"The ornate Victorian edifice served as the first home of the Smithsonian Institution. It was constructed of red sandstone in 1855 with nine towers and named after James Smithson (1765-1829), who bequeathed his entire fortune to the United States-- and is entombed in the Crypt Room.

Smithson, an English scientist, philanthropist and illegitimate son of the first Duke of Northumberland, never visited the United States. So why did he give the United States his entire fortune of half a million dollars? To "found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men."

Ah, but the story gets better. The United States would only get the money if his nephew and heir were to die childless. He did and the U.S. got the money in 1836. It took Congress 11 years to finally decide to set up a government-run foundation that would administer all national museums.