Historic District, and obtain all necessary review approvals and installation by December 2017.

The Renwick Gallery, completed in 1.874, is a National Historic Landmark, and a contributing building to the Lafayette Square National Historic Landmark District. lt was determined at a consulting part¡es meeting on November 17,20L6, that the existing signs results in an adverse effect to the building and the district. Sl considered other signage options, and met with federal and municipal review agency staff informally on March 20 and June L2, 2OI7 , for consultation. On August 3, ZOI7 , Sl conducted a second consulting parties meeting, and presented signage options considered and options for the proposed signage program for consultation.

At the August 3'd meeting, there was a consensus among the DC SHPO, NPS, and the consulting partíes, that the removal of the existing internally illuminated signage, removal of various fence-mounted signage, and installation of proposed signage "Option 2," and signage in the transom, would result in "no adverse effect" on the building or historic dístrict.

The "option 2" signage consists of two free-standing post mounted signs placed directly behind the areaway fence. Each sign will be centered between the sandstone pílasters at the corner mansard, one on NW and one on 171h Street NW. The signage consists of an aluminum backgroynd panel with a dark gray finish (Graphite CM49-G3), with dimensional aluminum channel letters directly attached to the panel with a white finish on the face of the letter and red finish on the dimensional returns of the letter (Pantone 485). The dimensions of the sign panel are !2'3" in width by I'I1-" in height, with the letter height not exceeding L8". The depth of the panel will be 3.25,', and the

600 Maryland Avenue SW Su¡te 5001 PO BOX 37012 MRC 511 Washington Dc 20013-7012 202.633.6567 [email protected] 6@ depth of the letter 1,25". The signs will not be internally illuminated or feature integral lighting within the signage panel. Detail drawings and renderings are provided in Exhibit A. ln response to comments received from consulting parties about the visual clutter on the Pennsylvania Avenue façade, Sl is proposing to remove two fence-mounted signage plaques. The plaques contain the Sl logo and full museum name, and this information will be relocated to the transom glass above the main entrance. The transom signage will consist of applied letters to the glazing in a bronze finish color. The bronze National Historlc Landmark plaque will remain on the fence. Detail renderings are provided in Exhibit B.

Sl would like to formally propose a finding of "no adverse effect" for the signage program described above and illustrated in Exhibits A and B, in accordance with 36 CFR 5 800.5(b), and to formally submit this signage program to the DC SHPO and NPS.

After we receive concurrence on our proposed finding from the DC SHPO and NPS, Sl will prepare formal submissions to the DC Public Space Committee, Commission of Fine , and the National Capital Planning Commission for review, targeting a September l't submittal to NCPC and September 7th submittal to CFA. Sl will also notify the consulting parties in accordance with 36 CFR 5 800.5(c) and provide them with documentation as specified in S 800.11(e).

Thank for your prompt response on concurrence and your ongoing assistance and consultation on this project. We look forward to the installation of the new signage by December 2O!7.

Sincerely, õ\.up,.0:Rt Sharon C. Park, FAIA Associate Director of Architectural History and Historic Preservation

I concur in your finding of No Adverse Effect

L> 7-þ t7 Name Date National Park Service Representative cc: David Maloney, DC Historic Preservation Andrew Lewis, DC Historic Preservation Office Charlene Dwin Vaughn, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chris Wilson, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Jennifer Wellock, National Park Service Lee Webb, National Capital Planning Commission

600 Maryland Avenue SW Suite 5001 POBOX37012 MRCsl1 Washington Dc 20013-7012 202.633.6567 [email protected] frtà Smithsonian Institution ?..J

Exhibit A - Opt¡on 2 Sisnage Details

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Ronwick Gellery I tË o

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Areaway Plan, Proposed Signage Placement.

Full Scale Mock-up. Proposed sign panel size affixed to the existing Pennsylvania Avenue sign

600 Maryland Avenue SW Suite 5001 PO BOX 37012 MRC511 Washington DC 20013-7012 202.63?.6567 [email protected] o Smithsonian Institution

Renw¡ck Gallery 1't1', 1.25'

23.5 rq. fc H 12'3" 3.25'

Elevation and Section Details. Not to Scale

Rendering oflTthstreet NW Façade.

Rendering of Pennsylvania Avenue NW Façade

600 MarylandAvenue SW Suite 5001 PO BOX 37012 MRC 511 Washington ÞC 20013-7012 202.633.6s67 ParkS@si,edu 'rlr IF .ftr

Smithsonian Institution ü

Exhibit B - Transom Sienase

t Snliihstrlrtan ¿\nrencan ¡\rL illrrsctt nr Rtnw'ick (i,tLltrt'

Fence-mounted Signage Plaques Removed Details of Transom Signage.

