The Washington critic., 1886-08-12
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 It presents
more objects of interest to the visitor
than 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-
litical metropolis. For It is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay visit avery 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 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 mum.
bers are always on the right.hand side go.
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the lefthand side The city IL divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast aud
northwest southeast and southwest, the
streets being designated accordinelyi those
those running east and west by tho letters
of the alphabet, the dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on a line due north and south from the Cap.
itol and East Capitol street, and n contiuua.
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 IL thn lurfraaI pIttpn
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 ncoses the "crypt'-wherc the
remains of Washington were intended TO be
Representatives Hall, now the Gallery Of
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 4,
| 1851, Daniel Webster delivering the oration
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
| famous bronze doors, with their alto
reliefs, and for Brumidi's frescongs. 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
| been transformed into a beautiful
| park and are now most exqulsitoly beauti.
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, 1915
feet, making the total height to the crest of
the statue 501lh feet. This crest Is 800 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
| and 500 feet above low tide in the POtO Onac,
| or PAS feet lower than the apex of the Wash
| ington Monument, which is Immediately
west. The building is 15l feet long by 3li
| wide, and covers 3h acres. IL 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 ceptury-a fact which adds TO
its beauty and interest. The original Capt.
iol, or centre building, Is an imitation,
| though not slayish one, of the MaisOn
Carlec at Nislnes. The view from the west
portico at night, when the lamps are lt 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 snowy hued walls
above the dense mass of foliage that em-
bowers it, like q gigantic Gala lily springins
up amid its enfolding green blades. Were
i not for the partly intervening Treasury
building me yiew Of @ @th9 WIZ White lionse RON rom
| White House Is the center of "tp-tOwn," as
the Capitol is the ccnter of Down town.
1t is beautifully located, the view from the
south windows covering the whole southern
front of the city, al the view from the north
up SiNlecnth street west exhibits the best
part of the Northwest section to the gaze.
The White House is Il copy Of the palace of
the Duke of Leinstcr at Dublin, with the
addition of Il large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew jackson ;
| administration. The reservation In which
Il stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance Is on the north, reached by
| tile Pennsylvania avenue cars. Ii is two
stories high on the north, Is built otgwhite
free'Stone, 100 feet long by Sc wide II con
| tains on the first floor the famous Green,
Red Blue and East rooms, the state Dining
Room and the great conscrvatories. The
Blue Room is the Presidents official rocep
ton room and the drawing.rOom of the ladies
of his family, The East Room, originally
designed for a banquet hall and so used as
late as 1887, and in the latter part of the
century used as a drying-room for clothes
by Mrs. President Adams, Is the largest and
most noted room in the building, II Is ,;
feet high, so feet long and 40 wide. II IL
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
byspecial permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette square.
Due north from the White llousels Lafayette
| Square, tho first public reservation IN Wash
ington that was improved. 1t contains tht
equestrian statue Of Andrew jackson, by
Clark Mills. Many OF its trees are old fOrcS
nonarchs hundreds of years Old. II is II
part specimen of the old formal Landscape
gardening so fashionable in England two
hundred years aso,- style that was i'm
ported into this country. Lafayette Square
was, one hundred years ago, part Nt Il grave
yard that enclosed the square north, OF
which St. Johns Church Is built, and the
square east, on which are situated tho At
torney General ). Office formerly the Freed
mans Bank, the Surgeon Generals olict
and Riggs Bank tboth in the build ng for
merly- used as the, United States Bank
Commodore Deeatur's house, corner Fiji
teenth ard a.half and II streets, and the
old cub House, near which Philip Barton
Key was killed by Daniel e. Scklcs, Mem
her of Congress from New York. The las
2 bodies from this graveyard were not re
moved until 1919.
~. Johns r. r.. Church.
st. Johns p. Il. church, winch has been Otter
called the State Church because more Plc,i
dents have worshippel there than at an!
other, stands at the corner of II and Six
| tcenth streets. 1t was built In 1915 and en-