Fish Commission Building The site of the <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/269">National Air and Space Museum</a> was once home to the headquarters of the United States Fish and Fisheries Commission, also known as the US Fish Commission. President Ulysses Grant signed the US Fish Commission into existence in 1871 to address issues of <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/313">declining commercial fish populations</a> in America. Stephen F. Baird, first curator of the <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/52">Smithsonian Institution</a>, also served as the first Commissioner of Fisheries. The Commission was housed in the <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/307">old Armory Building</a>, which was also used as storage by the Smithsonian until the building was demolished in the 1960s. Smithsonian Institution Archives. <a href="http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_9203">View original</a>. 1871 (established) 1964 (building demolished) <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=38&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1860-1889">1860-1889</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=38&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1950-1979">1950-1979</a>