Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-19


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WRirxb WHO rA1NEsTLy unoxs THAT bn.
GINNING BE MADE N A sYNMKrnIcAI. AND H.
ruILIs.H1 AacnsrxcrunXr pxvuaorarRuP on
A.u,va,o~-.,~~.-, 900. .v,-,,,,. 800.
TO ne Edisos Of he fvsains Star:
aw.k.r;n. :. ~. -. 80 "a ..sn. 80
-. 90 ~ ~ p.sSas -. =. p..''
49,. "L '"s 'snea so.. ioss'ons WIG
o'eotuia' heeos OF washington " sne cepasA
or residence city OF our nation. II would be
happy thing if our new Congress shouid see
here the Opportunity IA do some thing hithsrto
.s'' unuone' NOT 30 macn ior wan' OF appfeciA-
',o" =, 'no neeo as because Oh tne n'ue nope
OF getting united public sentiment in favor
Of any movement adequate 10 the need. The
hopeful indication At pressnt are thosa sxh,h
itcd IN ,ho ~. "a. ~. ~. as. 80 ~.
i'eo On 'ne one SIDE oy the government on the
o'ner W 'ne PROFESSIONAL architects' and oy all
lovers OF art in this country, by our Washing
ton board OF trade and BY our philosophical
men generally. In this connection there is b
passage n the recent report Of Postmaster
requotinR:
of mine bnt whst Was Is asds y; @
mission Of citizens, engineers, members Of
Congress and perhaps cabinet officers, to sug-
1Is 1 tov some WISE, economical and tar-sesnS
ings might he sccaw,,l;sbed scpp oeMS - !
definite, artistic, business-iike plan. IL vouid
mean a saving in the end of 500 Gao 600 per-
haps, and meantime the arcbitectnrai hodge
podge whose only merit is its infreauencv,
would disappear and the executive departments
would be housed in buildings owned by the
government and forming part of o splendid
What kind OF buildings should occupy great
conspicuous thoroughfares OF the national cap
ital! Are these to be left to the caprice OF
architectural cranks or the competitive sdvsrtis-
ing zeal OF ambitious merchants? Undoubtedly
Pennsylvania avenue, OF which the American
Nv 70 poas as roadway, one OF the Finest II
and nubTc tbnromahsosss 30 na,;,Ii oi., !. y
probably, in its Architectural DISPLAY. the mean
est and most insignificant Many. probably,
a.e insnhea 70 grieve over the tact that tho
have not 81 iaan ,;.., sue W .ne asen .
tectural barmorv and dinr;tv 'Ta .n, ;ncI;naa
rather 70 thru 4; .
hiny h.yo 81,
than be undertaken in q s,r,,I s.v, snaie
inadequate TO The orandenr ~ ths ornortnnitv
stiIl befora an, oo,. 80 e ,oPfO' Iy
the ' A'' "e'e''p'"e As''
MOST WONDERFUL CAPITAL n TIE WORLD.
Had q more pretentious class Of buildings
already been erected on the avenus nv govern.
MAJ. -. ..L:- :.
'ne"' VI oner"ise " "ouid lave ooen much
more oimcuit now to remove them, and NOS
until now have the needs of the government In
creased to such dimensions a. to Justify the
adoption Of an architectural scheme grand
enough to take in tho control of suy large
section of the city. Perhaps / should
modify this by saying that since the great
department buildings have been erected
this has been the case, for it Is proba-
bly, not far from the truth TO say that had
the War, State and Navy, tho Interior, the
pension Office and Post Office and Treasury
been built with a single front, instead of in
~ duAarangies; anu located on the south side OF
-0'
CONTINUOUS LINE OF PALACES
eA'enoihs 'ro" inc "niss house 10 the Capi-
~', ou' even WIN inc efeas department.
ouno'nK' aie"ay foca'ed mere Is now pam
lndlcatlon that the government will ere long
have to duplicate its office 'accommo dation, and
that now at the beginning a new architectural
era in our city's plans should be wisely laid
with view to a result worthy of the Immense
expenditures of money that will be involved
and the unparalleled opportunity for the ar tis-
tic embellishment of the national capital that
the erection of these buildings viii afford
While the proper utilization of the avenue for
the government and District buildings under a
consistent and Imposing architecturaI pIan
would undoubtedly involve the removal of
every building now on it, it is not necessary
that this should be done at once or at one time
What is needed. however. and needed now ia
that before the avenue Is occunied bv anv
more buildings whether nubIic or nrivats
property, a government commission. az indi-
Gated bv Secretary Wanamaker shouid he an.
pointed to agree in general undeY the visest
architectural engineering and artistic counsel
that can be got together nnon a scheme for the
building IN of the avenue on such. a scals of
grandeur. dignity and beauty as the neonIe Of
the United States owe il to their own Honor
and to the memory OF their great natriot-
Engineer Washincton-tod do.
NATIONAL ART COMMISSION
is what is now demanded Of our government,
with as much urgency. il not even more than
anv Of the commissions established ,v;,h;u
cont r..-s s,oh e.. -A:"- ".Aa
oeh' years. suen ~ TUG commission OF educa-
ton and others The expenditure Of hundreds
OF millions OF dollars OF the peoples money in
work involving ART intelligence and looking to
art culture as Is done In all our public build
lngs and historical monuments, demands that