River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-05-18

Renaissance. 1t covers an acre and a
half, and Is 3G5 feet long, 2l0 feet
wide, and fifty-nine feet high, over a
spacious basement twelve feet high.
a dome, rising $50 feet above the
ground, surmounts the center, capped
by colossal ball from which rises the
figure of Columbia. The main front of
this building looks southwark, display.
ing 4 main entrance in the center con-
slstlnS of three enormous arched door
ways pavilion on each end, and two
arcades connecting the pavillions with
! the center. The entrance is seventy
feet wide, to which there is rise of
thirteen steps. Each of the huge
doorways is forty feet high and fifteen
feet wide, opening into q hall. Be-
tween the arches of the doorways are
clusters of columns. terminating in
emblematic designs illustrative Of sci
ence and art. The doors are OF iron.
relieved by bronze panels. displaying
the coats of arms of all the States and
| Territories. The United States coat of
arms is in the center of the main
| frieze. The dome is of glass and Iron.
of unique design While Columbia
rises at the top, colossal figure stands
at each corner of the base of the dome
typifying the four quarters of the
globe.
In each pavilion there is a large win.
dow, twelve and one-half feet by thir-
ty-four feet. There are altogether
eight of these windows. which will be
used for the display of stained glass.
glass paintings, etc. Two of them
have already been applied for from
Munich, and application for space in
them has also been made from En-
gland. The arcades designed to screen
the long walls of the galleries each
consist of five groined arches, and
form promenades looking outward
over the grounds and inward oven
open gardens extending back to the
main wall of the building. These gar.
den plots are each ninety feet by thir.
/ ty-six feet, ornamented in the centre
with fountains, and intended to dis.
play statuary. The arcades are highly
, ornamented, and the balustrades of
them and of the approaching stair.
ways are also designed for statuary.
The walls of the east and west sides of
the structure display the pavilions and
the walls of the picture galleries. and
are relieved by inches designed foI
statues. The frieze is richly orna-
mented, and above it the central dome
shows to great advantage. The rear
or north front of the building is of the
same general character as the main
front, but, in place of the arcade. has
a series Of arched windows, twelve in
number, with the entrance in the cen.
ter. Between the pavilions is the
grand balcony, promenade two hun
dred and seventy-liye feet long and
forty-fiye feet wide, elevated forty
feet above the ground. and overlook.
ing to the northward the beautiful
grounds of the park. On each front
of the buildings the entrances open in
to halls eighty-two feet long, sixty
feet wide and iifty-three feet high,
decorated in modern renaissance.
These, in turn. open into the center
hall. eighty-three feet square, the
ceiling rising over it eighty feet in
height. From the east and west sides
of this center hall extend the galleries,
each ninety-eight feet long, forty-eight
feet wide and thirty-fve feet high.
These galleries admit of temporary
divisions for the better display Of
paintings, and with the center hall
form grand hall PSI feet long and SO
feet wide, capable of comfortably ac-
commo1ating 5000 persons. This is
nearly twice the dimensions of the
largest hall In the United States.
From the galleries doOrways open into
two smaller galleries, eighty-nine feet
long and twenty.eight feet wide.
These open north and south into pri.
vate apartments connecting with the
| pavilion-rooms. and forming two side
galleries 2l0 feet long. Along the
/ whole length Of the north side of the
main galleries and central hall extends
a corridor fourteen feet wide. opening
on its north line into series of pri.
vate rooms twenty.three i'm number.
designed for studios and smaller exhi.
bition rooms. Al the galleries and
the central ball are lighted from
above; the paylions and studios from
the sides. The pavilions and cen.
trail hall are designed especially for
the exhibition of sculpture. This
fine building gives $4,000 square
feet of wall space for paintings.
and 10000 square feet Of floor space
for statutes, etc. Tho skylights
throughout ale double. the upper be.
ing of clear glass and the under Of
ground glass.
Great rs is the space afforded in the
memorial hall, the applications from
American and foreign artists have
proved SO greatly in excess Of its ca.
pacity rs 10 require tho erection Of
much more spacious building. This.
though only Of brick. will harmonic
INTELLECTUALLY with the memorial
hall, and is 10 be permanent. II
stands just in the rear OF the original
art gallery and communicates with IL.
IL will afford 10000 square feet Of
wall space available for paintings. and
contains twenty.four galleries. each
forty feet square, besides two galleries.