Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-09
COMMUNICATIONS.

How to Utilize the old State House.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND ooURIKa;
 ''To be or not to be" is the question about to be applied to the being of the old State House. The question has sides, as all other questions have. It may be approached eco nomically, asthetically, historically or prac- tically. Is it worth preserving, is it a fine thing to preserve, has it place in history, and what can be done with it The first question Is for the practical architect and builder, and resolves itself into two parts 1st. Can the building be repaired5 2d. Can it be repaired for less than it would cost to construct another building of equal capaeitys
 The very first thing, therefore, to be done is to have the ediice thoroughly examined by a competent builder and to have him fully report. Further discussion of the subject is only on the supposition that bis report would be that while it would require one S10,OOo to repair 1t would require many S1o, 900 to rebuild.
 So the second topic is reached Is it fine thing to preserve? If not preserved it must be destroyed. In it's present condition 1t Is ss offensive as the sight of an old tramp But the enemies Of the building assert that even in it's best estate 1t WAS offensive; that it was ever conglomerate of unrelated parts an unholy alliance of Greek porticos and 8 Yankee factory. Away with the object from our lovely Green, But on the principle of absolute and incorporating beauty what is to be done with Center church and North church? Are there two uglier churches in Christendom Or what for that matter, is to be done with the geometrical Green itself "a curyeless, shrubless, fountainiess compa- ny of straight asphalt lines, whose chief ob- l feet seems to be to enable the northwest citi- zen to save 8 minute in reaching his south east office Besides, there Is an issue. The | portico of the State House is not offensive. | On the contrary its lines and proportions are | singularly beautiful. It Is said to have been | designed after the temple of Theseus in Ath- ems. However that may be, it certainly pos | sesses in no slight degree the calm, quiet spirit of Greek architecture. Its material is | inferior, so is the plaster in which the Venus | of Milo may be copied but as example, and very good example, of the character l and power of Greek architecture, the portico | is valuable, especially in city where the fine | arts have homo and favor. Many and many a. time has it been utilized in familisrizing | students with tho principles and practices of | Greek architecture. Some night when the full moon sheds over the building it's gentle radiance, yelling defects, mellowing outlines, let the editor of the Palladium properly sta ton himself and his iconoclastic heart must | be hard indeed if it do not move and beat to nnaccustomed rhythm and music.
 Historically, the building tells of q time l when classic art was understood and appreci- | ated as 1t is not now. It is protest, silent 1, yet emphatic, against the modern craze for l Queen Ann and Early English. Why destroy it.. Remember the shsd-eater; remember Freshman initiation; recall the thousand and one memories that cling to the building like loving vines as if to protect the past | against the present.
 | The serious and all-important point of the whole question is how to utilize the building. At present it accommodates the IT. . IL H. dish rubbish upon which the iconoclasts may | work their will In order to justify its exis- tence the building must be put to publicly | beneficial use. What could be better than to establish within it school for trades What could be of greater service to the city. ths State, all States, than the establishment of am | institution where the young could be instruct ed and drllled in all kinds of serviceabls handicraft; and where could be found & building better adapted to the purpose
 It is odd that in a country where education is so general and-so generous there should be
 no properly organized institution where a
 young man or young woman can be scientif- ically educated for the work of a carpenter,
 a mason, a tailor or Q shoemaker In the
 Middle Ages in the days of guilds and of
 journeying apprentices, instruction was to be
 had, but today the system of guilds and of
 apprentices has disappeared and nothing has
 taken its place. The result Is that good l tradeSman is rarity and a Soung man WHO
 desires to learn trade must trust to accident
 and submit himself to the experience of Q
 single individual Is there shoe wearer who
 has not had trouble with his shoemskerf IE
 it not the rArest thing in the world to get a
 ceat that fits well and looks well Houses l crack, furniture breaks, carriages smash.
 shoes pinch, and there is vast profanity be- | cause of ignorance and incompetency fa hsndseraft. Professor of Tailoring may not as yet hsve a very dignifed sound, nor did
 Professor of Dentistry until dental colleges were established and had shown their value. ! There is no better way to dignity trades than , to associate them with systematic education.
 The subject is too vast for newspaper discus
 sion; this article can only suggest.
 Such an institution should be entirely h the hands of mechanics and artisans. n , should be in exact truth school for handi
 craft and out of it would eventually grow q
 true and living art. having necessity for itl
 foundation and utility for it's corner stone. | Letths experiment. be tried. The building
 is ready. The manufacturers and artisans oi
 New Haven can furnish the initial instruction
 Instructors will grow more and mora skilled for teaching is the best self-instruction- Thl
 Doric portico may wonder at ths unwonkol
 sounds within its doorway, but 1t win benign
 ly grace the works of the tailor ss in time. gone by it graced the works of the aesisias0r
 D. CADx Ekrox.