Completed in 1893 at a cost of $85,000, the Barnum Institute of Science and History building was designed by the Bridgeport, Connecticut, architectural firm of Longstaff and Hurd. Sculptor Henri Plasschaert was responsible for the elaborate terra cotta friezes, both the decorative frieze of foliage and animals, and the frieze around the top featuring historical scenes and busts of famous individuals. Today known as the Barnum Museum, the brownstone and terra cotta structure is an impressive, eclectic blend of styles, predominantly Romanesque Revival. P. T. Barnum (1810 - 1891) gave the land and money to build the three-story, domed structure with the intent of providing a permanent home for the Bridgeport Scientific Society, and the Fairfield County Historical Society. The Bridgeport Medical Society also had space in the building. (These organizations existed until the early 1930s. In 1934, the City of Bridgeport became the owner of the building.) Barnum worked with Longstaff and Hurd, the same firm that had designed his fourth and last home in Bridgeport, to develop the concept or "vision," and its appearance and style. He was interviewed about the project in March 1891, a month before he died, and described his plan and the impression he wished the building to make as part of the streetscape. He did not live to see its construction underway nor completion. The Barnum Museum building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and its status was elevated to National Significance in 2010. Romanesque Revival architecture was popular from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, mainly for public buildings rather than homes. The name refers to the design elements, imitating those seen on ancient Roman buildings, such as wide, rounded arches, short and wide columns, and towers that feature a pyramidal roof culminating in a point. Textural masonry with brown or red-brown coloring is typical of Romanesque Revival structures. The Barnum Institute building is also cited as an example of Byzantine Revival architecture because of its two domes and the types of patterns used in the brickwork. Overall, however, it is more appropriately classified as Romanesque Revival. A large dome with a tiled roof and round windows is a primary feature of the building. The northwest corner of the building is rounded to support that portion of the dome's base. Atop the dome there is a gold eagle, posed as if about to take flight from its perch on a ball. A tower at the southwest corner, featuring tall windows and a pyramidal roof with architectural ornaments is another key feature. The complex roofline is also a notable component of the design, with the contrasts of round and angular forms, and the undulations of the roof tiling. A tower with a smaller dome is located in the southeast part of the building; it was built to be used as an observatory, however the observatory was never created. Rusticated stonework, clustered columns, arched windows, terra-cotta friezes, and tiled roofs together form a highly ornamental and textural surface, where nothing save the south face of the building is "plain." The coloring of the building can appear quite different depending on the sunlight. When the western sun shines on it, the building glows with deep orange tones, while at other times the overall coloring is lighter and more subdued. The building was designed with three facades, and one plain side (the south side) of ordinary brick and having no windows; this side was adjacent to the neighboring building, and thus not meant to be seen. Today the south face is fully exposed, while the east face, separated from People's United Bank building by just a few feet, is hidden from the street view though it can be seen by walking from the bank's plaza to the back of the building. The original double doors at the northwest corner were intended as the entrance to retail establishments occupying space on the first floor, where the large windows are located. The rental income was to help support the Barnum Institute organizations, though it is unclear how consistently the space was used for that purpose, if at all. The Medical Society had their office on the first floor and used as their entrance the narrow, single door on the north side of the building, facing what is now the bank plaza. The doorway directly facing Main Street was built with recessed double doors leading to the Institute's exhibition areas and offices on the second floor and the third floor lecture room under the dome. The north and west facades are dominated by windows. On the street level, large windows suitable for retail shops are present on the sidewalk side (west facade), and just around the corner on the north side, with the remainder of the north face having three small windows well above head height. The second floor is mainly dominated by large windows divided into thirds, each window separated by clustered columns carved from the brownstone. As a departure from that pattern, the run of windows ends with a group of three arched windows on the west face, just to the left of the tower. Between the second and third floors there is a wide band or "frieze" of terra cotta frieze that wraps around the north and west facades. The frieze is sculpted with a dense design of foliage in which are "hidden" animals such as turtles, monkeys, and birds. The third story features two balconies--one facing north and the other facing west--and large, arched windows. The upper portion of each window is made of stained glass. The tower's pair of arched windows are longer in proportion and do not have stained glass. A round window occupies the center space above the two. Small square windows, ornamented with grotesque faces, form a band around the upper portion of the tower. The tower's roofline ornamentation includes a turret-like column with round cap at each corner. The pointed peak of its roof is covered in copper as are many other elements in areas of the structure's roof. Between the roofline of the large dome and the third floor there is a terra cotta frieze with dimensional figures depicting scenes of America's past. These vignettes are separated by five busts of famous or representative individuals. The choices for the "historical" scenes and individuals for the bust portraits reflect the interests and beliefs of the time period. Furthest left is a scene of Native Americans, representing pre-settlement of America. It is titled "Native American (1670)". Men are depicted on horseback, and women and children are also present. Next to that scene is a bust of Christopher Columbus. To his right the vignette is a farming scene titled "Early Settler (1760)." It depicts a farmer with a basket of potatoes, who is shown with his harvest, while cattle graze. To its right is a bust of George Washington, followed by a scene of workers on the dock titled "Maritime (1840)." To the right is a bust of Elias Howe Jr., a prominent figure in Bridgeport, and the man credited with the first patent for a workable sewing machine. To the right of Howe is a scene of marching Union soldiers, titled "Civil War (1861)." Beside that scene is a bust of General Winfield Scott, whose dedication to the improvement of the U. S. military, and service in the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War, made him famous. To the right of Scott is a vignette of four men titled "Industrial Revolution (1870)." One man has a cart, and the group appears to be in a rail yard. To the right is a bust of President Grover Cleveland, which marks the end of the frieze. Henri Plasschaert's signature is included in the frieze near the hoof of a horse; it is unusual to have a signature in this type of work. The interior of the building features two large stone fireplaces on the second and third floors, and a grand staircase, located in the tower section. A wall that had separated the "retail" space from the organizations' spaces was opened up in the mid-20th century, and a short flight of stairs was added to that opening, making the whole building accessible from the "retail" space. Since June 2010, when the historic building was struck by a tornado without warning, the Barnum Museum has been stabilizing the structure in phased work. The Museum has developed comprehensive plans for a fully restored building, to become an attraction that appeals to 21st century audiences, and is dedicated to sharing P. T. Barnum's life and legacy.