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Rendering of Option 2 and Transom Signage, Pennsylvania Avenue Façade.

600 Maryland Avenue SW Suite 5001 PO BOX 37012 MRC 511 washington Dc 20013-7012 202.633.6567 [email protected]

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER

August 25, 2017

Ms. Sharon C. Park, FAIA Associate Director of Architectural History and Historic Preservation Smithsonian Institution 600 Maryland Avenue, SW Suite 5001 Washington, DC 20013-7012

RE: Completion of Section 106 Consultation for the Renwick Gallery Save America’s Treasures Grant- Related Signage

Dear Ms. Park:

Thank you for continuing to consult with the District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) regarding the above-referenced undertaking. We are writing to provide what we hope will be our final comments on the effects of this undertaking on historic properties in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its implementing regulations, 36 CFR Part 800. These comments are based upon our participation in the August 3, 2017 consulting parties meeting and our review of the most recent project submittal, which we received on August 10, 2017.

In 2011, the Smithsonian Institution initiated Section 106 consultation with our office regarding the work to be implemented with Save America’s Treasures (SAT) Grant funds. The initial scope of work was determined to have “no adverse effect” on historic properties in 2013, but the Smithsonian subsequently installed signage of varying types on the National Historic Landmark building without consulting with the National Park Service (NPS) or SHPO. This signage was ultimately removed except for the two large, freestanding, internally-illuminated signs that currently exist behind the museum’s fence line along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW and 17th Street, NW.

On-going consultation resulted in a commitment on the part of the Smithsonian to modify the existing signage in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. The supplemental Section 106 consultation that followed determined that the following revisions, which are illustrated in the attached images, will be necessary for the signage to comply with the Standards:

1. Significantly reduce the size of the existing signage; 2. Center the revised signs between the sandstone pilasters immediately behind them; 3. Eliminate all illumination capability from the signage; 4. Permanently remove the two, small, fence-mounted Smithsonian American /Renwick Gallery signs; and 5. Incorporate the text from the fence-mounted signs in bronze, applied letters on the museum’s central transom.

We concur with the Smithsonian’s determination that revising the signage as described above, and as show in the attachments, will result in “no adverse effect” on the historic museum, surrounding National Historic Landmark Historic District or any other historic property in the Area of Potential Effect.

1100 4th Street, SW, Suite E650, Washington, D.C. 20024 Phone: 202-442-7600, Fax: 202-442-7638 Ms. Sharon C. Park, FAIA Completion of Section 106 Consultation for the Renwick Gallery Save America’s Treasures Grant-Related Signage August 25, 2017 Page 2

However, since we understand that further review of the signage will be required by the DC Public Space Committee, CFA and NCPC in the coming weeks, we request the Smithsonian to notify us immediately if any of these reviews recommend changing the signage in any way. Hopefully, any changes will be minor or of a sort that will not alter the finding of effect, but we will need to review all proposed modifications to determine whether our “no adverse effect” determination will remain applicable. We also request the Smithsonian to notify us if no changes are proposed by the additional review processes.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. If you should have any questions or comments, please contact me at [email protected] or 202-442-8841. Otherwise, we look forward to hearing back from the Smithsonian and determining whether any additional consultation will be necessary for Section 106 purposes.

Sincerely,

C. Andrew Lewis Senior Historic Preservation Officer DC State Historic Preservation Office

17-0846, 17-0153, 11-352

1100 4th Street, SW, Suite E650, Washington, D.C. 20024 Phone: 202-442-7600, Fax: 202-442-7638

Ms. Sharon C. Park, FAIA Completion of Section 106 Consultation for the Renwick Gallery Save America’s Treasures Grant-Related Signage August 25, 2017 Page 3

1100 4th Street, SW, Suite E650, Washington, D.C. 20024 Phone: 202-442-7600, Fax: 202-442-7638

Ms. Sharon C. Park, FAIA Completion of Section 106 Consultation for the Renwick Gallery Save America’s Treasures Grant-Related Signage August 25, 2017 Page 4

1100 4th Street, SW, Suite E650, Washington, D.C. 20024 Phone: 202-442-7600, Fax: 202-442-7638

Ms. Sharon C. Park, FAIA Completion of Section 106 Consultation for the Renwick Gallery Save America’s Treasures Grant-Related Signage August 25, 2017 Page 4

1100 4th Street, SW, Suite E650, Washington, D.C. 20024 Phone: 202-442-7600, Fax: 202-442-7638