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The "John A. Wilson District Building", popularly known simply as the "Wilson Building" or the "JAWB", formerly the "District Building", houses the municipal offices and chambers of the Mayor and District Council of the District of Columbia. Originally called the District Building, it was renamed in 1994 to commemorate former Council Chair John A. Wilson.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/things-do-see/john-wilson-buildingdistrict-building-african-american-heritage-trail )〕 Completed in 1908, during the administration of 26th President Theodore Roosevelt, the building is a contributing structure to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. ==History== The original site of the John A. Wilson Building was a streetcar power station that had been destroyed by a fire in 1897. With the "Public Building Act" of 1902, the United States Congress authorized $550,000 for the purchase of the property and an additional $1.5 million (later increased to $2 million) dollars for the construction of a new District municipal building. Previously, the D.C. government had been housed in the old District of Columbia City Hall, a historic neoclassical styled structure on Indiana Avenue, constructed 1822-1849 by George Hadfield. A competition held for the design of the new District Building called for "classic design in the manner of the English Renaissance". The Philadelphia firm of Cope and Stewardson won the contract and construction started in 1904. The building was dedicated on July 4, 1908 by Henry MacFarland, President of the Board of Commissioners. While the building has continuously served as the municipal offices of the District's local government, the United States Department of War housed 200 visiting servicemen there during World War II.〔 In 1977, a total of twelve gunmen took about 150 people hostage at three sites around Washington. During the crisis, later known as the 1977 Hanafi Siege, two of those gunmen held about a dozen hostages inside the council chambers on the fifth floor of the District Building. Then-councilman Marion Barry was hit by a stray bullet during the commotion, which left two others dead, including DC Protective Services Police Officer Wesley Cantrell. The press room at the Wilson Building is named in memory of Maurice Williams, a 24-year-old reporter who was killed during the attack. In 1995, two-thirds of the Wilson Building was leased to the Federal government for a period 20 years due to the District's inability to pay for needed repairs. However, after the United States Congress approved funds for a major renovation, the District was able to regain use of the entire building. The offices of the mayor and council were temporarily relocated to One Judiciary Square while those repairs took place. The fully renovated Wilson Building reopened in September 2001.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John A. Wilson Building」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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