ARCHIVIST OF THE HALL OF RECORDS 13

It became necessary, therefore, to arrive at some design which
should be large enough to meet these minimum requirements, while
still appearing small enough to take its proper place among the other
less extensive buildings of the group. In its final form, the mass of
the structure was largely determined by the necessity for it to ap-
pear as small as possible; it was therefore given a flat roof, in this
respect following an English rather than the American precedent."

The architect's description continues: 'The construction is fire-
proof: brick bearing walls, steel girders, and reinforced concrete floor
and roof slabs. The specially hand-made face brick—a reproduction
in size, color and texture of the Annapolis Colonial brick—is laid,
with tight joints, in Flemish bond. The steps, and the coping and
finials of the terrace walls, are of white marble. The cornices, win-
do w frames and sash, and the entrance door are of wood, while parts
particularly subject to deterioration, such as copings, window sills,
and the capitals and bases of the pilasters, are of limestone; but wood
and limestone alike are finished to give a uniform white painted sur-
face."

Exclusive of professional fees the building cost 60 cents a cubic
foot for its approximately 300,000 cubic feet. The total cost was
$233,831.81 of which the State provided $173,580.10 and the Pub-
lic Works Administration $60,251.71. The full amount appropriated
from the bond issue was not made available because of the need to
use some of these funds for the repair of the Governor's Mansion.
The building itself cost $205,575.90, the original equipment provided
before the building was turned over to the Hall of Records Com-
mission accounted for another $28,255.91. The building is divided
into two parts. There is a stack section of six floors from the base-
ment level to the roof. This section is constructed exclusively of
steel and concrete and is isolated from the rest of the building by
fire doors. There are three normal entrances: from the Hall of Rec-
ords research room, from the Land Office research room and from
the Hall of Records office section. There is also an emergency en-
trance to the basement which was cut after the building was put
into use. The air-conditioning system functions for the stack area
alone and there is a dumbwaiter which provides the sole means of
mechanical transport from one stack level to another.