The Washington critic., 1886-08-13
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 IL 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 II 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 over the entrances to
all houses, and the decimal system, as
adopted In Philadelphia, is used-one hun.
dIed numbers being allotted TO each square
or block-commencing at First street west,
running west, First street cast, running
east, A.street north, running north, and A
street south, running south. The odd mum
bers are always on the right-hand side 90.
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the left hand side The city II divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast aud
northwest, southeast ana southwest, the
streets being designated accordingly; thos.
running north and south numeriGally aud
those running east and west by the letters
of the alphabet, the dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on n line due north and south from the Cap
itOl and East Capitol street and continue
tion on the same west OF the Capitol, run
ming due east and west.
Tie Capitol.
This great building is the central point of the
original District, and Is the largest editicO
in the country. It's 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 1s21. 1t incloscs the "crypt'-whcre the
remains of Washington We're intended to be
placed, the Library, the Rotunfa, the old
Representatives Hall, now the Gallery Of
StatuarS and the old Seuate 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 Grafton
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
tnguished for its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto
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 It's
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 We're
homely and formal IN appearance, have
SSTR DSSR and o1e Dnw most 45S S9ad beat
iul. The east base of the Capitol Is 500
feet above ordinary low tide In the Potomac.
The total height from east base to the top
of the temple covering the dome Is 2}S feet;
the statue of the Goddess Of Liberty, 1915
feet, making the total height to the crest of
the statue 30J19 feet. THIS crest Is 800 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
| ard 800 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or 2is feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ingtOn Monument, which Is Immediately
west. The building is 75i feet long by 35i
wide, and covers ~ acres, 10 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 century-a fact which adds to
its beauty and interest The original Capt.
tol, or centre building, is an imitation,
though not savish one, of the Maison
| portco 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 Il journey Of II thousand miles
The White House.
| From the west balcony OF the capitol, looking
| down Pennsylvania avenue, the White
| House Is seen rearing It's snOwy-hued walls
| above the dense mass of foliage that EN-
| bowers II, like a gigantic Gala lily springing
| up amid Its cntolding green blades. Were
| itnot for the paMly intervening Treasury
| building the view of the White House from
the Capitol would he full and complete. The
| White House Is the center Of "up'town,' as
the Capitol Is the center of Down town.
1t is beautifully located, the view from the
| south windows covering the whole southern
front Ofthe 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 Il copy of the palace of
| the Duke of Lunster at Dublin, with the
addition of large porch on the north 'front.',
which was added during Andrew jackson :
! administration. The reservation in which
It stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance Is on the north, reached by
| the Pennsylvania avenue cars 10 Is two
stories high on the north, is built of white
| free.stone, i1O feet long by SG Wide. IL con.
tains on the first floor the famous Green,
Red, Blue and East rooms, the state Dining
| Room and the great CunSCryatOreS, The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official rCcep-
tionroom and the drawingroom Of the ladies
of his family. The East Room, originally
designed for banquet hall and so used as
late as 1881 and in the latter part of the
century used as drying-rOom for. clothes
by Mrs, President Adams, Is the largest and
| most noted room In the building. 1t Is ,.
feet high, 50 feet long and 40 wide. 1t 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
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 imprO ved. Et contains The
equestrian statue OF Andrew Jackson, By
| Clark Mills. Many OF its trees are old forest
nonarchs hundreds OF years old It is M
| gardening so fashionable In England two
hundred years ago, style that was in
| ported into this country, Lafayette square
was, one hundred years ago. part # grave
yard that enclosed the square north, on
| which ST. Johns Church Is built and the
square east, on which are situated thp At
torney Generals office uormeriy the Freed
| mans Bank, the SURGEON Generals O.int
and higgs Bank (hoth in the build ng for
merly used as the United states Bankl
| Commodore Decaturs house, corner Fif
old Club House, near which Philip Barton
Key was He'd by Daniel &. Sickles, Mem
her of Congress from New York. The last
hodies from this graveyard were not re
moved until 1919.
~. Johns &. r.. Church.
It Johns p. L. Cnurcn, which has been often
| called the state Church because more pIoNi
| dents have wOrshippei there than at any
other stands at the corner OF u AMI SIN
tcenth streets. II was built IN 1916 ani en-
idtnts Madison, Monroe John Quincy
| Adams (though the latter was Cougrcgu
| tluuulisU Martin Van Burcn, though he he
longod 10 the Dutch Reformed church. IIar
| risun, Tyler. Polk, Taylor, Fillmore (thougl
| the latter was Unitarian, Pierce, Buch
| anuH and Arthur Presidents Lincoln
| Johnson and Grant have also attended Di
vine services here although not steadily, IT,
| interior romnds one very iurcihly Of tn,
old, dim English country Episcopal ChuI Ches
The treasury Department.
| The Treasury Department Is east Of the Whit
| House and extends the whole length of III,