The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-05-31
NEW TREASURY AND POST OFFICE
o." BUILDINGS.
Mn. LINCOLN, from the Committee on Public Build
ings and Grounds, made the following
REPORT. ......

Mn. LINCOLN, from the Committee on Public Build
ings and Grounds, made the following W.
REPORT: :...
The Committee on Public Buildings End Grounds IN
execution Of tie general daty dcroircd upon them b.
TIER appointment, ask hare 10 present the foloieing
report, tRpaH:
Immediately upon the organization Of the committee
their attention directed, by complaints and sugges
tons from various quarters to the situation Of the new
buildings in the process of construction for the accom-
mediation of the Treasury Department and the Patent
Office. careful inspection ard examination Of the
buildings were thereupon, personally made by the COM
mittee, and inquiries had and information sought, from
the architect and principal workmen who were engaged
in their erection. II soon became apparent, that the
work had been carried forward with little understanding
of the entire plan for It's completion, and that mistakes
had been committed, and defects existed not foreseen
apprehended in It's commencement or prosecution
Indeed, little of preparation appeared to have been
made at the time OF entering upon tho work, than the
adoption of profile views and plans Of elevation and d.
mansions of the buildings and their deerminate loca-
tons designated positions in the city. Whatever
qualification Cf any this latter remark should receive,
will appear in the progress of this report
The first and principal matter Of observation and in
quiry with the committee, the situation of the
Treasury building the east Of the Presidents square,
and with the line of Fifteen street 1t was obvious,
upon inspection, that the position Of this edice was
such imply design the part of the architect,
destroy al present Dy
Department. The walls had been brought almost into
uxtaposion with that structure, and their unfinished
state, at the northern extremity, clearly indicated the
intention of extending them through and the base
Of the old building, to conform to the arrangement and
symmetry Of the plan which the work proceeding
1t seen, that the coonnade could otherwise he
carried out, the front wall be made to correspond
with the part already constructed Assuming, there
fore. that the entire removal Of the old building
within the original des Of the architect the commit
tee sought for the occasion for fixing the definite oca
ton OF the new building SO Immediately upon the line OF
the street Ii here again obvious, that the grade oil
the street could not be made 10 correspond with the
level of the base Of the coonnade and that the nequai-
y Of the elevation of this base from the street, and its
proximity TO the line Of the sidewalk, would interfere
with direct approach IN fr0nt by continuous flight
of steps, to the edifcc. On stating these difficulties to
the architect, the committee informed that the
precise position of the building had been determined by
the positive direction ofthc late President of the United
States, on approving the plan of construction so TO Tx
its location as 10 preSsre The present Office o. tic STATE
Department. But the committee were Of opinion that,
if such had been the Instructions they had now been
rendered mpraeticabc Of execution, by the architect
himself Not only had tho line Of the coonnade of the
new building been made 10 prCjcd nearer Fifteenth
street. and It's front wall 10 reccdC farther from the ne
of the street than The front wall Of the old building but
there like want Of conformity IN the interior ar
rangement Of all parts Of the buildings in the halls
and Corridors stair and passageways tho size and ee-
walton OF the rooms the number and height OF the so-
rcs and, indeed IN each and every part OF the internal
aud external structure. There seemed, therefore, III
this point of view, to be alternative to the necessity
Of sacrificing the old building 10 The position Of he ncic
and the committee saw, with equal surprise and regret
that while the serious objections and defects, and
those too Of lasting and cmedia character, had been
committed III the latter under the preex oil adapting
It's Architectural arrangement and means OF accommoda.
ton TO a cennoxlon With the former even this object
was not likely, in any degree, to be attained II was
most manifest, that such adaptation OF ans ard pur
poses, homogeneous, could be effected In the Judg
nent Of the committee the architect either never did
entertain the design to preserve the old building and
bring into harmony of appearance and use II with the
new he was destitute Of the requisite skill to accom-
pllsh these ends. ...~
Another objection to the location Of the new building
presented ITSELF in its reiahUe position TO the grade aud