The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-28
signs ON AWNINGS
TO Be FORBIDDEN
Captain Beach Shocked by
FlariDg Advertisements.
Unadorned Folding Canopies Must
Be the Style.
Opinion of the District Authorities
on the New Reform in the
Business Quarter.

A step in the direction of correcting a
long standing abuse of local building laws
was taken by the District Commissioners
yesterday when an agreement was reached
TO grant no more permits for canvas
awnings with fixed supports. In lieu of
the old iron pole, advertisement-ridden
awning, merchants Will in the future be
permitted to erect only canvas awnings
of the hinged or folding variety and no
advertisements will he permitted on them.
Engineer Commissioner Beach, who,
with his colleagues. is endeayoring TO rid
the city of unsightly things which nave
married its beauty, is the father of the
regulation which will call halt upon
the indiscriminate adjournment" of avn
ings with fiaring advertisements and pro-
hibit the erection of the old-fashioned
awning pole.
While walking down Street and other
thoroughfares in the business section re-
Gently, his attention was attracted 10 the
large number of awnings which had ap-
parently been erected for the sole purpose
of serving advertising purposes. Some of
these consist of nothing more than two
upright iron poles placed on the curb line
in front of stores and attached TO the
buildings by two iron rods The tops of
the upright poles are connected with a
third rod There is no provision for any
kind of cover and covers are lacking.
Broad canvas flaps covered with bust
ness signs and advertisements are sus-
pended from the horizontal rods which
join the uprights to each other and to the
buildings.
Captain Beach thought the matter
worthy of attention and made numerous
trips on foot to the business section for
the purpose of making a more detailed
examination of awnings throughout that
portion Of the city.
This trip resulted in the discovery of
numerous instances in which the permits
to erect awnings are being violated in the
same way, it being evident that permits
had been secured for the purpose OF erect
ing nothing more than mere structural
frames upon which TO hang canvas side
pieces bearing advertisements.
He accordingly prepared a letter en-
bracing his views concerning the matter,
with certain recommendations, and pre-
seuted il TO his colleagues yesterday. The
LITTER met with the unanimous approval
of the other Commissioners and was as
follows:
| have recently been making eNaminat ton
OF awnings throughout the city and find that
very large number of those constructed with
fixed supports the curb are used more fof
advertising purposes than any other. nJImber
of awning frames have sides stretched
across the sidewalk. with faring advertiser nts
them and covers At all, and some of
them have provision for supporting cover,
consisting merely ot two posts near the curb
which are fastened 10 the buildings by rods from
which the advertisements hung.
/ would therefore, recommend as follows
That hereafter permits be issued for canvas
awnings with fixed supports, but that all canvas
! awnings he required TO be of the folding or
hinged class-suCh may be seen at the saks
corner or at the Harris corner, Seventh and d
Streets northwest; that ii lie made condition
I a.F. IgulD
| that no advertisements shall be placed thereon
| that awnings of corrugated metal or other per
| manent material. be allowed at such points where
the structure will not interfere with the appear
ancc of the street and where the interests ol the
public will render it advisable to permit such
| constructions: and that the inspector Of build
| ngs be directed to require all parties having
fixed awning frames 10 provide them with proper
canvas covers or 10 remove the frames, as they
| may prefer.
In deciding to adopt regulations in &C
cordance with the recommendations OF
Captain Beach the Commissioners assert
! that they have no intention whatever OF in
terfering with the vested rights OF the
merchants but simply desire to remedy
| long standing abuse and prevent its in
crease in the future. The Commissioners
stated one of the members of the board
| TO a Times reporter yesterday afternoon
| have no desire at present to put merchants
| 10 IUe lTOUDlt tAltllSt vi ifii4ON i4io
| existing awnings. They are determined
however. that the iron posts shall be su-
perseded gradually by modern folding avn
| ings, and that awning frames erected for
| the purpose of exhibiting glaring adver-
| Using streamers must either be removed or
| covered with canvas tops
| AS matter of fact, the painting OF signs
on awnings is violation Of the police reg
ulations, and if the Commissioners were in
| clined to be stringent they might either
require all violators of the regulations to
be arrested by the police and fined or re-
| move their signs. They were aware OF this
| fact when they agreed to approve the sug
| gestions OF Engineer Commissioner Beach,
| but were inclined TO be liberal in the mat
| ter.
1t pointed out in the Office of in
spector Of buildings yesterday that under
article VIII, section g. of the police regu-
| lations, the painting Of awning signs is
| prohibited. This regulation reads as fol-
lows:
No structure 10 be used 4 sign advertise
| ment Of any sort shall be built, placed erected,
| OF hung upon from the roof outer wall 0!
| any building without a permit therefor be first
| issued by the inspector Of buildings.
Nor shall any such sign advertisement pro
| iect more than three feet six inches beyond the
| building No portion Of any sign projecting be.
yOnd the front building line shall he less than
| eight feet above the surface OF the sidewalk nor
| less than fourteen feet if projecting from an
| alley wall.