Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-23
Washington and the Public Buildings.


To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
Few questions Of government legislation
bear SO seriously on the future interests of
Washington as the style and location Of the
public buildings to be erected here by the gov
eminent. A most important bill is that one
recently introduced by Congressman Tarsney
of Missouri, looking to provision by which
the plans for the design and construc ton Of
United States public buildings shall be open to
competition among the architects of the coun-
try, instead of all being under the control of a
single supervising architect OF the treasury.
But SO far as Washington is concerned side by
side with the question CT the design of the pub
lie buildings mus. be considered that OF their
location. else the national capital will lose in the
result half of the effect to be produced even
by the most worthy and imposing design in the
buildings themselves. Immediately before
Congress are the projects for erecting the ne "
District buildings and the new gov
ernmen: printing house. What attention
has been given or is likely to be given
by the go -~rnment or any one to the thought of
placing these buildings where they will tell
moro effectively for the dignity and beauty of
| our capital city, Is there any good reason.
keeping always in mind tina. of public conven-
fence, why the projected government printing
office should not be erected on the avenue and
80 designed as. with the District buildings to
form harmonious and imposing line of fronts,
which might, together with the new post Office
building. go good way toward redeeming our
great national thoroughfare from its present
architectural meanness. There are sites on
the south side OF the avenue conveniently near
| to the railroad which certainly would be as
q propriateiy occupied by government print
ing Office as by the present occupants. ard the
avenue would gain greatly i'll dignity and
beauty if the right sort of building could be
| erected. This does not mean necessarily a
| snowy and pretentious structure. but one of
simple but pure design and conceived in har-
mony with other buildings to be on the line.
1t might do much worse than follow the simple
lines Of that which is now by far the
most satisfactory and worthy architectural
front on the avenue-that OF the Metropolitan
Hotel What the avenue needs il NOT a sue
cessiOn OF patches or narrow sections taken
from as many different architectural schemes.
but long spaces quietly and tremendously
treated and designed to impress by their ex-
tent alone. Why should not whole squares be
occupied by government Office buildings the
lower stories being devoted to shops for public
convenience, and protected from the sun by
graceful arcades, like those of the Rue Rivoli
in Paris? This would be much better provision
for shade than the few irregular and scraggy
trees which at present only serve to keep up a
kind of village crossroads aspect on our much
boosted national avenue. Or why should Con-
grcss locate extensive government buildings
IN remote and scattered positions and leave
| our most conspicuous and, SO far as space is
concerned. our grandest thoroushfare to be oc-
cupicd by rows OF very ordinary and. here and
| there, unsightly structures? Is il not evident
that the time has come for the government to
seriously cons der some wise and broad
plan for the architectural growth
Of the city. and especially OF the
chief avenue? What the city OF Washington
might now have become without the magnifi-
cent stree. plan adopted by the first President
of the republic and strictly adhered to by the
government ever since such IL is now in dan
ger of becoming in its general architectural
aspect unless Congress with timely forethought
shall adopt some measures for the control of
public building in the District according to
some broad and comprehensive plan worthy of
the dignity and grandeur of the national CAPT.
tai. without any hasty expenditure, but by
the exercise OF "a wise precaution and direction
II remains fol- Congress to effect such a trans
formation OF the great avenue Of the capital
architecturally rs was made of it as a roadway
by Gov Alexander Shepherd.
The bill introduced by Mr.. Tarsney is in the
right direction. The movement for the new
District building and new government print
ing office are hopeful In their way. but what is
really needed to enable all these mOveme nts to
reach the best result Is some provision which
the government should now make for a bureau
Of public building or commission Of archi-
lecture, which shall take II comprehen sive sur
yey OF the whole field, both of the design and
the location Of our public buildings and monu-
ments, and see that the vast expenditures of
the peoples money. which sooner or later will
have to be made for these purposes. are turned
TO the best results in enhancing the beauty and
the dignity OF the national capital. This can
only be effected by following a well-conceiyed
plan, like that OF FEnfan: in laying out the
city. II left to haphazard selection the oppor-
tunity that comes but once to a capital and
government like ours viii be lost for an indeti-
NIT fttr,n NOT