It was founded by Charles Lang Freer (1854–1919), a railroad-car manufacturer from Detroit.
The Italian-Renaissance-style gallery, constructed in granite and marble, was designed by American architect Charles A. Platt. When the gallery opened to the public in 1923, it was the first Smithsonian museum for fine arts.
Freer Gallery of Art
A highlight of the Whistler holdings is the Peacock Room, a dining room that was once part of a London townhouse. In 1876, Whistler lavishly decorated the room with a blue and gold peacock design. After the owner's death, the room was purchased in toto and brought to the United States and permanently installed in the Freer Gallery.
