Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-04-07
LIBRARY BUILDING.
ussrlNe OF THE BOARD or COM.
MssIoNEss HELD YESTERDAY.
The Rsp,y Of the majoxAiy Of the Body to
the Protest OF Rfchmend and
Other Architects

Tho hoard Wal iucct htalh VIM "''"'"~'
wben tho conference will be resumed.
i, Uir be remembered that soon after
49,. sossion Of the board, at which Dir.
r,,,lofter was elected architect. the archi-
80. Id Richmond and other portions Of
~, state. who felt themselves aggrieyed
~ what they termed the hssty. action OF
sRe boiv. held q meeting aud made a
t@rnal protest against that action,
'vssferIay Judge Henry W. Flournoy,
c,,starr OF tho Common wealth; Colonel
n a. RuAu. second Auditor. ana MIR. A.
A. Ua-man. Treasurer. the majority of the
-f liz whose vote the election OF an
Inject YEAS determined on and Mr.. Poin-
Ir,irr chosen. have replied TO the protest
referred to above.
REPLY OF TIE MAJORITY.
Tho reply is addressed TO the public and
,es.is as follows;
g,, qaiorsisned members Of the State Board
irs Commissioners submit the follow.
.r.,er % the resolutions % a number
u y.--.nia architects, which were published
u ne Richmond papors OF tho II. and %
1000 lu mo selection OF an architect undsr
II. r-.rIt.frs oi tho act o. March I'd we felt
i.s :, exercise oar best judgment for
~, rflros. o. tie Commonwealth Without
...,lng the personal interests Of any man
,-.,tofracn The gist Of the complaint against our
.-r-.t d hat We ala not advertise Tor COM
Ions confging ourselves 20 Virginia
4. ,-fo arc Taxpayers ia the Common.
,..rt. Wodid not deem II wise 10 advertise
~. Compelling plans The history OF competi-
f .isf plan Q. selecting architects 10 our
...rft Inc plan suggested by the reso'
t,. ii Colonel Marye was adopted by
ne cy government o. h.chmond Tor INC
rr nov City Hall now being erect
"a Tie result was that the plans OF
H. viewers % Detroit, Mich, we're adopted. and
fr1 a
- Wrfe & Cutler. q Boston, Macs, we're
...f end on reconsideration rejected. After
t,- moderation the plans Of Mr.. Meyers
SEQ again adopted and paid ior ~ tho price OF
.l1.6.. Although the plans OF Messrs. Waite
.f.- varo not used, tho city was forced 10
,.ifI aomething more than 81 LOCO be-
t.a plans al once been adopted.
r.r'llrg Committee o. the new Chamber
.,c,rr,rrs which Is 20 DO erected In this city
..i fhe following named virginia erchi-
.rttnIf plans for that building: Captain
a. D rrnmo.,k, Mr. q. u. Renc, Jr., M hdEer-
as Rogers, Mr.. Walter r. higham' aud Mr..
-Erehrmgnd.
V.-s ban vas paid for, and all OF them be-
Zane property OF The Chamber OF Commerce.
~ clmliuee. being unable 70 agree ON any
rrs % The plans, requested TWO OF tho hrchl-
,.-.s 20 ADJUST their plans 70 each other and
~ anon, together. Those two gentlemen
n.-f % their efforts 20 DO this, ana inc com
...l, ENGAGED the services OF Mir. Mcdonald,
Fl. ,fro-t architect OF Louisville, KY, 20 con-
,,.-s n az me plans and 90 give his iIdg-
-, as 40 the one % be adopted. After ex-
,-naton. Hr. Mcdonald disspproyed oil the
-.,.,. tut declared the ono submitted by Cap
rpM. J. pmmock The best.
IEE-NONUMsST MODELS.
c.-.,s,',ion was adopted for models for an
,..,-.,. statue for General Lee The first
-r.,.tI1n took place during the admtnistra-
,r.f Governor hcmper without result IKE
.t,oD was had in 1856. The model OF Mr..
Nta1 sas approved BY board oil selected
lob on
..r..r.1 Finally, after tho expenditure OF
r.l.fe,.e amount Of money in premiums.
tlueIss Of much time The Lee Monument
ASSOCIATION employed n. Mercic, OF france,
vnraf competition, 20 mO0ei ana cast the
r.led General Lee, which was unveiled Oh
u, .rh Jay O! May, 1890.
wet41 no reason 20 believe that resident
y--r. architect would bc selected IN open
o.rrftlf.0n Oh the submission OF plans IN view
lffl. fs-t that foreign architects had been Sc
f.t.i tr the STATE o Virginia As architect OF the
s..fturetefn Lunaiic Asylum, Marion, Va, ana
N.i-n luuatc Asylum, stanton; by the
as y R.chmord for the erection OF the
go CIV Nal: by the MasOns OF Viz
rta ur the erection Of the Masonic
lnpla, 90 Broad street, In this city, aud by The
Commonwealth Club for the erection OF us
clubhouse 0n franklin street, and by the rail-
r.4i authorizes f0r the Union depot In this CITY.
