The Washington critic., 1886-08-05
The VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects of Interest in and About the
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Parks, Squares, Statues, Gardens and
Other Points of Attraction.
THE WAY TO REACH THEM.

other Points of Attraction.
THE WAY TO REACH THEM.
Washington is fast becoming the
most attractive city of the country. AS
the Capital of the Nation It presents
more objects of interest to the visitor
than any other on the continent, and q
brief directory Of its prominent points
will be of service to the vast number OF
persons who annually resort to the DO.
litical metropolis For 1t Is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay visit every year to this
city to behold the varied objects of in.
terest which so thickly stud the his.
toric "Ten Miles Square"
The System OF Numbering Houses.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances 20
all houses, and the decimal system, as
adopted In Philadelphia, is used-one hun
dred numbers being allotted TO each square
or block-commencng at First street west
running west, First street east, running
east, A street north, running north and A
street south, running south. The odd mum
bers are always on the right.hand side 60
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the ieft-hand side. The city Is divided
INTO lOur ulluTItIS stcIlDuS, nOrtneu-t anu
northwest, southeast and southwest, the
streets being designated accordingly; those
running north and south numerically. and
those running east and west by the letters
of the alphabet, the dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on a line due north aud south from the Cap
itol and East Capitol street, and continue
tion on the same west of the Capitol, run
ming due east and west.
The Capitol.
This great building Is the central point of the
original District, and is the largest edlfce
IN the country; Its centre marks the Me-
Immediately under the dome, Is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British In 1874, but was completely restored
by ls.7. 1t incloses the "crypt'-where the
remains of Washington were intended to be
placed, the Library the ROtun6a, the old
Representatives Hall, now the Gallery of
Statuary, and the old Senate Chamber. now
the supreme Courtroom. The old supreme
Courtroom, in the first story, is now occu.
pied by the Law Branch of the Library.
The cornerstone of the Capitol extension
the north and south wings-was laid July I,
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the Grafton
of the occasion from the balcony of the
Library. The south wing contains the
House of Representatives. and the north
wngth Senate Chamber. The rotunda is dis
tlnguished for its historic paintings for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto
rclicfs, and for Brumdi's fresCoings. In the
Hall of Statuary are the natural pictures in
Potomac marble, representing faces of Ger.
tain American statesmen-a picturesque
freak of nature. From the little rotunda,
Immediately north of the great rotunda, the
staircase to the top of the dome begins It's
winding way. From the top of the dome, or
as far as the visitor can ascend the view
of the surrounding country Is magnificent.
The Capitol grounds, which formerly were
homely and formal in appearance, have
been transformed into a beautiful
park and are now most eXQusitCly bcauti-
tu. The east base of the Capitol Is S9lG
feet above ordinary low tide in the Potomac
The total height from east base to the top
of the temple covering the dome Is 2SS feet;
the statue OF the Goddess of Liberty, 1875
feet, making the total height to the crest Of
the, statue Soi1G feet. This crest is 800 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 391 feet above low tide in the Potomac
or PAS feet lower than the apex of the Wash
west. The building is 75i feet long by a!l
and largest public building In the world,
and in many respects the costliest and
handsomest. 1t is moreover the growth of
less than century-a fact which adds to
IFS beauty and interest. The original Capt.
tol, or centre building, Is an imitation,
though not slayish one, of the Maison
portlco at night, when, the lamps are lit in
the public grounds and the lights of the city
illuminate the darkness Is one of the most
beautiful and picturesque In the world and
Is we'll worth journey of thousand miles
The White House.
From the west balcony OF the capitol, looking
| down Pennsylvania avenue, the White
| House Is seen rearing its snowy-hued walls
above the dense mass of foliage that EN-
bowers 1t, like a gigantic Gala lily springlng
up amid its enfolding green blades. Were
building the view Of the White iiouse from
the Capitol would be full and complete The
| White House Is the center of Uptown" as
| the Capitol is the center of Down town.
1t Is beautifully located the view from the
| south windows covering the whole southern
front ofthe city, as the view from the north
| up sixteenth street west exhibits the best
| part of the Northwest section to the gaze.
The White House is a copy of the palace of
the Duke of Leinster ut Dublin, with the
addition OF large porch ON tle north front,
| which was added during Andrew Jack sons
| administration. The reservation IN which
| II stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance j. ON the north reached by
| the Pennsylvania avenue cars. IL Is two
stories high on the north, is built of white
| freestone, 40 feet long by Sc wide. IL con-
tans on the first floor the famous Green,
Red, Blue and East rooms, the State Dining
| Room and the great conscryatOrleS The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official recep-
ionroom and the drawingroom of the ladies
OF bis family. The East Room, originally
late as 1881 and in the latter part Of the
century used as dryng-rOom for clothes
by Mrs. President Adams, is the largest and
most noted room in the building. 1t Is -
feet high, 50 feet long and 40 wide. IT Is
open to visitors every day except Sundays.
| Upstairs are the Cabinet room, the private
offices. the Presidents Office, the library
and the family apartments. All these
rooms except the latter are open TO visitors,
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette square.
Due north from the White House Is Lafayette
Square, the first public reservation In Wash
| mgton that was improved. IL contains the
equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson, by
| CLARK Mills. Many of Its trees are Old forest
| nonarchs hundreds of years Old. IL Is In
| part specimen of the old formal landscape
| gardening so fashionable in England two
| hundred years ago, style that was i'm
| ported into this country. Lafayette Square
| was, one hundred years ago, part 1 grave
yard that enclosed the square north, on
which st. Johns Church Is built, and the
square east on which are situated the At
torney Generals Office (fOrmerly tho Freed
mans Bank, the Surgeon Generals Office
and Riggs Bank (bOth in the building for
mCrly used as the United states Bankl,
teerth ard a.half aud II streets, aud the
old club House, near which Philip Barton
Key was He'd by Daniel Il Sckles, Mem
| Der of Congress from New York. The last
| bodies from this graveyard were not re-
moved until 1919.
at. Johns =. T.. Church.
| 81. johns p. l.. CnurCn, which mas been often
| called the state Church because more PICsi'
| dents have worshipped there than at amy
| other stands at the corner of II aud SN
| tecRth streets. II was built IN 1916 and en-
| largel In $50. In Il have wOrshppod Pres
idruts Madison, Monroe, Julm Quincy
| Adams (hoUgh the latter was u tongrogi'
| tiuualisu Martin Van Burcn, though he be-
| lOugCd to the Dutch Reformed Church, llar
| risuu, Tyluy, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore (thOugl
the latter, was Il lnitarlnl, Pierce, Bugh