Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-27
THE CAPITAL BICYCLE CLUB
The Building in Which the Wheel
men Are to Make Their Home.

THE PLAN OF THE sTRUCrURE-How MEMBERS
OF THE CLUB RECEIVED AN ARCHITECTURAL
EDUCATION THE WHEEL ROOM, CENTRAL
HALLWAY AND OTHER FEATURES.
The Capital Bicycle club has decided upon the
plans and specifications for its new club house,
to be built upon its lot, 400 18th street, and
will, within a week, commence the erection of
the building The club hopes to be able to move
into its new quarters about September LIST. AS
Will be seen in the above cut, the house, of
which ]. West Wagner is the architect is to be
three stories and an attic in height, with a front
of 251a feet, extending back with this width As
feet and 9inches, and then, with width of 81 u
feet, running back SO feet farther. Its entire
depth, including the detached wing in the rear,
is So feet. 1t will be noticed that the design of
liar features, embodied in it because OF the
prominent position the building will occupy
and the use to which it will be put. The first
fourteen feet Of the front, including the big
arch, will be constructed of the yellow sand
stone commonly known as "Ohio Stones" the
rest Of the front. except the bay window, will be
of selected red brick, laid in red mortar, with
red or SENECA sandstone trimmings. The
bay window will be ofcopper AS to front,
A BICYCLE CLUB HOUSE
makes peculiar demands upon the inventive
powers Of an architect, and how to combine an
entrance proper into the house, with another
large enough to admit bicycles, tricycles and
sOciables, without obtaining an effect that
might do equally well for houses erected for
ton. An English basement house was the most
| obvious way out of the difficulty, and was first
suggested, but its proposers were met by the
whitening comment, "boarding house." The
authors of this sarcasm were the partizans of
the arch idea, and, as they triumphantly ad-
vanced 1t they We're wilted by the criticism
that 1T would too much suggest an 'engine
house." The battle between the two ideas lasted
throughout most of the winter, and the front,
above pictured, is the evolution of the contest,
in which the boarding house, idea seems to
have been utterly annihilated, while the sug-
gestOn of an ''engne house." conveyed by the
arch, is very effectively neutralized by the
artistic arrangement of doors and windows at
the rear of the shallow vestibule. One result of
the struggle has been great gain in the way of
AN ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION
received by the club members. During the
winter nearly every house in the city with
architectural pretensiOns has been critically
examined by self-detailed squads of Capital
club men, and it some of Washington's nabObs
who hug to themselves the delusion that the
acme OF domestic architecture has been at
tanned in their homes, could have been present
at the impromptu debates held nightly at 919
q street their selfcomplacency would have
been seriously disturbed. The extent to which
this education has gone is evidenced by the tact
that whereas, six months ago, finely en-
crossed vote OF thanks would have been the re-
ward of any individual who should have the
temerity to assure to the club the possession at
any time. of a house alter the commOnest
"boarding house" type, now there are not want
ing members who find their esthetic longings
unsatisfied by the pretentious front finally de-
| cided upon. A visitor to the new club house
in tiled vestibule seventeen feet wide and five
feet deep. AT his lett forming that side OF the
vestibule he will discover the main entrance to
ihe mouse, or the Ioor into the hail. In front
cut, making a passageway six feet wide into
THE WHEEL ROOM.
Entering the house by this, the visitor is in
the main wheel room wherein bicycles and