SIC thought 4. best % select m architect on his
reputation ana 0nr knowledge OF tho pubic
Buildings be- had designed, having In our mind
n d
mode of selecting al architect Tor eltner puphc
tIIIinrs 0r private residences.
We ascelfaurd that Mr. William NJ. PolDdex-
urhai des coed The fOllowing-nsmed buildings
frihc Federal Government: United states Sol
Dsf Home. Washington; United States Naval
N0-nfaL Widows Island Mo, and the United
ss,ts naval Hospital, Portsmouth, \. II.
TIE soldiers Home In Washington IS considered
b. architects one OF the most complete Gnd beau-
I-lare1ijo Hural designs In the United states
M pofSnFNTFR's CLAIMS.
Nrpoinlerteris the architect Of large number
Gtlllc Buildings and private esidences IN this
t.lm.IEclith. such As the municipai Duhdlhg
r uslulo: public school, Hotel Burton, aud
Na1-,rcei Methodist church, IN the same city ;
Hfei ItIiofd, Bedford City: hotel IN Basic
tr. >lcnaudoah Hotel, Shenandoah; Law
l.0ius. Lynchburg, and Belmont Semi
t,y. bedford City. He designed the Ran
o. competition. with which tho authori-
t.s 0 The Methodist Conference were 80
r-A pleased that they employed him to de-
fu ih6 academies AZ Lynchburg and Front hoy
O. and he science Hall al Ashland. All OF those
t4lllr- are largo structures, and ronect great
c'cii On the educational enterprise Of that
Csa, baly % Christian people. MIR. folndexter
Na.s0 architect OF the Columbian University,
Warrington and Of President Cleyeland's private
| Ts.1euce Washington. Mr.. Pettyiohn, one OF the
lsslag building contractors, alter working by
| NJ falndeXters plans on the above buildings
- ihe Methodist Conference, employed him,
| r. himself and others, which was erected on
| aal street. 10 Lynchburf, and which has re-
| t-tei tae highest COMMUNICATION IRON MI. ret
t.ll
fief, ava not taxpayer Is ill-considered and
i1felcrols though a resident OF washing
81, le is Nirginian whose family has
| been m tho Commonwealth for 200 years
al resident IN this city Tor seventy
Jan no was born and rslsed Ia this
city, fsrFcd in tie army during the war, and has
ten taxpayer IN Virginia for tweniy-sx years,
as e Iow.a Taxpayer Ia four different localities
q Ue Commonwealth. We were actuated by
| ieslme Judgment IN selecting MIR. PO'ndeXtcr
Nll LfohfcCl for the state that would have
oatroael us in the selection OF an architect for
| htUtNIO building 20 be paid Tor out OF our
psu Ipkets We selected this architect as
" selh select a lawyer 10 defend US
i or lives; as We would select sur
sen n perform en- operation requiring the
l.f0s' -klu and care. We selected him on his
ifilia.Un ana on our knowledge OF the public
buildings Dee had designed. Tho selection was
PEI nl To- 20 haste. IL was DEBATED by the COM
'.i.ler s ior nearly three weeks. The pro,
i'.1ttl regulations and Recommendations OF
try oie o. tho Nirgnia architects whose names
t'sfrci 20 the resolutions OF protest were
LI.s,4e-ei ty us, except those OF MIR. George &.
rep 90 Norfolk; Mr.. W. y. Tinsley, OF Lynch
.4it' tid Ar. Walter A. Higham, OF this city.
NECESSITY ron TRoxPr ACTION.
D, on'ilson, We beg leave 10 say that the pre-
t-llf 90 the act directing this building recltea-
--.lg cher things, "the daily danger 20 the
Nsii9l g dcstfuctiOn by IRE, which, when once
-.lsf Wy. could not be extnguished, risk
-iQunF tho destruction OF archives OF tncalcu-
-.c value 70 Virginia, whose ioes nothing could
l'ia.e' This shows the absolute necessity of
80 l1npincss In the work as, IN our luds-
.'ai' cogd not have been secured by competi-
- Finally, The sum allotted 20 the structure
~ sna.l That We have not felt authorized 70
tl'ii plan which. besides tho delay, would In
+r ils expenditure Of more money than can
spared Tor any such purpose. IL 10 plain
VA 10 erect building which "shall
-s-l huu"iont accommodations Tor
siaio Library, including historical
t--ilis and siaiuary, the Supreme Court Of
fs-a., "a o1lcos and library; the Auditor oil
.l' olnts the second Auditor, the Urea
t'9 ia1 Commissioner Of Agriculture, the
.-''l Commissioner. the Superinten-
OF Public Instruction, the Adjutant
-f+ TIE Aitorney-General, and the
~, l-ieAdcui Of Public Printing, and such
49, A'el nmodstions as IN the discretion Of the
~'-fl may be Necessary al for the sum Of
o'9Yp' requires the very closest economy
N-'-'sl' Win proper execution Of the work
i PROMINENT CITIZENS TESTIFY.
lucy say Commander Graham Bears a