Smithsonian National Zoo Rock Creek Park zoo opening collection in 1891

[DavidBrown]

Out of historical interest I have been reading about the origins and history of the Smithsonian National Zoo. I learned that the original animal collection was a menagerie of North American species including bison that were kept adjacent to the natural history museum on the National Mall.

The National Zoo was formally organized in 1889 and opened the present zoo campus in Rock Creek Park in 1891. I have been trying to figure out what exhibits and animals that a zoo visitor would have seen at the new zoo site, and am wondering if the hive Zoochat mind can fill that in. If a good source enumerating the opening 1891 collection exists, I have not found it.

The zoo at opening apparently had two Asian elephants that had been donated from a circus (although an actual elephant exhibit with a barn was still some years away). I assume that there was a substantial North American animal collection moved over from the National Mall, although bison are the only species I know for sure were part of that collection.

I read in a book several years ago that the first zoo director ordered there be an exhibit filled with domestic dogs because there was a lot of space in the zoo that needed filling. Apparently the exhibit was popular for many years. Can anyone confirm if I am remembering that correctly?

So what I know is that the 1891 opening zoo had Asian elephants, dogs, and bison - and a lot of other North American species. Does anybody else know what other species were there? Were there any exotics besides the elephants? Lions? Monkeys? Tigers? I know that there were no giraffes until 1926.

 

[Smaggledagle]

This should probably be under zoo history

 

[DavidBrown]

This should probably be under zoo history

I put it here specifically so that our large contingent of National Zoo-knowledgable members would see it.

 

[TinoPup]

"The first inhabitants of the zoo were the 185 animals under the care of William Temple Hornaday, who became Curator of Living Animals, for the US National Museum. Among the animals were buffalo, a black bear, wood chucks, a panther, a grizzly bear cub, a Carolina black bear, a bald eagle, turkey vultures, and black snakes, which were all shipped to Washington to be used as Hornaday's taxidermy models. Previously, those which had not been killed and preserved for the mammal collection had been shipped to the Philadelphia Zoo.

The early history of the zoo was marked by the demands for building construction, park layout, roads, and acquisition of animals—all on an extremely tight budget. Despite these difficulties, the zoo and its animal collections began to take shape. In 1891, Dunk and Gold Dust, the zoo's first elephants, and French, the first lion, arrived. Between 1916 and 1924, the zoo continued to operate on modest appropriations. As a result, few new animals were purchased, and housing for existing animals remained inadequate. However, the popularity of the zoo continued to grow, and in 1924, 2.4 million people visited."

National Zoological Park

The buffalo barn was the first structure built. It was followed by the lion/carnivora building. "The Carnivora House, the first permanent stone structure at the National Zoological Park, June 4, 1891. Designed by Boston architect William Ralph Emerson, it housed virtually all of the animals during the first years of the zoo. It was built of locally quarried grey gneiss stone."

Here's a Brazilian Tapir in the temporary wooden wing of the Carnivora house, 1895:

Alligators in the same wing, 1900:

Regarding the first elephant building, "Construction on the building began in September of 1902 and was completed in January of 1903. According to the Annual Report, the elephants were moved into the house on March 12, 1903. A hastily erected shed called the Octagonal Barn had been used by the elephants, some of the first animals at the Zoo. In 1891 the Adams-Forepaugh Shows, a locally based circus that wintered its animals at the Zoo, gave two elephants, Dunk and Gold Dust, who were ceremoniously led up Connecticut Avenue to their quarters. The Barn was used until 1903 when the animals were afforded more permanent accommodations. Secretary Samuel P. Langley (1887-1906) had earlier solicited designs from numerous architects for an elephant house but none were satisfactory. In 1936 Works Progress Administration funds provided for the first moated exhibit, the current Pachyderm House." Link