The Washington critic., 1886-07-20
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects Of Interest in and About tho
National Capital,
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Parks, Squares. Statues, Gardens and
other Points of Attraction.

Il hfHt' Stntues, tHlfuenh ana
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 n
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 u visit every year to this
city TO behold the varied objects Of in.
terest which. so thickly stud the his
toric 'Ten Miles Square" q,
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-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-hand side GO
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
ON the lcft-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, 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 a continual
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 " the largest ediiice
In the country; Its centre marks the Me-
ridian of Washington. The middle portion,
Immediately under the, dome, is tho part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British In 1914, but was completely restored
by 1877. IL incloses the "crypt''-where the
remains of Washington We're Intended to be
placed, the Library, the Rotunda, the old
statuary, and the old Senate Chamber, now
the Supreme Courtroom. 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 f.
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the oration
of the occasion from the balcony of the
Library 1HO sOutH W1np contains t0e
House. of Representative, and the north
wing the Senate Chamber The rotunda is dis
tinguished for Its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto
roliefs, and for Brumidi's frescolngs In the
Hall of Statuary are the natural pictures in
Potomac MARBLE representing faces of cer-
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 u beautiful
park and are now most exquisitcly beauti.
full. The east base, of the Capitol is s9la
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, 1919
feet, making the total height to the crest of
the statue 30t1 feet, This crest is 800 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 307 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or 2sS feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ington Monument, which Is immediately
west. The building is 75i feet long by 32i
wide, and covers ~ 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 ccntury-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
Csrree at Nismes. The view from the west
portico at night, when the lamps are lit in
the public grounds ana the lights OF the CITY
illuminate the darkness Is one OF the most
beautiful and picturesque in the world ana
Is well worth journey of Il thousand miles
to see.
The White House.
From the west balcony oi the capitol, lookins
down Pennsylvania avenue, the Whitg
House is seen rearing its snowyhued vale
above the dense mass OF opening that EN-
bowers IL, like 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 HUp-town," as
the Capitol is the center of Down town.
II Is beautifully located, the view from the
south windows covering the whole southern
front of the city, as the view from the north
up Sixteenth street west exhibits tho best
part of the Northwest section to the gaze.
The White House Is Il copy of the palace of
the Duke of Lenstcr at Dublin, with tho
addition of large porch on the north front,
administration. The reservation in which
II stands embraces nearly 81 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
freestone, l70 feet long by sc wide. II con-
tains on the first floor the famous Green,
Red, Blue and East rooms, the state DlnIng II,
Room and the great conseryatories. The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official recep-
tion room and the edrawng.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 the
century used as II drying-room for clothes
by Mrs. President Adams, Is the largest aud
most noted room in the building; 1t is y
feet high, so feet long and 40 wide. 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
Clark Mills. Many OF its trees are old forest
monarchs, hundreds of years old. II IS IN
part a specimen of the Old formal lniscap6
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 # n grave
yard that enclosed the square north, OF
which st. Johns Church Is built, and III,
square east, on which are situated the At
tOruey Generals Office formerly the Freed
mans Bank, tho SurGeon-G Generals oftic(
ana higgs Bank (both in tho building for
merly used as the United states Bank
| Commodore DecnfW'S house, corner Fif
| teouth AZ a.hali and II stre Is, and th'
| old Cub House, nClr which Philip Barton
| Key was He'd by Daniel E. Sickles, Mem
| her of Congress from New York. The las
| bodies from this graveyard were not re
moved until 1919.
| ~. JObu's 4. 4. Church.
| st. Johns Z. h. church which has been Otter
| called the State Church because more PTesi
| dents have worshipped thGrG than at an
| other, stands at the corner of II and Six
| tCenth streets. II was bullt In 1916 and en-
| larged In 1880. In Il have wurshipped Pres