The building that now houses the National Building Museum was originally the home of the Pension Bureau after the Civil War.
The National Building Museum’s Grand Hall.
Pretty breathtaking, right? Well, this amazing space isn’t the part of the building we are featuring on TBT today…it is the stairs. Yup, stairs. These stairs, in fact:
The stairs in the National Building Museum.
According to the National Building Museum’s web page, “The stairs between the first three floors of the building were designed with wide treads and low risers to accommodate wounded veterans who might arrive on crutches.”
And, of course, there is an urban legend that these stairs were made also to accommodate the men who could not walk at all. How? By allowing these men to ride their horses directly up to the pension office to get their checks!!! Horse stairs…a great early accommodation.
