The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-17
NEW STATE LIBRARY.
TIRE BEA UTIFUL BUILDING rs NOW
NEARLY COMPLETED.
1t wiz be Only Short Time Before
tits Occupied by the State offcers.
A Description.

Capitol Square IS nearing completion
and II VIII now only be short time
before it is occupied.
The legislature of Virginia during the
session Of 1912 enacted a law proVla-
ing for the erection OF q frc-proot Sld'e
library building. and also for inc az
commodation OF the Court OF Appears,
the Auditor Of Public Accounts Se0onu
Auditor Treasurer. Commissioner ga ~
liculture Railroad Commas sioner' Sup
iHtcndont Of Public Instruction Auyu
tant-Gcncral Superintendent OF Iupi'
Printing. Acknowledgement and Stalc iao-
orator., In c.i,,ipg the reasons which made
the erection Of q state library bullolhB
desirable. the law scts forth thdI tie
Capltol building Is overloaded win ~
brary making 80 necessary 10 rent iO1iii'
in the city for the storage OF boohs an"
public documents and with archEeS % III
calculable value 10 the state whose loa'
nothing could replace TINS ek'raoiul,
nary weight is oDdGnscfmg Inc NaPi'o'
building. and, ~ another reason why
s,parofo building was desirable rs men
toned In a possible destruction 10y hIe
Tho net I'm question also prescribed th"t
tbo proceeds of the sale of certain !aIds,
which had been invested IN bends 10
be used as such q library fund, amount
ing at the time 20 $1,000 IN per cent.
bonds. AID $37 1850 be expended Tot thaL
purposc. To this amount was TO be adj
dgJ whatever could be realized out Of
tho sale of a lot OF land on Brook ave
nue known lis the State cdttlc-pcns. Af-
for tho erection of the library building
the building now oCCur ed by the Court
OF Apucals. which is valued at 5000,
should be soldf and the rental Of offices
for various departments Of the state
government. which at the time was ne
csgsitating an expenditure Of about %"O'
was considered 10 be judiciously capital
lied into a principal SUM Of $1,000
THE BUILDING COMMISSIONERS.
The same law created a State Board o.
Building Commissioners, consisting OF
tho Governor. Secretary of the Common
wealth. Auditor Of Public Accounts, Sec
end Auditor and Treasurer, who were
authorized 10 cause 10 be erected upon
tho ground Of the Capitol Square com
plete hre-proof building, according 10
the plans and specifications 10 be sub
mitted to and approved by the board at
the expense of not exceeding $2JOoVo.
The board was also empowered 10 employ
a professional architect at reasonable
salary 20 suporintend the erection OF inc
building.
The new building was TO be simple and
imposing I'm design, free from unneces-
sarv commentator. so as to harmonic
I'm tone. outline and expression with the
present Capitol building. 1t was to CON
tain the necessary accommodations 10Y
the offices mentioned above and such
others as might be deemed necessary IN
the discretion of the board. Inc comlhls-
sioners were authorized to sell not only
the bonds held for the library fund, but
also the building then occupied by the
Court of Appeals, and they were further
more empowered TO collect for the same
purpose the debt due 10 the Common
wealth from Emory and Henry college,
for land sold 10 that institution.
Inasmuch as the law prescribed that the
building was to be erected within the Dor
d,rs of Capitol Square, the number oil
sites was, of course Limited AIIer
GOOD many conferences the BOARD oe-
cided by "A vote Of three TO two for the
epot on the slope between the stables OF
he Executive Mansion and the lmperlaI
Hotel Governor Mckinney and Auditor
Marye most cmphatic2lly opposed inns
selection. but they were out-NOtcd by sec
rotary of the Commonwealth Flournoy,
Trrasurer Hartman. and the late Second
Auditor. Col Frank c. Ruitn. The de-
c,.ion caused a good Teal of discussion
ana the selection was by good many
recorded as very unfortunate. Nheh SUD
eo1unntly the Board Of Building Comnis-
sioners selected Mr.. w. II. PolhueNter' Oh
washington, as supervising 8rcI'l', -"
tbare was another cry of indignation, De
cause a Nonresident OF virginia h"1 O0e"
given the preference.
his PREDICTIONS WE'RE CORRECT.
Among those who criticised the selec-
zion of the site in outsroken terms wa
me late Register of the Lana once
Major W. r.. Gaines who predlcted that
ON account of a spring locateu Oh .na'
slope the construction OF the iouhudlloll
v,oi,Id be expensive. His prediction prov
w 80 he true. for the contractors were
counoled at one end 10 dig as deep as
tbiriv-0ye feet for solid ground.
ON Monday, September 70, lSJZ, 'he
ctote Eeard of Building Commissioner
met at noon i'm Colonel John Ben h's-
re,,s office In the Capitol bull ling Tor the
nurpose of awarding the contract io'
the erection of the library buildlhs' nc
hoard then consisted OF HoNeIHol W
Lf,,c, And tor Marye. Second Auditor
Ryland. Secretary OF the NoH'l l' 11.
Flournoy ana Treasurer 1aiIhdh' nc
relieving bids were thoroughly scruu-
lied during a three hours session before
ibe contract was awarded; j. Nj. Ne"eiL
NJ Richmond. Si97. 5i3; John =. PettyJohn,
n Co. of Lynchburg. $l7LD0; W. o. Bur
ION 4 W. A. Chesterman, OF tIChhlohu
Sl5996t. c. w. Lamberth y CO.. OF l'oa-
noke. $4,000; J. +. q \. J.. FehhocA' OF
philadelphia, Sl7S,4 S; Frank y. carver
Of Washington, $40, %395; Valentine
proVn a. Co, Of Wilmington, \. {.
Stse56s .06; NJ. n. Lcwman a CO., OF Louis
vile. Ky, SlSS ,Nl. The contract was m
ally given to Messrs. Burton n chester
man of this city, as the lowest respon'
sible bidders.
ON account of unexpected obstacles Inc
construction Of the building was very
much delayed and the structure Is only
AT the present time nearing completion.
THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING.
The building has a frontage of us fee
on the west line and 15l feet on the
south line, which runs parallel with the
Imperial. The general plan of the build
ing is that OF the letter /. The style OF
architecture is Roman classic in its mos
classical period. as eNemplihed by th'
works of the most illusuious artists
adapted by the Romans from structures
an Greece. The materials employed in
the exterior OF the building are bul
bricks and buff terra-cotta. Granite j
used between the brick foundation an'
the stylobate or lower story The mali
portico fronting west. has been developed
in an artistic manner IN hVe inter
colnmnations, crowned with pedlmeht
IN which the coat OF arms of the stat
IS introduced in relief stone.
The interior Of the building Is con
structed IN a strictly fire-proof manner
consisting of steel beams, trusses ant
other metal work IN connection VIII