One of my favorite buildings in Washington, D.C. is the Pension Building, which is now the National Building Museum. Between the grandeur of the hall and the beautiful brick exterior with its carved frieze, it stands out in a city of grand buildings. While still under construction in 1885, it was also the site for President Grover Cleveland’s Inaugural Ball. Over the years, there have been seventeen inaugural balls held there, the most of any existing building, according to the staff of the National Building Museum. (No ball this year, but there was a reception in the museum following President Obama’s January 20th official swearing-in.)
As I went through photographs of the decorations for the various balls held in the Pension Building, the second Inaugural Ball for President McKinley stood out as my favorite:
