The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-06
The New Park in this CITY.
Couespondencsof The Ne,o York Evening Post

Correspondence of The Neo York Evening Post
WILLARD's HOTEL,
WAsHINGToN, December 2, 1851.
Ispent very agreeable hour to-day in visit
ing the new park which is in course of prepa-
ration here under the supervision of the Gov
eminent. | presume your readers will ash
what park2 believe it is hardly known be
yond the District, and by very few here, tina
any such improvement is in contemplation"
All that vast tract embracing about one hundred
and sixty acres, which lies between the Smithso
MAN Institute and the Pennsylvania avenvc, and
extends from the Capitol to beyond the President'l
House, is now undergoing the transmutation from
a barren and Improbable tract Of alternate swami
and sand, into grassy and well-wooded park, in
tersected with beautiful carriage avenues, and en-
bracing within its precincts the Smithsonian In.
stute, the Washington Monument, and such other
public buildings rs hereafter may be thought wor-
thy of such an elegant resting place.
You may remember that theee grounds have no.
for many years shown the vcstige of tree, and but
little vegetation, and the impression is general
that all the ground about Washington is natu.
rally sterile. This, IT appears, is an entire mis-
take. During General Westinghouse administra.
tlon the grounds in front of the President House
and along the banks of the Potomac were covered
with large forest trees and rich vegetation, all OF
which have disappeared only for the want of cul-
ture and attention.
The new Improvements are under the superyi.
sion of MIR. A. ]. Downing, of Newburg, whose
taste and judgment in matters of this kind are well
known, not only in his own country, but in Eu-
rope The last Congress appropriated some s 80 900
for this work, to be expended under the direction
of the President. He very wisely selected Mr..
Downing as his agent, and invested him with
plenary powers.
MIR. Downing Is now here prosecuting the work
and has advanced already so far with il as 10 ga
iafy tho observer that when the plan is executed
Washington will possess not only the finest DE- r k
In this country, but of the very finest in he
world. There will be about five miles of carriage
way through 1t, and the two main entrances will
be the one through grand arch near The corner,
where Pennsylvania avenue abuts upon the Pre-
sidents House, and the other at the opposite end
OF the Avenue, where it abuts upon the Capitol
grounds
templates an expenditure Of from a hundred to n
hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and that it
will be executed in the course OF from two to thr q
years. DE also proposes, it is said, feature which
VIII distinguish this from any other park in the
world He intends to have within il a specimen of
every kind of tree which is native to the United
States, carefully labelled with It's common and
technical name, so that the visitor may, in the
course oil mornings walk, form more perfect
notion of the arboriferous wenlth of this country
than is now possessed by most accomplished
botanists.
From the beginning Mr.. Corcoran has taken the
deepest inter Get in this work, and believe il was
mainly through his personal solicitation that Mr.
Downing was persuaded to undertake IT, IL could
not be in better hands; and it is to be hoped that
Congress will see that il is finished and not left
like most Government improvements, to fall a
prey to partisan caprice. j. b.