Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-18
100000 INCREASE
Recommended by Municipal
Building Commission.
COST OF THE BUILDING
REPORT MADE TO CONGRESS RE-
GARDING THE AWARD.
Recommended That Additional Site
Space Be Secured-Four-Story
Building Preferred.

The commission named to take charge of
tie construction of the new District build
ing, consisting of the Secretary of the
Tro asury and the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia, today made a report
to Congress of the opening of the plans sub
nitted in the competition which ended last
week. The commission forwards the re-
port of the board Of award which judged
the contest 1t is recommended to Con-
gress that the appropriation for the build
ing be increased by $10OO,OO0. AS $500, 600
Is availabl under the act of the last ses-
sion of Congress, the increase would bring
tie total cost of the building itself up to
81, 10000. The commission further trans
mits the recommendation of the board Of
award that additional space be secured and
the building limited to four stories in
height instead Of six. 1t is suggested that
the additional ground might be secured by
tie closing of d street at the rear Of the
sic ard the purchase of property In the
square south of D street
The report of the commission in full
which has been sent in duplicate to Speaker
Henderson of the House of Representatives
and Senator William p Frye, president pro
tempore of the Senate, is as follows:
Section 6 of the act Of Congress APP
proved June 6. 1902. entitled An act to in
crease the limit of cost Of certain public
buildings, to authorize the purchase Of sites
for public buildings, to authorize the erec-
ton and completion of public buildings, and
for other purposes authorizes the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury to acquire, for sum
not exceeding s550.OO0. a site for a munich
pal building for the city of Washington.
A Further Provision.
The act further provides that:
'Whent the Secretary Of the Treasury
shall have completed the purchase Of said
site he and the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia, acting Jointly, shall pro-
coed at once to contract for the erection
and completion thereon of a fre-proof
building for the accommodation of the mu-
nicipal and other offices of the District of
Columbia. the total cost of said building,
including cost Of site. not to exceed one
81 800, 600
"In pursuance of the above authority the
Secretary of the Treasury purchased for
$55O,0oO square No. 255 in said city, which,
with other expenses. left about $500, 600
available for the erection Of the building.
The Secretary Of the Treasury and the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia
acting jointly as a commission, determined
to procure an architect and plans for the
building by means of a limited competition,
and Mr.. James Knox Taylor supervising
architect of the treasury, was appointed as
professional adviser.
"A program was drawn from data furnish
ed by the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia, in such detail as was possible.
showing the exact amount of floor space
necessary to accommodate the District Of
fees; this Information was based on the
amount of floor space needed for present
force and an increase of 25 per cent to meet
future requirements. The architects were
called upon to design a building which
should not cost over 100000
"A committee of award, composed of the
Engineer Commissioner of the District Of
Columbia, the supervising architect of the
treasury and Messrs. D. H. Buruham
George B. Post and Robert S. Peabody,
well-known architects, were appointed to
Judge the competition. Twelve architects
We're selected to compete, OF which seven
were local architects. The drawings were
opened on December II, in the presence of
Inc committee of award, which made it's
report to the commission"
Given in Detail.
The commission then details the report
of the committee of award which, after
designating the successful design, says:
We respectfully submit that it is evil
dent from consideration Of all of the de
signs that an entirely satisfactory design
for municipal building cannot be made
for lot of such small dimensions; that it
Is necessary that the structure shall be six
stories high. We. therefore, recommend
that, II possible, larger lot shall be secured
so that the building need not be more than
four stories high in which case we are sat
isffed by the character of his work that the
architect selected is competent to make an
entirely satisfactory design. The amount
of the appropriation is evidently inadequate
to secure the construction of the number
Of cubic feet of building required for your
building, unless the exterior walls are
plain brickwork and the interior finish is
that of a factory
After quoting this the commission con-
tinues:
THE successful architects were Cone e,
Stewardson of Philadelphia.
''As stated by the committee of award
and as is well known by architects and
builders, no building of the size necessary
for the offices of the government of the
District of Columbia, which will need some
what more than 100000 cubic feet, can be
built for 100000. unless of the plainest
description and of style unsuitable to a
building for such a purpose. The cost Of
building suitable to the needs Of the Dis
trict will be between 40 and 45 cents a
cubic foot, making total of nearly So, OOO-
600, and the commission would earnestly
request that the limit of cost of the build
ing and site be increased to $2500,00O.
which is an increase of 81 100000 over the
amount at present authorized.
Site Regarded as Too Small.
1.-The committee of award makes the
ton Of Congress Is too small to accomme-
date the size of building desired as the
needs Of the District government would
necesstate a six-story building, and it is
their opinion that a building of this char
acter should not be more than four stories.
The act of Congress authorizing the pur-
chase of the site and the erection of the
building, also authorized the closing of Z.
street lying between square 2J5 and Penn
sylvania avenue and the use of the street
for the purpose of the erection of the
building, but this is considered undesirable
as it would detract from the architectural
appearance of the building and the general
effect of Pennsylvania avenue. The in
crease In the size of the site could be ac-
complished by the purchase of part of the
square to the south of the present site and
the closing of d street between 1872 and
14th streets"
The report is signed by Secretary Leslie
M. Shaw and Commissioners mcfarland,
West and Biddle.
ChanOac NJ a., rto r<o