New-York tribune., 1870-10-20
THE ROTUNDA.

ITS DEmOLIIION-sKETCu OF IT'S HISTORY.
Ii was recently announced that the CrOtOn
Aqueduct Department had vacated their Offices in the
northeast corner of City Hall Park, and that the shabby
old building long occupied by them would be removed
Inasmueh as theRotunda is OF the old landmarks Of
the city, its demolition deserves moro extended notice
The early history OF the Rounda is intimately associated
with life of OF the pioneers OF American art 1t
erected during the Summer OF 1873 The ground on
which stands granted by the City Corporation TO
John vanderlyn tho weDown painter free OF rent for
period Of ten years. on condition that it should revert
to the city at the expiration Of that time. The building
was designed by him, and erected by private sub
scripon Ii was bot at the northeast corner of the
Park, with entrance from Chambers-st Tho archeo-
peculiar The building is 40 feet in hight and 6J
feet IN diameter 1t circular In form, with pantheon
shaped dome andlyght. and DOro front on The Park
In early times it was regarded the perfection Of the
classical type the fstdOus taste OF tho pres
day would look upon 1t as grandioso rather than
grand grOesque rather than antique 1t was not Du5
however by Mr. Yanderyn an artistic model but wfh
especial reference 10 the purpose for winch II was 10
signed.
This artist was then n his i2d year. His whole life had
been spent in the tate practice OF his art AT an
early sge he had received his first lessons IN the st1no
Of Gber stuart and in 1771 through the ASSISTANCE OF
Aaron Burr had visited Paris FOR the purpose OF re-
cevng instruction from foreign masters In 1903 he had
revisited the Old World with commissions 10 purchase
nicures and n collection of csss FOR the American Acad-
emy. He had fingered in Paris and Rome unth $50;
During this long n'9ryol Ms gest s Isn tbs
first representation OF NEUROLOGICAL sullcCt by an
American artist and Mar1us which WaS e1mDlt5u ID
the Louvre 1905 gaining the gold medal hitsT hs re-
turn 10 America he had painted p0rtfats OF mauIspn'
Monroe clinton and Calhoun But IN 1919 10 al seem seem
ing weary Of high ant and passing from me Iegtnas
To what may be termed the buriosq ue stage nc CoiUu
the idea Of exhibiting panoramic views on largo so'g'
IN was for this purpose that the ROtunda was crec a.
and h is not strange that the architecture OF the bGh0bg
sympathzed with the painters change IN iatai9, hns
~ ifv of
eXhibtjops in the New-York Panoramic Rotunds
for thus was the building named, are dcscIlDed ~
the Journals Of that day and in the curious had o1oss "
the time as wonderful and fast mating Inc
NewYork published in 1873 charaoterzes mem as ts
triumph Of perspective. 80 cOmpetei ~ ~ ao+ %
the Illusion that the spectator magnes ne - pfesh
the display Of real objects" Panoramic views OF lle
great cities were presented at different Tunes auIs ~
Te1sses the city of Paris the city of Athens the cty
of Mexico and the battle of Waterloo Ihese
all painted by Mr.. Nandeyn HIS more eiaDoI3," % MoiA
were also at times exhleed IN tn9 ;r,
others the "Artadne ana tne harus ao,,ance M me-
were continued until 1929 when, IN consequence o Po
cuniary embarrassments the Gnleiso ,d rcc t'1T5 m nv
render the building to the cry tOIPoiamnon m o. 80 20
runiary loss Was $4,000 debt from which he Ws etEoI
oble to relieve himself, and which for twenty years
seemed to have most depressing eiect upon hs soH&G. &
His hand lost in great ITase IN t1, on ~ end,nr Of
Columbus painted for one OF the cCihbrthgs u % v
National Capitol and the portrait OF Cen J9yo4, eh
GT tbs old yigor and strength His difficulties wh tho
Corporation respecting the surrender OF INC i'oyus
/ NN'N+@o
OF his life. a, .t.. o,.horsttaa ,y.s oco,t-
MED NV the Marine Court from 1881 to- 1856 when II passed
into the pOssessOn Of the POst-Oitce department. I.u
In 1916 came sort Of revival under bgher l9ts Oi q
nurer and nObler spirit OF art The Newfok daery on
pine Arts organized TO form permanent gsuefy on
naIntjngs engravngs and sculptures, purchased tho
Haiuabie collection of Luman Read consisting OF I,h
ngs bv prominent American artists, includlnR ,oIe
series of the voyage OF Lie, and htted up the S
f1r IN exhibition room. But the revival was Ohy Ho
sudden blazing of ember 1t 6fnOulders ana uIes
away forever In 1919 the CrOtOn Aquednct COliIIi,
sioDers took OF the ROtunda In cOnnecuOh
the Aims House Department Where Alladho htu shlru
and Iaue McCrea had mOurned now smlrked the PoI y
! CnmmissiOner's Clerk. The walls whereOn were PIC
t1red the Louvre, the CampaRna, ana tno AOiOpVIIH
we've now covered with dingy charts OF the Croty que
Cn9t The poetic fancies Of the Course OF Lhb were
now replaced by prOy facts OF water rates ana pau
r5der the shadow Of the City Hall, the Eotunda ha,
rCn old and somber until 1t is but the ghost OF lts ol
sef Ambitious and prosperous neighb0rs nave dWsrieu
n INTO Uttenes As the years have paosod W, IL na,
become more and more ugly as hOoly, lnls,,lno ,,
yrl fades and grows angular In old age Inc CIo,Vn
| SommssjODers can no longer abide wlthln N5 mus,
SaIis and now the awkward, Oyergrown dome Is 10 pt
lroken down and the cOmical Ionic columns arc W pe
tnrn away Never ornamental, II Is now not even w
Yet there are gouty old gentlemen ana white or @
/ isdies vino will miss the ROtunds when ~ is gone lo
eneer they have peered up into its fororn Ou Iace
they have thought of many Saturday aerhoous' Nu0l
/ they used to see the panorama IL the PARK