The building was constructed in 1923 and served as the headquarters of the Terminal Refrigerating and Warehousing Company. Before the era of in-home air conditioning and mechanical refrigeration, facilities like the Terminal Building provided food and ice to Washington consumers safely, efficiently, and reliably. The Terminal Refrigerating and Warehousing Company also supported the operation of complementary industries such as breweries and dairy processing plants.

The property was converted to the new Museum of the Bible. The high-tech museum is four blocks from the U.S. Capitol and three blocks from the Air and Space Museum. The museum feature standing exhibits on the history and impact of the Bible as well as interactive features to bring viewers into Bible stories and characters.

Although a significant portion of the existing concrete building and its historic façade were preserved, much of the new construction centered on demolition of existing construction as well as strengthening and repairing the old concrete structure. Kline Engineering was retained by the contractor to review specialty engineering associated with demolition, temporary shoring of the concrete frame and façade, and shoring during concrete repair work. One noteworthy challenge was temporarily shoring the building to allow for a main supporting column to be removed from roof to foundation.