Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-14
THE CAPITOL BUILDING.
Proposed Improvement Of It's Arch!
teCtur6l Character.

hiED OOT-ARCHiIECTURAL DEFECTS TO BE
BY THE MARBLE TERRACE-AN INTERVIEW WITH
Mr. FREDERICK LAW oLMSTED-THE CID PLAN OF
THE GROUNDS MODIFIED TO MEET THE REQUIRE
MENTs OF THE MODERN BUILDlNG-A MOVEMENT
WHEREIN WASHINGTON CITY LEADS THE WORLD. ETC.
The work on the marble approaches at the north
east corner CT the Senate wing and the southeast
corner OF the House wing OF the capitol has
progressed so far that one may form some
Judgment Of the architectural effects which
the comprehensive plan of Improvement, OF
which these approaches are a part, is de-
signed to produce These approaches have been
built in accordance with the design adopted by
Congress in 1874, the chief feature of which is Il
terrace of marble. designed TO slpersee the pres
ent earthwork covering the basement story OF the
capitol The general plan OF the grounds sur
rounding the Capitol has been made To harmonic
WIN the contemplated Improvement in the build
Ing when completed. The plan also makes allow
ance Tor The ultimate completion OF the Capitol
building Itself according to Mr. Walters designs,
which provide for an advance OF thirty feet in the
central portico. stairway Of graceful design and
imposing dimensions is. according to the plan. to
take the place OF the present shabby and mean
looking steps leading to the main western entrance
Inc marble walls OF the proposed terrace will
vary IN height at different points. from ten to sew
surface OF the ground in which they rest.
ADDITIONAL ROOM TO BIZ PROVIDED.
While this plan is intended chiefly to enhance
the architectural character of the building the ter
race VIII add largely to the basement room OF the
tapitol. The additional space thus to be gained
Will be 300 feet long by sixty feet w1ie divided
into rooms opening from central corridor. Ten OF
these correspond In form and dimensions with the
Dest or the present committee rooms each having
two or thre windows looking upon the existing
tect Office In the basement These courts are to
be made attractive winter gardens. There will be-
besides the rooms described "a rooms. varying from
~ TO "a feet in length and from 16 TO "a feet In
breadth, most of which will resemble the present
basement committee rooms. These rooms, 1t Is
expected, will be used for the storage OF coal for
the Keeping OF archives, for the temporary deposit
OF current documents. for extraordinary committee
and clerks rooms when needed, and for other pur-
poses Tor which additional room Is demanded. The
plan OF thls floor provides fora subway by which
coal ashes and all goods desirable TO be passed
through the upper entrances may be conveyed
Underground TO or from a postern in the govern
ment work-yard on south street. IL provides also
for an enlargement OF the present boiler-rooms.
THE EsPLANADE.
the plan provides that the esplanade or deck of
the terrace shall be divided into two parts, the d-
vision running midway between the outer walls OF
the present building and the walls OF the pro-
posed new work. The inner one Of these two parts
is to be level with the foot OF the several short
flights OF steps now opening from the porticos; the
outer one four feet lower. The two levels are to b
connected by flights of steps opposite those from
the pOrticoS In line with the lower flights and
running parallel with the division between the two
levels, there is to be a channel eight feet wide,
In looking toward the Capitol from the grounds
thiS division OF the terrace into two decks will not
DE apparent, but the eye range over it, and the
marble or the front Of the terrace be thus maSSed
with the marble of the main building Just above
vf r ganle g mite base course of the latter Openings
low.
About $4,000 has been thus far expended on the
work The cost OF completing it at the same rate
will be about 100000.
The work is carried on under the Joint direction
or MI Edward Clark, the architect OF the Capitol
and Mr.. Frederick Law Olmste(l the landscapp
architect of the grounds.
