Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-23
Government and State Buildings on
Pennsylvania Avenue and the Mall.
A GRAND PARK PROJECT
Plan for the Development Along
Artistic Lines.
THE STATES TO CONTRIBUTE



to be celebrated this year with Joyous fes-
| tivities. Having been one Of its citiEens for
half Of the century. am thoroughly inter-
ested in everything that pertains to its
| prosperity, its beauty and glory. During
my brief lifetime it has grown from a
| struggling village into the most charming
| city Of the continent, with possibilities Of
| future development that are not now
| dreamed Of
We should make 1t so beautiful that
| every American citizen would be at least
as proud Of 1t as Frenchmen are of Paris
| or Englishmen Of London. Let 1t be as
matchless among cities our own loved
Washington was peerless among men!
We may make it 50 attractive that every
traveller from beyond the seas shall stand
with uncovered head and look upon its
| grandeur and its beauty and acknowledge
| 1t as the queen city of the nations.
| We should make it so lovely that every
American mother as she teaches her little
| ones to love God and country and flag
should point them to the nations capital
| and tell them of its glories.
| To accomplish this is not difficult for
Americans, but even If it were a gigantic
| task this nation does not fear obstacles of
any kind. 1t is accustomed to succeed in
| whatever 1t undertakes
| In this centennial year of rejoicing, when
the hand Of Providence is leading US by
| sponsibilitfeS we are but slowly realizing
| we should wisely and broadly plan for the
establishment of the capital city of our
beloved nation, which under God may car
| ~ civilization and comfort and Christian
| ity to earth's remotest bounds. 1 am firm
| believer in American manhood and Ameri-
can womanhood. We can accomplish what
| ever We will; 50 let will to make our
city Just what every true American would
| like to have 1t.
First-I am enthusiastically in favor of
tfyae
] eral and District government without ex-
| ception, on Pennsylvania avenue. Instead
| OF the scores of private buildings rented by
| government let our great avenue be re-
| and marble.
| Second-Let the government of the United
| states purchase every foot of ground on
| the south side of Pennsylvania avenue from
| LIST street to 10Th street northwest, as far
| south as the public grounds which are al
| ready governmental property
| Thlrd-Invfte every state in the American
| Union, at its own expense, to build a state
home on this great government reservation
where in all the years of the future COVER
| nors and state legislators shall be the hosts
and the nations of the world their guests
| In the center Of this reservation let there
| be a magnificent court of honor extending
| perhaps from Sd to 10th streets, with lakes
| fountains, colonnades and statues, with
| handsome buildings, ornamented by the
| best of American architects and artists
| At the western end of the court of honor
place the administration building, where the
President and his cabinet, and the Congress
| OF the United States shall be at home.
| At the eastern end Of the court of honor
should be the District of Columbia build
| ing. where our honored Commissioners
| should uphold and maintain the dignity of
the worlds greatest city, and where espe-
| ctally citizens of the District of Columbia
| so fortunate as to have been in no state
| may be at home.
| Let the court of honor extend to and in
| Guide the south side of Pennsylvania ave-
| nue.. but reserve at least one corner of
each street from LIST to 18th streets for
government building. On these corners
place the hall of records, the new city hall
| and all the other buildings needed from
| time to time for the government service.
Then in the midst OF trees and lakes and
| roadways, let the forty-five states of our
| Union erect their artistic homes!
Shall not the capital city Of this the great
| est, bravest nation of the earth be made
| worthy of its seventy millions of people?
| surrey the expenditure of few millions
| OF dollars will not be considered a for
| midable obstacle to a nation whose Con-
gress by unanimous vote placed fifty mil
| lions of dollars at the disposal of the
| President simply to prepare to defend hu-
| man rights in Cuba We do not hesitate
| to expend four millions Of dollars to send
out into the embrace of old ocean a new
| battle ship to take the place of the one
| sunk In Havana harbor. We have plenty
of money for anything the nation needs on
| land or sea, and magnificent capital city
| This great government reservation eS-
| tending from the Capitol to the White
House and from Pennsylvania avenue to
b street southwest may be made as en-
| chanting az a dream of paradisei
| The possibilities of architectural and
| landscape beauty in the erection and en-
| Enlistment of state homes will fill every
| artistic mind with delight. Who that visit
ed the white city in 1893 will ever forget
the thirty-five state buildings or the tbrongs
| of citizens that visited them?
Worlds Fair Buildings.
How we'll some Of US remember the Penn
sylvania building, 40 by los feet, repre-
senting Independence Hall and costing al
together over 100000, although Its lifetime
was to be only six months2 What a center
and especially on Pennsylvania day SEN
TENDER Z, when 10000 Pennsyivanians pass
ed over its threshold led by Governor Pal
| as his guest.
Day after day this building was tnrorged
, with delighted citizens Of the keystone
J state, who felt as much at home within its
walls as II they were passing into its cor
J ridors from Chestnut street in their own
city OF Philadelphia. At night its 500 cleo
trio lights made 1t a scene of beauty that
will ever linger in memory.
| Query: If Pennsylvania spent 5000 ono for
| a temporary home near the waters of Lake
Michigan. would not her people gladly ex-
pend larger sum. II necessary, for a per-
1 c.
. which would be for all the future rest.
ing place and banquet hall for the hundreds
,, of thousands Of her loyal citizens who
would annually visit this most beautiful
city in the world?
And Virginia. dear old Virginia. orr
. immediate neighbor, where the writer
first looked out upon Gods creation-Vir-
ginia kept open house in the white city
in a beautiful edition Of Mt. Vernon liz
by 1S5 feet and costing many thousands Of
dollars. This new Mt. Vernon was furnish
ed altogether with ancient belongings and
heirlooms. and through its rooms and cor
ridors passed a never-ceasing tide of HUI
manity. And when Pennsylvania Is ready
to erect her Independence Hall within the
magnificent garden plot Of the nation Vir-
ginia will be maturing her plans to make
, another Mt. Vernon attractive and 50
hospitable to be formidable rival Ia
the gallant keystone state.
From away OF toward sunset the new
state of Washington sent to the white civ
the materials out of which was constructed
her splendid state building on which and
in which her people spent two millions OF
! dollara AL will remember that the tim.