The Washington critic., 1886-10-11
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 1t presents
more objects of interest to the visitor
than any other on the continent, and a
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 arc displayed over the entrances to
all houses, and the decimal system, as
adopted In Philadelphia, is uscd-one hun
drCd numbers being allotted 10 each square
or block-CommenCing at First street west.
running west, First street east, iunniug
east, A street north running north, and A
street south, running south. The odd mum.
bers are always ON the Tight-hand side 90.
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the eithand side The city is divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast and
northwest, southeast and southwest, the
streets being designated accordingly; those
running north aud south numerically, and
those running cast and west by the letters
| OF the alphabet, the dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on 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 ediilce
| In the country. Its centre marks the Me-
ridian OF Washington. The middle portion,
Immediately under the dome, Is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British In 1874, but was completely restored
| by 1877. II incloses tho "crypt'-where the
remains of Washington We're 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 Grafton
of the occasion from the balcony of the
| Library. The south wing contains the
| wing the Senate Chamber. The rotunda Is dis
tinguished for its historic paintings, for the
| famous bronze doors, with their alto
| reliefs. and for Brumidi's frcscoings. 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 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 q beautiful
| park and are now most exquisitely beanti.
| tul The east base of the Capitol Is 500
| 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 30i1I feet. This crest is $50 feet
| higher than the west gate of the grounds,
| and 800 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
| or 2iS feet lower than the apex of the Wash.
| ington Monument, which is Immediately
west The building is 75i feet long by 3si
wide, and covers 3H acres. 1t Is the finest
| and largest public building In the world,
and in many respects the costliest and
| handsomest. II 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 u slavish one, of the Malson
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 world and
Is well 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 snowyhued walls
above the dense mass of foliage that en-
| bowers IL, like n gigantic Gala lily springing
up amid ITS enfolding green blades. Were
u 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
the Duke of Leinster at Dublin, with the
| addition of large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew Jackson's
| administration. The reservation in which
1t stands embraces nearly 81 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
free.stone, 40 feet long by So wide. II con.
tains on the first floor the famous Green,
| Red, Blue and East rooms the Stat Dining
Room and the great conseryatories The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official rccep-
tion room and the drawing of the ladies'
of his family. The East Room, originally
designed for banquet hall and so used as
late as 1897, and IN the latter part of the
century used as drying-room for clothes
by Mrs, President Adams, is the largest and
most noted room in the building. 1t Is -
| lttI lllEus ~ lttl lOlls anu ~ Wluts IL 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
ington that was improved. 1t contains the
| equestrian statue of Andrew jackson, by
| Clark Mills. Many of its trees are old forest
| monarchS hundreds of years old. 1t is In
| part sUecimen 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 Of Il grave
yard that enclosed the square north on
| which st. Johns Church is built, and the
square east, ON which are situated tho At
| torney Generals office formerly the Freed
| mans Bank), the Surgeon Generals office
and Riggs Bank (both In the building for
merly used as the United States Bankl,
| Commodore DCcatur's house, corner Fiji
teeuth ard a-halt and II streets, and the
| old club House, near which Philip Barton
| Key was killed by Daniel Il, Sickles, Mem
| beT of Congress from New York. The last
bodies from this graveyard were not re-
moved until 1919
| Vt. Johns II. u. Church.
St. Johns p. T.. Church, which has been often
| called the state Church because more Presi-
dents have wurshlpped there, than at any