The Washington critic., 1886-10-18
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 1t 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 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 are displayed oyer the entrances to
aIo,,o al houses, and the decimal system as
died numbers being allotted to each square
or block-commencing at First street west,
running west, First street east, running
east, street north, running north, and A
street south, running south. The odd mum
bers are always on the rlght.hand side go
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the leit-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 contlnua-
tion ON the same west of the Capitol, run
ming due east and west
The Capitol.
III Is great building Is the central point of the
original District, and Is the largest cdltlce
In the country. It's centre marks the Me-
Immediately under the dome, is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British In 1914. but was completely restored
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
thenorth 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 tho north
wing the Senate Chamber. The rotunda Is dis.
tinguished for its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors. with their alto
relicfs, and for Brumidi's irescoings. 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, tho
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 a beautiful
park and are now most eXquisitely beauti.
full. The east base of the Capitol Is s9l6
feet above ordinary low tide in the Potomac.
ha irht ngt N A fDn ~
of the temple covering the dome Is 2S5 feet;
the statue Of tho Goddess of Liberty, 1915
feet, making the total height to the crest of
the statue S05l1 feet This crest is 800 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 800 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or 24S feet lower than the apex OF the wash
ington Nc Monument, which Is Immediately % la 81,
wide, and covers 3H acres. 1t is the finest
and largest public building in tho world,
and In many respects the costliest and
less than century-a fact which adds TO
its beauty and interest. The original Capt.
lol, or centre building, is an imitation,
though not slavish one, Of the Maison
portico at night, whom the lamps are lii 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 it, like gigantic Gala lily springing
up amid its enfolding green blades. Were
itnot 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 H. 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 copy of the palace OF
the Duke of Leinster at Dublin, with the
addition of a large porch on the north front
which was added during Andrew Jackson'+
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
| freestone 110 feet long by So wide IL con
tains on the first floor the famous Green
| Red, Blue and East rooms, the State Dining
| Room and the great conservatories. Tho
| Blue Room Is the Presidents official recep
of his family. The East Room, originally
designed for banquet hall and so used a.
late as 1887 and In the latter part of the
century used as drying-room for clothe,
by Mrs. President Adams, is the largest anC
most noted room in the building: 1t Is 2
feet high, 50 feet long and 40 wide. II Il
1
Upstairs are the Cabinet room, the privat,
offices, the Presidents Office, the librar!
and the family apartments All thes'
rooms except the latter are open to visitors
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette square.
Due north from the White House is Lafayett
Square, the first public reservation in Wash
ington that was improved, 1t contains tn
equestrian statue of Andrew jackson, b,
Clark Mills. Many of its trees are, old fores
nonarchs, hundreds OF years old. IL is II
part specimen of the old formal andscap
gardening so fashionable In England tw'
hundred years ago, a style, that was i'm
ported into this country. Lafayette Squar
| was, one hundred years ago, part et Il grave
yard that enclosed the square north, OF
which st. Johns Church Is built, and tn
square east, on which are situated tho AZ
torney Generals office formerly the Freed
mans Bank, the Surgeon'General's oiiic
and Riggs Bank (both In the building for
merly used as the United States Bank
| Commodore Docatur's house, corner FIJI
teenth and a.half and II streets, and TIN
old Club House, near which Philip BartoI
Key was killed by Daniel e. Sickles, Mem
bor OF Congress from New York. Tho las
bodies from this graveyard were not re
moved until 1919.
st. John's T.. Il. Church.
st. Johns p. L, Church, which has been oftel
called the State Church because more PGes
dents have worshipped there than Mt an
| other, stands at the corner of II and SIX
| ICenln streets. II was Dullt IN lNlO anu on
larged in 1920 In 1t have worshipped Pres
idents Madison, Monroe, John Quinc
Adams Though the latter was a Congrcga
| tiOnalisO Martin Van Buren,, though ho bI
longed TO the Dutch Reformed Church, llal
risUn, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore (thoug
the latter was a Unitaran), Pierce, BuCl
| anan and Arthur, Presidents Lincoln
johnson and Grant have also attended ID
| vine services here although not steadily II
| interior reminds one very IOrcibly of th
old, dim English country Episcopal churches
The Treasury Department..
The Treasury Department Is east Of the Whit
House and extends the whole length Of IN
front between PENNSYLVANIA and New Hor
| avenues, II Is hS9 feet long hy 800 feet wide
| lhe Centrnl cast nOrtiOn Us built Ol IraostOn(