The Washington critic., 1886-09-29
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.

Washington Is fast becoming the
most attractive city of the country. AS
he Capital of the Nation 1t presents
more objects of interest to the visitor
han any other on the continent, and
brief directory Of its prominent points
will be Of service TO the vast number of |
persons who annually resort to the po-
ilical metropolis. For 1t Is estimated |
hat over three hundred thousand |
strangers pay visit every year to this |
,ity to behold the varied objects Of In
crest which so thickly stud the his
.oric "Ten Miles Square"
The system OF Numbering Houses. |
Numbers are displayed over the entrances to
all houses. and tho decimal system, as
adopted In Philadelphia, IL usod-one hun
dred numbers being allotted to each square |
or blOck-cOmmencing at First street west, |
running west, First street cast, running
eust, A street north running north. and \ |
street south, running south. The. odd num-
bcrs are always on the Ilghthaud side GO |
ing from the Capitol, aud the even numbers |
On the icft.hand side. The city l. 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 all habet, the dividing lines being
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 IL the central point of the
original District, aud Is the largest ediico
In the country. Its centre marks tho 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 incloscs the "crypt"-whcre the
remains of Washington We're intended to be
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
House of REPRESENTATIVES. and the north
wing the Senate Chamber The rOtunda is dis
tinguished for its historic paintings, for the
rcliefs, and for Brumidi'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 rotllnda, the
staircase to the top of the dome begins its
winding way. From the top OF the dome, or
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 exqusitely beauti-
full 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 coy me dome ISIS, Is ssS feet; @
feet, making the total height to the crest of
the statue 90.lS feet. This crest is 800 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 800 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or s4S feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ington Monument, which IL Immediately
west. The building is 75i feet long by 32i
wide, and covers aS acres. 1t is the finest
and largest public building in the world,
and in many respects the costest and
handsomest. II Is moreover the growth of
less than century-a fact which adds to
iol, or centre building, is an imitation,
though not a slavish one, of the Maison
Cariee 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 aud picturesque In the world and
Is well worth journey of thousand miles
The White Mouse.
From the west balcony OF the Capitol, looking
down Pennsylvania avenue, the White
House i seen rearing Its snowy-hued walls
above the dense mass of foliage that EN-
DOWCls III. ike u gigantic ctiiId NY SiTlUEiIlH
up amid It's enfolding green blades Were
It 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 "Up-tOwn,h as
the Capitol Is the center of Down. town.
1t is beautifully located, the view from tho
south windows covering the whole southern
front the city, as tine 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 tho
addition Of large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew Jackson's
administration. The reservation in which
II stands embraces nearly " acres. The
main entrance Is on the north, reached by
the Pennsylvania avenue cars. 1t is two
stories high on the north, Is built Of white
free'stone, liO feet long by ~ wide. II con-
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-
tion room and the edrawing'room 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 tho
century used as drying-room for clothes
by Mrs. President Adams, Is the largest and
most noted room In the building, 1t Is ~
feet high, so feet long and 40 wide. 1t 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 tho White House Is lafayette
Square, the first public reservation In Wash
ington that was improved IL contains the
Clark Mills. Many of its trees are old forest
nonarchs, hundreds OF years old II Is In
part specimen of the old formal landscape
gardening so fashionable in England two
hundred years ago, a style that was i'm
ported into this country. Lafayette Square
was, one hundred years ago, part f II grave
yard that enclosed the square north on
square east, on which arc situated tho At
torney'Genernl'S office formerly the Freed
mans Bank, the Surgeon.Generals office
and Riggs Bank (both In the building for
merly used as the United States Bank)
Commodore Decatur's house, corner Fiji
teeenth ard a,half and Il streets, and the
old Club House, near which Philip Barton
ber Of Congress from New York. The last
bodies from this graveyard were not re-
moved until 1919
ut. Johns u. u. Church.
ST. Johns p. L. Church, which has been often
called the state Church because more Presi-
dents have wOrshipped there than AZ any
other stands AZ the corner of II and six
teenth streets. II was built In 1916 and en-
larGed in 1850 In II have worshipped Pres,
idcnts Madison, Monroe, John Quincy
Adams tthough the latter was Congroga'
tionalisU Martin Van Bufen, though he be-
longed to the Dutch Reformed Church. Har,
rlson, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore (though
the latter was a Unitarian, Pierce, Buch'
anaH and Arthur. Presidents Lincoln,
johnson and Grant have also attended Di
vine services here although not steadily, Its
interior reminds one very forcibly of the
old, dim English country Episcopal churches
The Treasury Department.
The Treasury DEPARTMENTS Is east OF the White
House and extends the whole length of the
front between PENNSYLVANIA and New York
avenues. II Is $50 feet long by 300 feet wide
The central east portion Is built of freostone
rebuilt in 1861, while the other parts were
commenced In 1865 and built Of granite
Tho Cash Room in this building is a beau
tiful apartment In the north wing the en-
trance 10 which Is from the north porch
Tho vaults are under the Cash Room and
can he seen on u written permit given 10y
the treasurer ol the United states, whose