Founding of the Corcoran Gallery of Art by William Wilson Corcoran

The Corcoran Gallery of Art was founded by banker and philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran in 1869 and became one of the United States' earliest private art museums. The institution's historic building at 500 17th Street NW housed its collections and exhibitions for more than a century. The gallery's founding and longtime presence in that building are documented elements of Washington, D.C.'s cultural history.