Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-15
NEW sTATE.LIBRARY BUILDING.
Necessity for One-SOme Facts and
suggestions.

u
most important recommendations he
could possibly have made. After draw
ing attention to the great need OF proper
buildings for the accommodation and
safety of the public records, Library,
paintings. &C., he reinforces his position
/ by presenting the alternative OF either
building new Capitol or erecting at
once a suitable repository for the valua-
bic property just referred TO- In view
Of the States present financial condition
and for other reasons he wisely recon-
mends the latter plan as the most feast
/ bic. lie has stated the case so forcibly
| that it is not deemed necessary TO say
more here than simply to express the
conviction that perhaps nowhere else IN
| the civilized world would an enllght-
/ ened people rest cOntegted under such
circumstances until they mad secured a
safe repository for what, as Is tie case
I in the present instance, IS the last rem
nant OF their recorded past and their chef
resource out of which to construct their
| future history. 10 corroboratl0n OF this
let Us glance Tor q moment at the con
tents Of the Capitol building. In its
basement repose many OF the Oldest
munimcuts on this continent, upon
which depend uDnumbered titles 10
landed estates stretching from the At
lantic to tie banks of the Mississippi
and TO the shores of the great lakes. In
close iuxtaposition to these are to Oe
found records OF the States financial
transactions reaching back into colonial
times and iuil OF historical and per-
sonal interest Coming down TO a later
day are those important evidences OF the
States recent struggle against adversely
in its diret forms, during which the
very lie OF tie Commonwealth itself
seemed TO be at stake. Above Is IL
brary, considered by those who profess
TO know the most valuable IN this
country, for the number OF volumes 1t
contains within its walls is all the his
torical literature now left TO the state,
part OF which Is in manuscript and part
IN print. This includes journals OF the
colonial House Of Burgesses and Of tue
succeeding General Assemblies to the
present day, official correspondence Of
Governors, Revolutionary documents,
military, aud other records of general
value. IN addition 10 the records OF more
recentlegislation Nextinimportance axe
the works Of art that decorate is yene-
rable walls, portraits and busts, some OF
which are OF great value, ballowed by
time aud associations others Of later
date devoted to the memory OF men Of
lister times. Last but not least stands
in the central area that peerless portrait
statue OF Washington, whose majestic
form for almost u century has been shame
fully exposed 10 the chances Of mutila-
non, the dehlement Of dirt and the un-
haliowed touch oil those who could never
mould up such mighty piece as this is.
With these facts in view let us imagine
the feelings of the people not only OF
this city but of the entire State should
our venerable Capitol and its valuable
contents fall victim to the tire-hend
There may be those who cannot think
such catastrophe possible on account
OF the diligent care now exercised by
the custodians OF the building. 1t Is,
however, quite well known That many
times within the last twenty years 1t has
been on fire aud barely escaped destruc-
ton. If, therefore, anything Is b be
done-If the urgent recommendation OF
our patriotic Governor 10 to De heed
od-no time should be lost
Granting, then, the necessity OF the
case-that good, perfectly -iire-proof
building should be ereetsd-the question
OF location becomes an important one.
There are many desirable sites upon
which to put such a structure as the
State should have Could she, for in
stance, afford to purchase the Valentine
House square and all it contains, and III
clude Capitol street from Ninth to Ele-
vcnth streets, no more attractive sltua-
ton could be found. But in the present
condition Of the public finances We fear
this is not to be considered. In this d.
lemma Il spot somewhere within the
limits of the Capitol Square Will have to
be selected. Our beautiful little public
park appears already too small to devote
any more OF its space to buildings or
monuments of any kind, and yet there
is room sufficient on the Square for such
a building KS described without the ne
cessity OF impsiring It's duty or encum-
boring its space. 1t will never do TO OBJ
literate the most attractive and plctu-
rescue parts of the Square by erecting
large building at either the southeast
ern or the southwestern corner The OBJ
jections to such proposition are SO nu-
merous and 50 apparent that We will not
stop 10 make them. Where then, 1t may
be asked, is the proper site for the new
building? The reader will probably be
surprised to learn that between the sta
bles attached to the Executive groundsand
the building once occupied by the Wig
Office, now Capitol Hotel, is a plateau
upon which structure as capGcious as
the Capitol itself could he erected. 1t
should stand as nearly as possible east
and west, one front being towards the
Capitol grounds and the other towards
Governor street, from which an approach
should be made. A building put upon
this elevation will present many advin-
tages OF situation and comfort. 1t would
overlook completely the immediate sur
roundings without causing inconvenience
to the occupants Of the Executive Man
sion. The situation would be salubrious
during most of the year, eight months of
which in our climate are either temperate
or hot and, what is of more importance,
the building being above the average
level aud remote from the thorougbfares
Of the city, the quiet so necessary in
court-rooms and the Library would there
by be secured. To carry out this de-
sign certain alterations would have to be
made about the Executive grounds.
These, however, would not disturb either
the quiet or interfere with the comfort
OF the Governors household. The con-
seryatory could be easily moved to as good
q situation as it now occupies, and the
other changes necessary could as easily
be made. As TO the style OF architecture
to be adopted for the new structure, the
writer does not presume to say more
than to suggest that it be either Greek
or Italian, so as to comport somewhat
with the picturesque outlines Of the ven
ersblstemple that adorns the adjacent
hill that at least it should not become
a yictiu to the perverted taste of the
day, which revels in so-called Manssrd
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