Forestry Building Design

Located near the U.S. Government building and placed with one side toward the Indian Mound, the Forestry building was one of two buildings at the Pan-American Exposition to be constructed of logs; the other was the Alaska building. The rough-hewn structure was 100 feet by 150 feet and was roofed by bark slabs. There was an open veranda on all four sides supported by peeled log posts. The building was topped by a half-story set back from the first floor roof line.

Built under the direction of the Exposition company, the Forestry building was intended to represent an early settler's log cabin and to contrast with the ornate, colorful, Spanish-themed Exposition buildings. The architect of record is W. W. Bosworth. Frederick W. Taylor was the Superintendent of Forestry Exhibits and responsible for the building; his assistant was Frederick DePuyster Townsend.

The purpose of the Forestry building was to display and educate visitors about wood products, methods of forestry production, botany, entomolgy as it related to insects that attack trees, etc.

Many countries provided exhibits for the Forestry building. Among the countries noted in descriptions were Mexico, Cuba, Canada. On the walls were photos of the contributing countries that were mounted in wood frames native to the respective photo's country.

Mexico's displays included indigo, rubber, chewing gum, tanning barks, cotton, resin, medicinal plants,Tabasco, roots, mesquite gum, and wood samples.

Among the U.S. states prominently featured were Michigan, California, Oregon, Wisconsin, New York,  Louisiana and other southern states. The Berlin Mills Company of New Hampshire displayed relief maps of Maine and New Hampshire townships, paper pulp, sulphide, wood preservatives, model lumber camps, specimens of game. There were numerous beautiful displays of wood mosaics; Buffalo was represented in this by the Brandel, Philip company. Cornell University brought relief maps of their forest. Products of the forestry industry displayed included veneers, turpentines, resins, gums, seeds, wainscoat tiling, specimens of finished hardwoods,  etc. Logging tools from Michigan were on display, as were the cooperage stock and handles of the Tindle & Jackson company of Buffalo. Washington State had an extensive exhibit of land and aquatic game birds, mammals, and food fish. There was also a stuffed elk, contributing state unknown.

New York State's contributions were a relief map and extensive entymology exhibit from the New York State Museum. The New York State Fish, Forest and Game Commission provided displays of woods, fish and game.

The United States government exhibited woods from different parts of the country, showing where various species grew. It also displayed the effects of completely stripping the land of its forest growth.