Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-08-09
DOW ESTIC.
Dc
,Ii, BUILDINGS.
From The Globe

(tfDm Tie Gt0Oc
ppocREss OF THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
THE NEW TREASURY.
Since the adjournment OF Congress- many a1ui''o"u'
rooms in this building have been completed ana occuP''
81 hv different bureaus connected with the treasury
Deo,r,ment Besides the Secretary. who, with MS SUITE
occnn;rd rooms ia this building the last year, we no"
have to add the Treasurer the Register the frst comp
troer the Attorney General, the Solicitor, ana 'he
Commissioner Of the General Land Office. The Secre-
,ru for The p,eser occupies the north wing. on the
6rat or colonaade foor the Attorney Generai he west
side of The south wing, on the same iooF' Tue Socho'
the east side Of the same wing upon Tue same nno 'ne
Treasurer occupies djoning 5oh Inc attorney
General and Solicitor. The first omptrollers rooms
are on Inc west side Of the south wing second oo; Inc
Registers rooms The east side OF Inc same wing ana
second floor; the Commissioner OF the Land ofhce &C
cupies the whole OF the rooms IN tue hoi wing SPon
the second and third floors.
The west wing Is III rapid progress OF construction,
and will probably be in state to be occupied Inc ensa
ing winter the four floors in this wing VIII contain
forty eight rooms
Al The structure draws nigh completion IT'S adaptation
TO the object its construction becomes more manifest
The fears which, in the ncipent state oil The w"rk, were
entertained by this and other grounds, nave
proved TO be groundless The corridors both IN their
width and quantity OF light empty sufficient. The
rooms are abundantly large for the transaction Of the
public business The attic third story rooms. which
it was thought would be dark end uncomfortable, are
airy pleasant and sufficiently lighted And lastly upon
the stability of the building, 80 It's walls and arches,
upon which doubt expressed by some, there can
b. but opinion and that altogether 10 s favor
Nothing can be more beautiful than the vaultsd ceilings
Of The rooms halls and Corridors in their ighnPss and
form of construction have exhibited the uaphs OF
science and srt over the gravity Of mere matter.
The foors of the Corridors in the two principal sto
ries are paved with black and white marble lilies, dis
nosed diamond fashion the attic corridor floors are
paved With the German white and red flag stone; the
n, corridor floor will be paved with the Seneca
flag stone.
The main corridor, running north and sou'h, extends
$40 feet; that running and west, lIO feet these
Corridors with their vauied ceilings and ssssea'ed
pavement produce fine effect the eye, ranging their
whole extent When the grand staircase (Which is 10
be OF white marble) shall have been completed, and
thrown into cuntiguy with lis spacious hall, studded
with massive Dorc columns, which support frettsd
groin ceiling this central entrance 10 The building will
be at once striking and picturesque In front and on
either hand extend The vauited Corridors into which all
the various Office rooms open and communicate with
each other every iioor.
The whole interior plan is so arranged os TO ufford
every facility of intercourse between the different bu
reaus with every admissible economy Of space and
curity of the public records deposited here The dress
inps of all The doors and windows, also the skrtng
base course of the and corridors, Of stone and
the floors of the covered with hydraulic
which is for this purpose equal TO stone ITSELF and vastly
more economical.
There are three main approaches upon the colonnade
level to the interior of the building, which conduct tr
so many marble starways leading up 10 the different
STORIES and down the basement apartment. On the
basement floor number of rooms have been and are
now nearly finished, and some occupied. As The cu
stone for The wing walls now under construction
has be carried through the corridor OF this story
ther il, The be completed Tor Office bust
ness When this operation ceases, the whole will be
finished and the accommodations furnished here will be
little inferior those the third story The floor Of The
basement is step above the ground and being
constructed OF solid masonry paved and cenenled with
hydraulic mortar, they will be entirely dry.
The present extent of plan Of this building, when The
west wing completed, will furnish about $50 rooms,
varied dimensions; the area OF the office rooms exceed
300 square eet and their cnbca contents $500 feet
ample space for two clerks which they were originally
designed to accommodate.
The operations on this building have been chiefly
confined this year complete the interior for early
supancy. Nothing has been done towards rearing its
magnificent colonade. Many blocks of the columns
on the ground, and few Of them worked and set up
on the number Of the capitals and bases
cut, hich will forward this work when undertaken
The grade Of 18th street, in font of The coonnade
race, is undergoing change. which, when carried
out completion, will obViate the natural defect com
planned of in The locality Of this building arising
the rapid grade Of the street, which covered up
Of the basement deeply The base of the cuIonnade
will then present level line in its whole extent an
thus the finished parts Of the building be raised entirely
out OF The ground
PROGRESS OF THE PATENT OFFICE BUILDING.
This ed,ice is now having lis last, upper tier, oil
arches turned these arches, which form the ceiling
one immense room, supported by twenty columns
md twenty eight pilasers surmounted by their enia
blature which decorate and divide Il into eighteen s
coves The whole extent Of this grand saloon 2G3 feel
BY 62 feet wide, and will be appropriated The display
Of The models ofart
The exterior walls approach their finished height, and
in some parts the main cornce is set As The roof is
now in psraon and the arches expected be in
state TO be covered in within month six weeks
there every probability that the two suites of
below will be prepared for occupancy before the
meeting Of Congress.
The FIRST, basement story of this building, (Which
is above the ground contains large for mod
els, by 62 feet two other large rooms, 80 by 90 feet
eight rooms ~ by % feet besides spacious hall and
staircase 81 by 50 feet corridor 10 feet wde and four
small 20 by 10 feet These apartments are all
vsulted with groin srches and those in The hall and large
model room sprung upon massive piers of stone.
The second, or principal foo which is vel with the
terrace Of the porlico. similarly divided and contains
the number of aparime the same size as the
story below, massive columns taking the place Of The
square pillars for supporting the arches The upper or
third aoor, hs, been already described
The TO the principal floor will be by fight Of
granite steps, which land spacious spreading
nearly 100 feet in extent and SO feet wide This terrace
il elevated grn arches, and forms the base Of the
grand portco, which is composed of sixteen columns in
double rows, and two massive ante, rising with their
entablaure gu teet the whole surmouped by portco
The proportions of this porco with those of
the Parthenon at Athens.
Passing the terrace of the portco you enter
spacious hall, decorated with columns which supoor,
groin arches at the end Of which double fgh, Of cir
cular steps of marble will ascend the grand model
saloon The whole Of this story together with the en-
tire building. 10 vaul,ed ond made 6reprocf.