The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-07
The City.lfaEi Site.
10 tie Editor of the Dispatch:


As the site Of the new City Hall seems TO
be still an open question. | wish to remark
that i'm my humble Judgment there could
not be found within the limits Of the cor
poration lines a more suitable place for the
proposed ediflce than the parallelogram
bounded by Broad. Capitol, Tenth, and
Eleventh streets. 70 me it seems TO be
"the very spot" for the City Hall. 1t is
centrai, accessible. quiet, with superior adj
yantages in an aesthetic, geographical, OF
any other point of view that may be taken.
| Lei the Imagination picture a stately ediice
on this site'Overlooking the Capitol Square
on the south and bounded within an enclo-
sure by spacious streets on the fronts and
sides. If it be not conceded, then, that no
other site equals this, there must be re-
markable deficiency OF taste and judgment
somewhere.
| / am convinced that large majority OF
the rejecting people OF Richmond concur
with me i'm the opinion have expressed,
bat, unfortunately, they are, or expect to
be, called upon to decide whether the City
Hall shall be erected upon two thirds OF
the parallelogram or upon some other lot.
That is a different question, and one that
admits Of a wide divergence OF views.
frankly confess that, with all my prediec-
tons for the old site, enlarged, l cannot re.
gard with favor the project OF City Hal
crow ded of, as it were, into corner, and
flanked on one side by church. Rather
than this. / believe would prefer that the
facade Of the building should extend from
street to street in another part OF the city,
as would be the ease ii the Swan Tavern .
site should be selected.
But why should the people of Richmond
be restricted to two thirds OF the parallelo-
gram when the possession OF the whole OF
it would remove every difficulty. and Sc
cure TO us and to poSterlty (who will have
to settle the bilD 4 site with an edifice which
would be the pride and ornament OF the city
forever! There is always too much ten.
oency in Richmond to do things in a half
way, parsimonious manner. Let us make
an exception this time, and erect q City
Hall that will be monument to the fore
cast and Judgment OF the present genera
ton, in regard both to its architecture ant
location.
To do this the city corporations must ac
quire the church as well as the Tuppel
property. Shrek not at this suggestion
my oyer-sensitive friends who dread an,
additional enlargement OF the city debt
Fay better spend little more money nov
and do "the right thing" than. by ad
herring to false economy, raise up
source OF endless chagrin and regret, whicl
will assuredly be the ease, | fear. if W,
! erect City Hall on one section Of the ole
lot. The more pretentious the buildin.
the greater the disappointment and deeper
, | the modification and remorse mt our folly
1t would be far wiser to erect a cheap tw o
: story house to be pulled down hereafter.
) But ia an enterprise OF this magnitude /
Is diserditable to the community to chat
: fer about few extra thousand dollars.
+. we are too near the limit OF debt fixed b,
r the charter, let us wait until the Legislator,
! meets and have the limit enlarged, | dc
S not know what additional appropriation
! would be required TO secure the churcl
) property, and 10 provide for increased ex
penses consequent upon the enlargement
, OF present plans, but / would faiu beliey,
that the amount could be raised by spe
; cial issue OF registered bonds bearing
! per cent interest, maturing in tbIrt,
Years, with the option OF an ex.
tension. These bonds would he sought
} for by fiduciaries and others wanting \
: hxed investment, and II issued In denomi.
nations OF 300 and muliiplcs would be In
J demand ut par by people OF limited re-
! sources wanting a safe conversion OF their
savings.
II the ''City-Hall question - Is TO be sub.
mitted to a vote Of the people. hope an
opportunity will he given 10 vote for or
against the purchase Of the church realty.
DAyY CROCKETT.
September G, 1883.