Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Records of the Robert Mills Papers Project,[xerographic and photographic copies]

Summary
Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0344
Creators:
Evelyn, Douglas E.
Dates:
circa 1800-1860s, 1984-1989
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
23.3 Cubic feet
50 boxes
Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
This collection is composed entirely of xerographic and photographic reproductions made for the Robert Mills Papers Project. The copies include correspondence, plans, federal legislation regarding proposed government construction projects, construction records, and material regarding people with a relation to Mills or one of his projects.
The material is organized into three series. The first is information relating to Mills' various projects, such as payroll lists; it is organized by state. The second consists of subject files on 163 individuals, all of whom have some relation to Mills. The last series is composed of reference and research materials from the project, including correspondence with various libraries and archives seeking material on Mills, ten reels of microfilm, and 46 diskettes containing typed transcriptions of the illegible documents included in the microfilm publication.
The documents included in this collection relate to the construction of Mills's buildings, but do not mention him specifically. Of all the papers collected for this project, this collection consists of copies of those documents that were not selected for microfilming. They are, therefore, not included in the microfilm publication.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The collection is divided into four series.
Series 1: Projects by state
Series 2: Individuals
Series 3: Reference Materials
Series 4: Camera Ready Copy
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Robert Mills (1781 1855) was born in August, 1781, in Charleston, South Carolina. After completing grammar school he took classes under architect James Hoban.
Hoban left in 1792 to supervise construction of the President's House in Washington (which he designed). About 1799 Mills moved to Washington and began work as a draftsman of plans for the Capitol under Hoban. For about a year, Mills presumably lived with Thomas Jefferson, studying architecture from his library.
In 1802 Mills entered his first professional design competition for the design of South Carolina College, but did not win. From 1802 1809, Mills worked (with sporadic interuptions from assorted commissions) with Benjamin Latrobe, who was at the time the acting federal engineer of the Chesapeake and Delaware region. Under Latrobe he worked as a draftsman on the design of the U.S. Capitol and the Baltimore Cathedral.
In 1814 Mills received national recognition when he won the competition for the design of Baltimore's Washington Monument. He supervised its construction until 1820, when he moved back to South Carolina to become the civil architect for the state, designing several courthouses and jails throughout the area.
Mills moved back to Washington in 1829. In 1836 he won the competition for the design of the Treasury and began a long career as an architect for the Federal Government. It was during this time that Mills designed the buildings he is most widely known for: the Post Office and the Washington National Monument. He also supervised construction of the Patent Office and submitted preliminary designs for the Capitol extension and the Smithsonian Institution. He served under seven Presidents, retiring in 1851.
Administration
Author
Dan Dalrymple
Custodial History
The Robert Mills Papers Project was begun in 1984 with the goal of producing a microfilm publication of historical documents by, to, from, and about Mills. This was organized by Robert Alexander, John Bryan, Douglas Evelyn, and Pamela Scott. The majority of the documents are from the National Archives; however a mass mailing to 3,000 other libraries and archives across the country resulted in the inclusion of documents from thirty other repositories as well. The project was supported primarily by grants from the National Historical Publications and Records Commision and by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The final publication was scheduled to be released in late 1989 consisting of approximately 3,500 documents on twelve rolls of microfilm. Typed transcriptions of the documents that are illegible (about 1/3 of those microfilmed), and a complete index, both by subject and name are avaiable.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The colletion was donated by Douglas Evelyn.
Alternate Form Available
Microfiche copies of the papers are available in the Smithsonian's American Art Portrait Gallery Library.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Dan Dalrymple, 1989
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Preferred Citation
Records of the Robert Mills Papers Project, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Architects -- 19th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence -- Copies -- 19th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Construction Records Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Plans (drawings) Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architecture -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architectural drawing Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Calhoun, John C. (John Caldwell), 1782-1850 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Clay, Henry Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Corcoran, W. W. (William Wilson), 1798-1888 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Clinton, DeWitt Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Alexander, Robert L. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bryan, John Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bache, A. D. (Alexander Dallas), 1806-1867 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lafayette Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Latrobe, Benjamin (architect) Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Davis, Jefferson Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hoban, James Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Peale, Rembrandt, 1778-1860 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mills, Robert, 1781-1855 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pierce, Franklin Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Renwick, James, Sr. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scott, Pamela Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Trumbull, John, 1756-1843 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-3270
Fax Number: Fax: 202-786-2453
archivescenter@si.edu