THE INCEPTION OF TIE PLAN
Eight years ago." said Mr. Olmsted when asked
by STAR reporter for Information regarding the
inception OF the plan, 81 was asked by the Joint
committee on public buildings and grounds to come
to Washington and examine the Capitol grounds
which had just then been enlarged with a view to
general scheme Of improvement in adaptation to
the enlarged Capitol 4 great earthwork had been
formed on three sides of the building from the ma
ter1a thrown out from its base, and this had been
overla1d with turf. constituting pedestal for the
building, which l felt to be In various ways un-
suitable. concluded that no improvement of the
tapltOl ground would be satisfactory While this
great. 1ncongruouS earthworle interpoSed between
it and the building. ! therefore advised, as pre-
llminary step to a suitable design OF the grounds
the adoption Of an architectural terrace. This
scheme was approved by Mr.. Clark, the architect
OF the Capitol; later by Mr. Walter, its original
designer: then by the joint committee on buildings
and grounds, and was finally adopted by Congress
The plan of the grounds since carried out IS de-
signed Subordinately to it."
WHY THE TURF TERRACE is OBJECTIONABLE
"Ihe more obvious objections to the present
earthwork,' explained Mr. Olmsted, saside from
its general 1nelegance are: First that it does not
provide an adequately firm and stable footing for
SO ponderous building when placed on a hill
Side-I mean that whatever the real security NAV
be an adequate impression upon the mind In that
respect is not made The architectural terrace will
produce an adequate impression, and the greater
apparent firmness, and more enduring strength of
the building thus obtained Will add greatly to its
grandeur. Second 1t is impossible I'm climate like
this, and under the local conditions Of the Capitol
that turf shall be kept in nice OF even decent con-
dlflon Wnen laid. as in this case. steep formal
slopes IL Ii can be kept toerably green as it never
has peen at the Capitol through any single sum-
ni, IL VIII SUN be thln weak and shabby. cOndi
ton quite incongruous With the elegance OF the
SuperStructure
Finally, there is n common impression. now OBJ
tanned by many in looking at the Capitol. which is
expressed in the saying that it is 'stuaLty.' and
that It's dome appears Of dlsproportionate height
and weight you will look at this drawing, which
shows the Capitol with the proposed terrace, You
VIII see that the grounds OF such an impression
have been wholly removed"
"lt was my expectation that the terrace would
be built at once in advance of the Improvement OF
the grounds. have always regretted that it was
not, because the design OF the grounds is liscon-
certed by the presence Of so conspicuous feature
to Which they are not at all 1itted.'
why was this not done?'
"smply because there was a more pressing ne
cesSity for proceeding with the roads and other ap-
proacheS to the Capitol, and Congress was not dis
posed to make sufficient appropriations for this
work and that which could be best done along with
1t, and at the same time for the terrace
OBJECTIONS TO THE PLAN.
"What objections have been raised to the plan?"
II know OF but two; one, that the parapet would,
from certain points, obstruct the view of the build
Ing This had however, been provided for, as l
have already explained, by the division OF the ter
race, which allows the top Of the parapet to come
below the plane of vision The other is not really
an objection to the terrace but to the lack of more
direct approaches to the building There are
tWentyOne streets leading up to the boundary OF
the Capitol grounds. If lines OF direct passage
were to be kept open between all of these and also
tOl 1t would be IN every respect better to simply
pave the entire area, as Michael Angelo did that OF
the great open place before St Peters. and depend
for scenery solely on architectural works fountains
ObelfS,S and lOggtas. But that was not the inten.
tlOn OF Congress-. To have any suitable sylvan and
verdant effect 1t was necessary to secure some
spaces OF undisturbed breadth of surface. These
have been secured at the least possible expense of
directnesS and amplitude OF transcOmmuncation
They are all too few and too limited. To split
them further into fragments would be ruinous"
"Why Is granite being used instead OF marble on
the face OF wall between the upper and the lower
terrace?"
"Because," said Mr. Olmsted, 'marble would be,
unpleasantly garing 1t will not be seen in any
general view OF the building and there Is reason
this relief should not be given to those walking on
the terrace"
THE REMOVAL OF TREES.
81 would like" said the reporter s'to know some
thing about the removal Of trees on the Capitol