Evening star., 1901-09-28
Contents Of Old letters Bearing Upon
the Early Days Of Washington.
CAPITAL MAEERs,AHD THEIR METHODS
Participation Of Washington and
jefferson II the Project.
THEIR CONSTANT INTEREST
Go. IL

lie buildings of Washington represent, is
pleasant occupation. 1t is prolific well
OF much instruction and gives the rum
mager excellent opportunity to fashion in
his minds eye the action of the olden time.
Recent exploration of this sort brought
to light many letters relating to early
Washington. and their perusal afforded a
comprehensive view of the men who had
upon them the responsibility of fashioning
the city and the methods they used in
meeting it. The epistles in question were
written In 1892 and a portion of 1893 and
include large part of the correspondence
that passed during that period between
President Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
his Secretary of State, and the commits
sioners of publicS buildings who were at
first Thomas johnson, David Stewart and
Daniel Carroll, as well as between the
foregoing and others.
During the period mentioned Washington
was In embryo indeed, and out of farms
and sWamps and hills and marshes the
fathers or the country were SeduouS1y en-
deavoring to shape a city. The plans for
the Capitol and Presidents house were be-
ing decided on, labor was being secured,
sales of lots were being held and an era of
booming that would be creditable to mod
ern promoters was in progress.
Washington's Characteristic Discre-
tion.
President Washington was naturally
looked up to as the director of everything,
and he responded with the conscientious
care that characterized him In everything
he undertook. His letter to the commits
sioners recommending to them Mr.. James
Hoban was particularly expressive of this.
Under date of June 1s, 1892, he wrote as
follows from Philadelphia:
The bearer of this, Mr.. James Hoben,
was strongly recommended to me by Col.
Laurens and several other gentlemen OF
South Carolina when | was there last year
a person who had made architecture
his study and was well qualified not only
for planning or designing buildings, but to
superintend the execution of them
He informs me that he intends to pro-
duce plans of the two buildings next month
agreeably to the advertisement of the
commissioners, and is now on his way to
view the ground on which they are to
stand. 1 have given him this letter of in
production in order that he might have an
opportunity of communicating his views
and wishes to you or obtaining any infor-
nation necessary FIR completing the plans.
But'-and here Washington's discretion
pulsates in eSeryoword-"as I have no
knowledge of the man or his talents fur
ther than the ,tnformation l received from
consider cor this lEtteraa merely as a line of in
PRODUCTION forufhe purpose mentioned.
Called 1t s.The Palace"
That Mr. Hbban made a favorable i'm
preston was proved by the following let
ter from the Commissioners to Washing
ton. The salary announced will probably
make now -a-day architects smile. The let
ter also indicates that the original name
of the Executive Mansion smacked Of roy
atty to an emphatic degree. Here Is the
missive. dated, George Town, 10th Of July.
1922
yesterday the commissioners contracted
with Mr.. Hoben for his services by the
year at 300 guineas. His draft and atten-
ton may be confined to the Palace, or ex-
tended to other objects as they may chuse.
This morning we went with Mr.. Hoben to
the sete of the Palace that he might lay
out the foundations. The plan being much
less than Major L'Enfants' Design will not
fill up to the diverging points marked by
the stakes. This will necessarily occasion
division of the excess on the two sides
as to recede the whole distance on one
side. 1t does not seem to create SO much
embarrassment as might be expected, but
as the work may go on without any waste
of labour till you shall he here again we
have left the choice open to be made by
you .on the spot. Hoben's affairs requires
his absence about a month. His return is
expected to be as soon as he Will be
much wanted.
after Doctor Stewart left us we re-
ceived a letter and Draft from Judge Tur-
ner There is something in it striking and
agreeable to US. We send it for your con-
sideration.
'Lampher's plan is given up as imprac-
ticable We have written to Hallet in
viting him down to attempt improvements.
Mr.. Turner, too, seems very capable Of 1t.
We still hope little time may give you
an opportunity of making choice to your
satisfaction"
The drafts In question referred to de-
signs for the Capitol, because in letter
to Judge Turner written the same date as
the foregoing his plan for a Capitol Is
acknowledged" Then this followed
Nothing has been decided on for the
whit hsoI, 1rDxx
seemed to require improvements We for
ward yours to the President, it appearing
to rank among the best. The choice
will not be made TIL the first of next
month, perhaps some time afterwards.
Washington's Ideas of a Capitol.
From Mount Vernon Washington ac-
knowledged the receipt of Judge Turner's
plan for Capitol. Il have no hesitation in
declaring" he wrote, that l am more
agreeably struck with the appearance of
it than with any that has been presented
to you. 1 return 1t without delay, because
(among other reasons for doing it, Mr..
Turner wishes to receive it in any event
Immediately. There is the same defect,
however, in this plan as there is in all the
plans which have been presented to you,
namely, the want of an executive depart
ment which ought, II possible, to be OBJ
tanned. The dome, which Is suggested as
an addition to the center of the edifice,
would, in my opinion, give a beauty and
grandeur to the pile, and might be useful
for the reception of clock, bell, ETC.
1.-THE pilastrade, too, in my Judgment,
ought. If the plan is adopted, to be carried
around the senti-cireular projections at the
end, but whether it is necessary to haye
the elevation of the upper story forty-one
feet is questionables unless 1t be to preserve
exactness in the proportion of the several
parts Of the building. In that case the
smaller rooms5 in that story would be ele-
waited sufficiently ifscut in two, and would
be the better 2 for st in the interior, pro-
vided they can be lighted. This would add
to the number oft committee rooms, of
which there appears to be deficiency
Would not section in the north division
of the plan No q be more usefully used
as a library than for the purpose it is
designated? nc slt
Gould suchQa plan as Judge Turner's
be surrounded with columns and a colon
made like that which was presented to you
by Mons. Hallet Ghe roof of Hallet's,
must confess, aoesonot hit my taste) with
out departing from the principle of archi-
lecture, and would not be too expensive for
our means 1t would in my Judgment, be
noble and desirable structure
''But I would have it understood In this
instance, and always when l am hazarding
sentiment on these buildings, that pro-
fess to have no knowledge in architecture