National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-24
The New Pension ofiee Locatien.

To the EdHof Of Ihe Republican:
Knowing the interest that you always
manifest in everything that pertains to the welfare
of the National Capital beg leave, through your
widely circulated paper TO make q few suggestions
to the commissioners selected 10 determine and
purchase site for public building to be used for
a Pension Office. Now that the city has reached
that period so as to bring out its beautiful plan,
clearly defining the extent Of its avenues and
streets, demonstrating the far-sightedneSs of its
designers, should not the present generation show
their appreciation of the grand plan by exercising
good judgment in the location of the public build
ings SO that in the future the same credit may be
accorded to us? The public buildings are now. and
will be in the future ofhe great attractions Of
the National Capital and should be so located as to
reflect credit upon those being in authority Their
design should distinctly mark the age in which
they were erected. A few mistakes have been
made, sufficient to make our officials cautious in
locating and designing the public buildings. The
locating the General Office building so near
the Patent Office building has always been in bad
taste; the locating of the National Museum build
ing Immediately near the grand old Smithsonian
building, both beautiful separately, but together
an abortion which will for all time TO come be a
fruitful subject for the critic As regards the har
monious arrangements of the new public build
ings, they are well enough, with the above excep-
ton Taking Pennsylvania avenue as centre
line, we have the Executive Mansion on its first
quarter, surrounded by the new State, War and
Navy Departments, the Treasury Department
building, with the banks and public parks the
Capitol building, standing ON the last quarter of
said line to be surrounded by the Library and Su
preme Court building; between these two points
the great Pennsylvania avenue, with all the prin-
cipal business houses. Then, forming q curved
line from the Capitol and Executive Mansion
SOutherly, we have in fair order the Botanical
Gardens, the ArmOry, the National Museum ard
Smithsonian buildings and grounds; then the
Agricultural building, Bureau of Engraving and
Printing, and Washington Monument, together
with their parks and pTospectiyely, an improved
river-frOnt Taking about the same curved line
northerly, we have the Government Printing
Office, the City Hail. the Patent-Office and
General Post Office, and parks. Would 1t
not be anticipating the wants of the
future as regards harmonious arrangements
select site for thenew Pension Office to extend
the of location of public buildings, and there
by the attractions, by forming another curved line
northerly and locate the new building in the
northern part of the city, say somewhere on the
most public oroughtare-FouTteenth street. The
several years without inconvenience or detriment
to the public service. The principal private i'm
proYeInentS are directed to this section account
of the high position, health, and drainage. Land
can be had at reasonable prices and in quantities
sufficient to give large building good prospective
partments as they are now one TO the other. What
should be particularly avoided is the purchasing
q part of q square for public building
whenever located, as we have now many deformi-
ties in architectural perspective and none more
so than the present Pension Office and its sur
roundings. The contrast is anything but pleasant
to the educated eye. We hope the commission
will be governed in their location of the new
building entirely with the view of harmony with
other public buildings. PUBLIC.