The Washington critic., 1886-10-08
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
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 DO
iitical metropolis. For 1t is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay Gvisit 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 are displayed over the entrances to
all houses, and the decimal system. as
adopted in Philadelphia, is usod-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 righthand side 90.
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the eft-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 and south from the Cap.
itol and East Capitol street, and continue.
ton 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 edlco
in tho country. It's centre marks the Me.
al Il Il.Nt Hon.
Immediately under the dome, is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British IN lsid, but was completely restored
by 1877. 1t incloscs the "crypt'-whcre the
remains OF Washington were 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 month and south wings-was laid July 4,
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the Grafton
of the occasion from tho 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
rcliCis. and for Brumidis ircscongs 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 tho 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 u beautiful
park and are now most exquisitely beautl.
full. The east base of the Capitol Is 500
feet aboyo ordinary low tide In the Potomac.
The total height from east base to the top
of the temple covering the dome Is 25S feet
the statue of the Goddess Of Liberty, 1915
feet, making the total height to the crest of
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 800 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or PAS feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ineton Monument, which Is Immediately
west. The building Is 75l feet long by 32i
wide, and covers 3H acres. 1t is the finest
and largest public building IN the world
and III many respects the costliest ana
handsomest. 1t Is moreover the growth of
less than u century-a fact which adds to
its beauty and interest. The original Capt.
,ol, or centre building, is an imitation,
though not slavish one, OF the Maison
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 snOwy-hued walls
above the dense mass of foliage that en-
bowers II, like gigantic Gala lily springng
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 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 OF the 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 II copy of the palace of
the Duke of Lenster at Dublin, with the
addition Of a large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew jackson 5
administration. The reservation In which
II stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance is on the north, reached by
the Pennsylvania avenue cars. II is two
stories high ON the north, Is built Of white
free.stone 100 feet long by SO wide. II con.
Red, Blue and East rooms, the State Dining
Room and the great conservatories. The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official recep-
tion room and the drawingroom of the ladies
OF his family. The East Room, originally
designed for a banquet hall and so used as
late as 1897, and In the latter part Of the
century used as Grying-r,oo.mf for cl9the;
most noted room in the building: 1t Is y
feet high, 50 feet long and 40 wide. II Is
open TO visitors every day except Sundays.
upstairs are 1lC tullueI room, Illc 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
mCnarchs, hundreds Of years old. IL Is IN
nf "A Ia a. a mn
gardening so fashionable in England two
hundred years ago, a style that was inn
ported into this country Lafayette Square
was, one hundred years ago, part # Il grave
Which St Johns Church Is built, and the
square east, on which are situated the At
torney- Generals office formerly the Freed
mans Bank, the SurgeonGeneral's Office
and Riggs Bank (bOth in the building for
merly used as the United States Bankl,
Commodore Decatur's house, corner Fiji
teenth ard a,halt and u streets, and the
Key was killed by Daniel Il. Sickles, Mem
her of Congress from New York. The last
bodies from this graveyard were not re
moved until 1919.
At. .bOhn's T.. IL. Church.
| St Johns p. L. Cnurcn, whicn mas been often
called the state Church because more PIesl
| dents have Wurshippci there than at amy
other, stands ~ the corner OF II ana SIX
teenth streets. II was built in 1916 and en-
larged in $50. In II have wOrshippcd Pres
idcnts Madison, Monroe, john Quincy
Adams though the latter was u Congresa
tionnlsU Martin Van Burcu, though he be
| longed to the dutch Reformed Church, llar
rison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor Fillmore (thougi
| the latter was a Unitariau), Pierce, Buch
| anan and Arthur, Presidents Lincoln
johnson and Grant have also attended Di
vine services here although not steadily, IT.
interior reminds one very fOrCibly of th(
old, dim English country Episcopal churches
Vha IrranSmpy DpnnpIIupuI,
The Treasury Department Is east OF the Whit'