Description British scientist James Smithson left a fortune to the country he so admired but had never visited.
The.
It was a boom-bust ride for the Seneca Quarry--the source of the red sandstone.
Yet the story of the stones is just as remarkable as that of the building that they grace.
Today, the castle\'s distinct Romanesque facade glows warmly against the cool marble that dominates the National Mall.
His gift founded the Smithsonian Institution and built the Smithsonian Castle.
Description British scientist James Smithson left a fortune to the country he so admired but had never visited