The Washington critic., 1886-09-28
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.

THE WAY TO REACH THEM.
Washington Is fast becoming the
most attractive city Of the country. AS
the Capital of the Nation 1t 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 po-
litical metropolis. For IL is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay visit every year to this
city TO behold the varied objects Of In
terest which 80 thickly stud the his
toric "Ten Miles Square"
The system OF Numbering Houses.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances to
all houses, and the decimal system, as
adopted in Philadelphia, Is used-one hun.
dred numbers being allotted to each square
or block-commencing at First street west,
running west, First street east, running
east, A street north, running north, and A
street south, running south. The odd num-
bers are always on the right.hand side go
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the leit-hand side. The city is divided
into four quarters or sections northeast and
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, tho dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on line due north and south from the Cap
ilol and East Capitol street, and a 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 editce
A..t tl.... s..H .s,VIra
ridian OF Washington. The middle portion,
Immediately under the dome, Is the part
first built. IL was partially destroyed by the
British In 1914, but was comple ely restored
by leE. IL inclOses the "crypt'-whcre the
remains of Washington were intended to be
placed, the Library, the Rotunda, 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 4,
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the oratlon
Of the occasion from the balcony of tho
Library. The south wing contains the
House. of Representatives, and the north
wing the Senate Chamber. The rotunda Is dis
tinguished for its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto
reliefs. 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 its
winding way. From the top of the dome, or
as far ms the visitor can ascend, tho 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 exquisitely beauti.
full. The east base of the Capitol Is S0M
feet above ordinary low tide In the Potomac.
la ~ nj trnt nn or n a IN n
of the temple covering the dome Is 2S5 feet;
the statue of the Goddess of Liberty, 1915
feet, making the total height to the crest of
the statue S07l, feet. This crest is 800 feet
and 397 feet above low tide In the Poto mac,
or PAS feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ington Monument, which Is immediately
west. The building is 75l feet long by 3ai
wide, and covers sh acres 1t is the finest
and largest public building in the world,
and in many respects the costliest and
handsomest. 1t Is moreover the growth OF
less than ceptury-a fact which adds to
its beauty and iaterest. The original Capt.
tol, or centre building, Is an imitation,
though not slavish one Of the Maison
Carree at Nismes. The view from the, west
portico 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 wor and
Is well worth a 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 springing
up amid its enfolding green blades. Were
II not for the partly intervening Treasury
building the view. of the White House 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 copy of the palace OF
addition of a large porch on the north front
which was added during Andrew Jackson's
administration. The reservation In which
It stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance Is on the north, reached by
the Pennsylvania avenue cars II is two
stories high on the north, Is built OF white
free.stone, 40 feet long by SO wide. II con
tains on the first floor the famous Green
Red, Blue and East rooms, the State Dining
Room and the great conservatories. The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official rocep
tion room and the drawingroom of the ladies
of his family. The East Room, originally
late as 1887, and In the latter part OF tht
century used as drying-room for clothes
by Mrs. President Adams, Is the largest ant
most noted room In the building. 1t Is =
feet high, so feet long and 40 wide. 1t i
open to visitors every day except Sundays
Upstairs are the Cabinet room, the private
offices. the Presidents office, the librar!
and the family apartments All thes
rooms except the latter are open to visitors
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette square.
| Due north from tine White House Is Lafayett
| Square, the first public reservation In Wash
| ington that was improved. 1t contains tn
| equestrian statue Of Andrew jackson, b
| Clark Mills. Many of Its trees are old fores
| Unarchs, hundreds of years old. IL Is Il
| part a specimen of the old formal landscap
| gardening so fashionable In England tw
hundred years ago, II style that was i'm
| ported into this country. Lafayette Squar
was. one hundred years ago, part f grave
| yard that enclosed the square north, ol
| which st. Johns Church Is built, and tn
square east, on which are situated the Al
torney Generals office formerly the Freed
| mans Bank), the Surgeon-General's otiic
and hiegs Bank t6oth in the building for
Commodore Decatur's house, corner FIJI
teenth ard a-half and II streets, and tn
| old club House, near which Philip Barto
| Key was k He'd by Daniel Il. Sckles, Men
bef of Congress from New York. The las
bodies from this graveyard were not II
| moved until 1919.
st. Johns T.. r.. Church.
ST. Johns p, f.. Church, which mas been ofte
| called the state Church because more IA es
dents have worShipped there than at an
other, stands at the corner OF II and SIX
| teenth streets. II was bnilt In 1916 and OF
lQrged in 1870. In II have worshipped Pre-
idents Madison, Monroe, John Qulnc
Adams (though the latter was u Congregt
| tionalisO Martin Van Buren,, though he b'
| longed to the Dutch Reformed Church. Ha
rison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore (thoug
| the latter was a Unitarianl, Pierce, Bucl
anaA and Arthur, Presidents Lincoln
| johnson and Grant have also attended ID
vine services here although not steadily, II
interior reminds one very forclhly Of III
old, dim English country Episcopal churche
The Treasury Department.
The Treasury Departments IL east OF the Whit
House and extends the whole length of Oh
front between Pennsylvania an | New Hor
| nNenues. II Is hN2 feet long by 800 feet wild