Morning journal and courier., 1882-07-28
Close of the State House Hearing



 marks by Professor Johnson T. Plat, Professor Brewer, Hon. George H.
 Watrous and Others.
 The third and final hearing before the com mittee of the Court of Common Council upon the action to be taken in regard to the old State House took place last evening in the Aldermen's chamber. Despite the ex- treme heat about fifty citizens were present After the hearing, which closed about 10 o'clock, the committee held conference in regard to their report, which will probably be presented at the next meeting of the Board of Aldermen. At the commencement of the hearing Judge Sheldon read several letters he had received upon the subject under consideration. Ex-Judge Henry E. Pardee sent the following:
 should certainly glad to listen to any plan at the time reasonable and econ mical for making the old State House an article of public utility Dur, ing portions of the 87 and 1872 required hold the of the Court o Common Pleas in the old Superior Court at the northeast corner on the first floor above the basement. In the month of 1872 t after suffering h g character of the and after various thoroughly convinced that the old State House, of ma or beast. Since that time I have been in favor of pulling it down soon as practicable and
 
 it can be made. in my judgment, place in which person Of ordinary ughness sit for hour with suggest plan keeping it dry the inside, and if at the same time responsible parties would give it place where person of average health might safely spend two hours at time there, would con- slider the to which it could be put and the sts gest
 There was next read long letter from Rev. Dr. Beardsley, fayoriEg the retention of the State House. Dr. Beardsley began by quoting from Mayor Robertsons last annual message the suggestion that the building be either removed repaired, with 8 recom- mendation that the latter course be adopted and that the building be converted into 8 prblie library. In tho opinion of Dr. Beardsley, the beauty of the park would be enhanced if all the public buildings upon it this AS specimen of ancient architecture the old State House was not to be despised. It should not be left like the Parthenon, to become ruin. A public library was greatly to be desired and no location for one could be selected more cosy and convenient of &C., cess than the old State House.
 R. F. Cowles wrote: Much as we need 8 public library and soldiers monument, l would favor retaining the building for pub lie library only or tear it down to make 8 place for monument. At present repair the building and make it the headquarters of Ll0 numerous Dou0VOl6nG SOC1SGloS duu dSsO citations which are now paying thousands of dollars for rent. The Historical society has shown that the rooms can be made elegant quarters. Representatives, Hall was just the place for lectures, meetings of debating clubs, etc.
 Thomas R. Trowbridge wrote as follows
 am decide 1y opposed to the removal of the State Hous-. It would, in my opinion. b. unwarranted waste of property to destroy it small expense com psra' lively wou It store it. To destroy what would he Cit atl O land and erect sutabe building for library would be worse than a crime blunder and in my opinion uajustifable
 Postmaster Sperry read from Judge Henry B. Harrison letter favoring the buildings removal. Judge Harrison said that if the building was not now on the Green nobody would consent to have it put there. The money spent by the city in removing the old Methodist church from the Green was one 9f the best investments it ever made. The Green could not bear the burden of any public'build- ings except the charctes. The building was in architecture and materials sham, and nothing could be done to make it otherwise. NY Sper1y also read paper embodying the views of many of the architects and build- CTS of the city. It as follows:
 We, the undersigned architects and builders would state that well acquainted with the ol State Honse now standing on New Haven Green and it's conditions To begin with the building Sa was bull, purposes Its foundations were insecure when built ss I & the materials uaed in its construction It's needed if any repair to be made upon the build ing The ventilation amounts to no hing. The weak, and when nsed by any considerable number of persons at one time extra timbers, former oc- inside Of the building is in bad c,nd1, the outside strength and all tn ngs taken into nsdera- be was e of money time and materials To make the structure complete and what it should be if re- to s75, 900 would be r quir-d Am less sum would require larg' yearly appropriations to keep the same sisned-Henry Austin and George Ausur, commis- sioners on public buildings; R. G. Russell Harrison Merwin william p. Dickerman, Willis M Smith Elizur sperry, David H. ClarE Charles D. Kinney Perki' g. To Ansend & Bates, Kenney x Phelps; Bun nell & Spsrry.
 Postmaster Sperry spoke briefly but strongly in advocacy of the plan to remove the structure. 'One of the builders whose name was signed to the paper" he said, ''ha6 been requested to furnish estimates of tho work of repairing the building, but refused te do so because convinced that in the end the l job would be too costly to be desirable Int | building could not be satisfactorily repaired without an enormous outlay.'
 MT. Edwin Marble stated that he was op posed to any repairs whatever. He favored ! public library, but not one in that place. 4 I city with nearly 100, GOO inhabitants should not condescend to spend its money in estab ! fishing library in such dilapidated piece | of patchwork.
 Ex-Mayor Henry G. Lewis said that at tn, | last meeting of the committee Mr. S. E l Baldwin had criticised some of his remark ! regarding the damp and unwholesome atmos | phere of the building Mir. Baldwin claimed ! that the dampnsss was only in the basement l '"The upper rooms,' MT. Lewis said, might ! not be as bad as the basement, but they wer, ! to0 had f0r yyh hite rnar to Iiya in MT. Horace Day spoke in advocacy of | public library. Most libraries in the coun ! try, he said, were confessedly failures partl, l because the library buildings were not prop | erly constructed Dampness was great de ! stroyer of books. Dryness, 8 good light anc l good ventilation were indispensable. Ther' ! could be no greater blow at the success of | public library in New Haven than it's estab ! lishment in the old State House. What pub
 lie use could old building just ready t. tumble down possibly be turned to? Postmaster Sperry said the building would l always be damp because the parti walls wer ! of 30 i'd stone with 8 plaster covering ant
 there was no ''furring off, to provide ventila tion.
 Professor Brewer inquired why the Youn, Mems Institute left the building if it wa { adapted for public purposes Did anythins ever located there succeed? He was in favo of free library. but tf at was the one plac, in the city peculiarly unfavorable for it, ant ! one that would evoke a storm of opposition Nothing would so effectually kill the librar, ! project as to locate it in this building NJ
 architect in his senses would ever think o
 recommending the location as one proper fo
 & library.
 Porter c. Moulton said that he spoke for ! workingman who unable to speak fo ' himself. He wished to express the sentimen ! of this and other workmen in favor of library in the old State House. In the nam
 of the Grand Army he demanded ire
 library. The Groen was the only place fo
 it to be located. There was talk of monu
 ment on the site of the building, but { library would be the best monument the cit,
 could have. As the workingmen did tn
 buying in this matter, let them do the decid ing through the ballot-box.
 Mir. Henry Rogers spoke, and in the cours l of his remarks said If it was to cost $6O, 900 or $75, 900 to repair it let it be demol
 ished. But architects of repute reported
 that the building had been shamefully ne glected and that it could be made whole an.
 safe at comparatively small outlay. Tn speaker thought the model one of grea
 beauty. But the question was a practica
 rather than sentimental one. He was au | kl Ala