The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-01-29
THE EXPOSITION.
Brief Story OF tho Grounds and Building

A Brief Story OF tho Grounds and Buildings
The South Carolina Inter- State and
West Indian Exposition will open in
tho City Of Charleston, S. c., Decem.
ber |, 1901, and closed juno |, 1902.
The Exposition Company has been
chartered by the State of South Caro-
lima, with q capital stock Of $250,0OO.
Active work. upon the Exposition
project has only been in progress
since about the first of August last,
and what has been accomplished iu
the period that has elapsed since then
is without parallel in the history of
exposition building. The site of the
Exposition will be on the eastern
bank of the Ashley River within q
mile and a half Of the business CEN
tre of the City of Charleston. The
grounds are beautifully situated, and
will lend themselves to the M st artis-
tic treatment. One half Of the
grounds will be devoted to the main
Exposition buildings, the Midway
Concessions and the Administration
Offices of the great show. The re-.
naming part of the grounds will pre-
serve their present great natural
beauty, and will be devoted to the
buildings and exhibits made by the
Government and the several States
of the Union, which will take part in
the Exposition. Some description
Of the architectural features Of the
Fair will be of general public interest.
The Exposition grounds are divid
ed into two main sections, one con.
sistipg Of the old Washington Race
Course property and the other of the
Wagner farm formerly the Lowndes
place. The Architect.in Chief has
adopted the general plan of develop,
ing the Race Course proper on pure
ly constructive lines and of preserv
ing as far as possible the natural
beauty of the Wagener place. The
Race Course property has been en-
ployed for years for purely agricul-
tural purposes, no races Of any i'm
portance h,ving been given there
since the War between the States.
This part of the grounds is entirely
level. No better site, in the opinion
Of expert artists and builders, could
be found. About % acres have been
reserved on this part of the grounds
for the Midway Concessions. The
main Exposition buildings surround
grand court at the western extremi-
ty of the old Race Course. This
will be in shape something like an
elongated horseshoe, with the Cotton
Palace, or main Exposition building,
occupying the toe of the shoe, with
the Commerce Palace and the
Agricultural Palace occupying re-
spectively the two sides of the shoe.
These buildings, with their connect
ing colonnades, will extend for dis
tance of about one mile Within the
horseshoe there will be a Sunken
Garden covering several acres, with
a like IN the center. A wide esplanade
or Alameda about 60 feet in width
will surround this garden.
! At the northern end of the garden
there will be a grand Plaza from
which splendid view will be obtain
ell of the main Exposition buildings.
The vistas opening out from this
point through groves Of palmetto
trees which will line the outer edges
Of the walks around the Garden will
extend for distance of 1000 feet.
Just north of the ground Plaza will
stand he Auditorium building,
directly opposite the Cotton Palace,
from which view may be obtained
Of the entire Court of Palaces, with
the Sunken Garden, and it's trees and
flowers and the sloping banks which
surround 1t. Each of the Exposi
ton buildings will be 400 feet in
lenghth, with an average width of
| 100 feet, and, as already stated, will
be connected by colonnades, the con-
strnction being such that the colon.
ma lev can be used for exhibits
| Among the special attractions of
the Cour of Palaces will be fountains
and bits of statuary and handsomely
designed columns Of the Spanish
type, all contributing>to the beauty