, 1873-04-27
Talks with Their Posterity -.- Eighty
Years OF Mind in One EdIfice.
Scandals Of the Construction OF the Capt.
to1...GroWth Of Our Build.
ing Civilization. ".
The Romance Of the Architects--Their
Mutual Criticisms.
From Our 0,rn Correspondent,

nnent and distinct impression upon every amer
loan mind, such only IS the Capitol edltce
should have found at Bome time romance1
This has not beec the case.
There exists no succinct, clear account OF tn
greatest building On our Continent, and tn
documentary matter to make it is neither com
plete, nor assembled at any one especial place
There have been eighty years devoted to thl
eiihce, and it is not Jet wholly complete. I
spans from 1899 to 1878. It is the only house II
the New or the Old World in which there is some
tribute to every adyenturer, navigator, or physl
cal hero of North America, Columbus, Cabot
De- Soto. Standisl1, Washington, Scott.
The present letter undertakes to revive the
lives Of
THE ARCHITECTS OF THE CAPITOL.
Tho first architect Of the Capitol, in the propel
sense Of 1, professional man, WAS Stephen 8
Hal!et, whose name is also spalled. Hallate
About this gentleman, whose career on the pub
lie buildings was very brief, no recolectons, ane
scarcely t1ad;ton,. prevails. It has bean gen.
orally said that he was an Engliahman. and {
pupil Of the celebrated John Eash, OF London
Il ia apparent, however, from the books OF the
commissioners, that Halet was Frenchman,
He is addressed by them us 81 Monsieur Hal1et, :
and referred to by them as 81 q French artist ,
They also apologize for writing him letter, By
saying that the difficulty OF making explanations
between themselves and him verbally suggests
the former manner Of communication.
Hnllet sent his1 15lan to the Commissioners. and
tneg received it, July II, 1892. They we're struck
with the evidences Of his professional capacity,
and invited him to visit the spot as soon as he
could These were the old Commissioners -
Joh1stn Stewart, and Carroll. It appears that
Hallcts plans, which we're several in number,
had about commended linn as the author
OF the building, and he WAS employed
in that capacity, when Dir. Thornton,
an Engishman, .,also presented a plan.
which the Commissioners requested him to
lodge with the Secretary Of Stale, 1T philndel-
phia. -: j. r..
This latter plan, although drawn By an anna
teur, Affected both Jefferson and Washington
10 snch degree that letter was at once dis
patched to the Commissioners, requesting them
70 adopt it, and to substitute it for Hal1et's hut
to do this with rs much dehcacy as possible, and
20 retain HAllet in the public service. This per-
ernptory order probably gave the Commissioners
much relief, if We may believe tho st2toment of
George Hadhe1d, another architect, who wrote
twenty years later to the following effects:
"a premium had been. offered OF $500 and a
building lot for the best design for Capitol, at
n timo when scarcely a professional artist Was
10 be found in any OF the United States; which
is plainly to bo seen from the pilo of trseh pre-
rented rs dosiEns." - ~:
THE FATE OF: HALLET.
It doea not appear that Monsieur Hnllet re-
ceiyed in q cordial way this assurance that an
! English amateur had made q superior elevation
IN tia nu77 and he t1rev apnin and sea;n daa;ona
while Thornton's WAS also amended after the
Foundations of tho canito1 had ,boan -n;sai7 =,
49, s.-o,,nd,,a.o1 Tha, .a;t,,.t;a,.
lhe eroana-lesel.. Lie s1luaton Has further
embarrassed BY Thornton's appointment as one
Of the Commissioners, where he came into con-
t{icf with 1,ir ,redece saoi il; an administrative az
xa11 sz ,rafasa;o,,, -,rr 1ya11ot =: ~ :.
"sn - ,s s,;:c..;a "n, @ - uel
st s400 per year, Nov. 20, 1888. More than nine /
months previously. or Auril S. 1888. the Com
noiae;ona-n ~rota r. r1or,,to,, .sr7ha D..a;s.-,4
1..s ~:.s~ ~. ss,ss1 s.'.11o.' ..:-".'n -o0'eus ~
nas gwen nls 1ot1qal APpfooa11on OF your plan.
The changes in Thorntons design were, how
eyer, made so nearly like those Of Hallots. par
t;cul.y]v % a. tba fnt.r;or th,t hTnaa;o.,n
da,n,rr,a - - - xsas- 4ot91n
r,o~.ten ~ .uo om pstus ae.oluea !" ut'
ha,a soa, H. 3oe1'els ensoeo, am nancy Tlth-
missioners, Jnae 28.- 1794. saving nT claim tba
ORIGINAL inven}3,,, ~ ~. ,i..o,,,,,,...-..
md heo 1..re - ~ p4a4. ~"
n-.;ant ~, ~ -, ne.ea1tet pelofe yoo anu inc
ffeetoon' ". lfoo1sol my right to It, There
upon the commissioning demanded his plans, /
and Monsieur Halet refuset7 tn surrendor tren,
He vas then verbally acons5ota5 ~, t1,a'araa.
-that thsir Connection 1zit, No. 49, .ue o4ae5
MN 1n ~ naa ceased and
ne was no i'nset IN the public service:
From THIS tne forward there IL no notable
mention; in the Commissioners books Of thia
unfortunate architect, and T have not baen ah1e @
IL find. INV traditions resnacf;o1 h;m 'eeu apte
ARoH11Esr NO. 5~aApt,r7Ep, Ell t..
His euccessor yas George 'HaddeId. WIN con- ~
:inued on the work until Nay 10, 1893. F.
Mr.. Hallot's hnal account, amounting to m
.yarde OF -s17G Tas allowed to tho Co1nm;ssion-.
ers.-His nam, however, had been deposited in
the corner-sbnes as one Of the architects. and
subsequent 6velnpments hRye iii Il great meas
nre yindicatd his claim az principal suggeator
of the building. About seventy years after his
e. Iatrote. the real builder Of the wings. re-.
turned to Washington Hallets drawings. MI.
Clark, The architect, passed them over to tie L.
t.arian OF Congress in l879.-Iwas permitted to +
make eketch-copies Of Hallet's plans, and Mr.
Clark came into the Library :while was drawing
T.