The Washington critic., 1886-08-16
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects Of Interest in and About the
National Capital.
TIE 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 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 po-
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.
tcrest which so thicltly stud the his
| toric "Tcn 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 usod--ono hun
dred numbers being allotted TO each square
or block-commcncing at First street west,
running west, First street east, running
east, A street north, running north aud A
street south, running south. The odd mum
bers are always ON the right.haud side 20.
ing from the Capitol, aud the even numbers
on the left.hand side. Tho city IL divided
INTO Tour 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, the dividing lines being
North and south Capitol streets, running
on q line due north aud south from the Clp.
itol and East Capitol street, aud Il cpntiuua-
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 el!hoe
In the country; It's centre marks the Me.
| ridian OF Washington. The middle portion
Immediately under the domo, il the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British In 1sli. but was completely restored
| by iS9a. II iucloses the "crypt where the
| remains OF Washington were intended TO be
| placed, the Library, the ROtuuda, the Old
Representatives Hall, now the Gallery Of
Statuary, and the old Senate Chamber now
the Supreme Court room The old supreme
| Court room, 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 Grafton
of the occasion from the balcony of the
| Library. The south wing contains the
| House. of Representatives. and the north
| wing the Senate Chamber. The rOtunda is dis
| tingushcd for its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto
reliefs, and for Brumdi's fresCongs. In the
Hall of Statuary are the natural pictures in
| Potomac marble, representing faces of cor
| tain American statesmen-a picturesque
| freak of nature. From the little rotuuda,
| 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 tho visitor can ascend, the view
| oi.the surrounding country i magnificent.
| The Capitol grounds, which formerly were
| Lonely and formal In appearance, have
| been transformed into u beautiful
park and are now most eXQuisitely beautl.
| full The east base of the Capitol Is 500
| feet above ordinary low tide in the Potomac.
| Tie total height from east base TO the top
| of the temple covering the dome Is 2S3 feet;
| the statue of the Goddess of Liberty 1915
| feet, making the total height to the crest of
| the. statue 30.ln feet. This crest Is 800 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
| and 500 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
| or 2is feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ington Monument, which Is Immediately
wide, and covers 3a acres, It is the finest
| and largest public building in the world,
and in many respects the costlest aud
handsomest. 1t is moreover the growth OF
| less than century-a fact which adds to
its beauty and interest. The original Capt.
iol, or centre building, Is an imitation,
though not a slavish one of the Maison
Caree at Nsmes. The view from the west
| portco 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 well worth journey of thousand miles
| to see.
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 It, Ikea gigantic Gala lily sprlnging
up amid MS enfolding green blades. We're
| 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,n rs
the Capitol Is the center of Down town.
| 1t Is beautifully located the view from the
south windows covering the Whole southern
front Of the city, as the view from tho 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
| the Duke of Lcinstcr at Dublin, with the
| addition of large porch on the north front,
| which was added during Andrew JaCNson's
| administration. The reservation IN which
IL stands embraces nearly NJ acres. The
main entrance is on the north, reached by
| the Pennsylvania avenue cars, IL Is two
stories high on the north, IS built Of white
| tans on the first floor the famous Green,
Red, Blue and East rooms, the state Dining
| Room and the great conseryatories. The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official reCep
tionrOom and the drawing-roo of the ladies'
| of his family. The East Room, originally
designed for banquet hall and so used as
late as 1887, and In the latter part of the
by Mrs. President Adams, is the largest and
most noted room in the building. II II 70
feet high, 80 feet long and 40 wide. II 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
l INtiIs tNttIl tilt lulltI hltbIltH W NlNliOES,
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette square.
Due north from the White House - Lafayette
| Square, the first public reservation in Wash
ington that was improved. 10 contains the
| equestrian statue OF Andrew Jackson, by
| Clark Mills. Many of its trees are old forest
| n unarchs, hundreds of years old. 1t Is in
pant specimcn 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 # a grave
| ynid that enclosed the square north, on
| which st. Johns Church Is built, and the
| square east, on which are situated tho At
torney'General's office Oormcry the Freed
mans Bank, the Surgeon Generals Office
and higgs Bank (both IN the building for
merly used as the United States Bank),
| Commodore Decatur's house, corner Fiji
tecnth ard a-half and II streets, and the
| old Club House, near which Philip Barton
| key was killed 10y Daniel E, Sickles, Mem
her OF Congress from New York. The last
| bodies from this graveyard were not re-
| moved until 1873.
st. Johns =. ". Church.
| st Johns F. Il. Cnurcn. which mas been often
| called the state Church because more Piesi-
dents have wor-hipped there than at any
| other, stands at the corner of u and Six
teenth streets. II was built in 1916 and en-
lursed In $50 In II have worshippel Pres-
| idcnts Madison, Monroe John Quincy
| Adams Though the latter was a CongreIa-
| uouali,t Martin Van Buren,, though Inc bee
| lunLcd 10 the Dutch Reformed Church, llar-
rsun, Tyler Polk, Taylor Fillmore (though
| the latter was a Unitarian, Pierce, Buch-
NnuH and Arthur. Presidents Lincoln,
| Johnson and Grant have also attended hi.
vine services here although not steadily, Its
| interior reminds uue very foroibly Of the
old, dim English country Episcopal churches.
The 'grcR"uTy Department.
| The Treasury Department Is east OF tho White
| House and extends the whole lunglh of IA
| front between PENNSYLVANIA ami Now York
avenues IL Is 49, feet long by 800 feet wi lF
| The central east portion is built OF freestOno.
rll LLL In I.a- AAllL- I'M hmm .....r.