Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-07
The Old State House.

"
Am Outside PrornI nent Expert'sOpinfon in
Favor of It's Restora tion-Another New |
Haven GentIeman's Vieyv-The Soldiers
Monument Project-East Rock Dea-
con Hill stte-Oid World Memorial
Monuments-Touris ts and Mariners |
Ex-Gov. En- glish.
A New Haven gentleman who has travelled
in England and on the continent many times,
speaking of the old State House question,
says it would be piece of folly to throw !
away such piece of property. He express |
es himself further as follows: E'This talk |
about its costing such a large sum to proper |
ly repair and beautify the State House is alb |
surd Why, there is Joseph Richardson, the
great railroad contractor, for many years a
director in the Pacific railroad and a noted
railroad contractor and builder who has had
much experience in erecting public buildings,
while in conversation on New York train
the other day with a prominent gentleman,
the State House question was referred to.
He heard with surprise and establishment the
figures which have been named as the esti-
mate for repairingsth building, which have
been placed as high as 5000 or 1000.
Why, he said, it ought to be put in splendid
repair for $780, 900. One of his auditors
| said What's that you say? Mr.. Richard
| son reiterated his remark. His friend asked
| him if he had reflected upon it and if he
| meant it.
Yes, replied Mr.. r.. am ready to take the
| contract and marbleize the building for $780,
900. 1t ought not to cost over $40, 900 to re-
pair it and with stucco make it a. handsome
building. I [2/FTJ
| The New Haven man above mentioned,
continuing his remarks, said The appropri-'
| atoms in old times for the repair of the State
| House usually not over S., 900 and the
| men who did the work had to get their pay
for their work out of that sum, hence the
building was only tinkered up and made to
| answer. It is O. substantial building and
| ought not to be thrown away Why don't
| Oxford and Cambridge universities in Eng
land tear down their old university buildings,
which are no longer slightly or beautiful?
They have stood for hundreds of years and
are priced for their antiquity. They are
venerable buildings of the past So it is on
the continent. The old buildings are en-
joyed for their age and associations. The
public take pride in the antiquity of old pub
lie and private buildings. In some of these
old buildings the archives of the government
are kept and important state papers, some
of which are thousand years old. Some of
our citizens say with force that another ad-
vantage in retaining the old State House is
to hide the new college buildings which stand
with their backs to the Green. With the
State House gone the visitor or resident
finds his eye greeted with the backs of these
college buildings, and these are now hid by
the venerable and stately State House, which
| can be repaired and made ornament to the
| city at small expense. A soldiers monument
should be erected. It would be an honor to the
, city to thus honor the memory of the brave
men who fell for their country, and I should,
with thousands of others, be right glad to
, see this project contaminated. But why put
it on the site of the old State House =? Take
examples from the old world and in this
: country. Look at the Groton monument
1t is in conspicuous place, where it may be
seen from afar. So with Bunker Hill monu
ment. In Europe how often are the tourists
a | eyes refreshed at the sight of some such pub
, | lie monument, serving the double purpose o.
, | a memorial ritual and Misunderstanding
. | a guide to the tempest-tossed mariner. How
q | finely a stately monument would look OF
| East Rock or Beacon Hill. In such a sightl,
| situation it would be prominent object,
prominent reminder of the brave men Who's
lives went out for their country. Tt woult
be public benefit, moreover, and an orna
, | ment of which our people would be far NOR
proud than if it stood on the fiat level of tn
Old Green. All along the French and Ger
man coasts obelisks and pillars tower up
- erected in memory of some national event
They are seen from afar, and guide tn
!, mariner on the trackless ocean. In the coas
O surveys the geodetic, Typographical an
7, other work, such landmarks serve anothe
e very useful purpose. If monument
- built at East Rock there lies material a
# around of which it may be built or til
l. monument may be built of marble or grant
ID as is decided. I see that Mr.. Horac
- Day has been mentioned as in favor of teal
~ ing down the State House. 1t was an error
" 1t was Professor George E. Day who at til
last public meeting spoke against retainin
'o the building. Mr.. Horace Day is in favor {
m retaining it. And furthermore in referens
Id to monuments abroad. Take look, if 70
- please, at the magnificent Nelson monumen
W Trafalgar Square, or that in the Earl of LIE
'g cester's park of 1000 acres, in Holcoml
" Norfolk, which looks out upon the Germa
N ocean. But furthermore. If the city r.
- pairs it we shall have to pay interest ON on
LII $1,000 or $40, 600; but if it is torn dow
ae and another building erected for a free
b. brary the city will have debt of $3.50, 900 c
~ which to pay interest, for fine building ar
- a suitable site will reach that sum before tt
u time it is done.
Id What does Governor English say about il
D. Why the Governor said only the other day
al some friends that it sheer nonsense
49, talk about its costing 100000 or $4,000
CT properly repair the building. Why, he sal
as the State House cost only $37, 900 to beg
of with 1t perfectly ridiculous to talk
q 100000 or $4,000 being required to resto
- it to suitable condition, or in other wore
A. that it would cost double what it cost
en- build in the first place. The Govern
or further condemned the idea of destroying
Sc solid and substantial building as the o
''' State House. AS for the claim of dampne
II. in the lower part, 1t was nothing strange
If | it was damp. Any building would be dan
"a. under similar circumstances, and few wou
b. have stood it so we'll There was nothing
~ hinder its being made dry. Q7fh//,5tA@//gzbft