The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-18
vIRGINIA'S OLD CAPITOL
THE INCREASED DEMANDS
 NECEssITATE MORE ROOM.
A New State House is to Be Erected, But the Historic old Building is to Be Preserved--Art
 Treasures Preserved.


 grand old building around which cluster so many historical associations and which Is so dear to the heart of every citizen of the Old Dominion The legislature has appropriated $1O0.000 to enlarge. nsodernize and renovate the classic old building, but provided explicitly In the bill that there shall be no change in the general plan and architectural design. The need fer this enlargement and renovation has long been felt and the action of the lestsia- ture meets with universal approval. For not only is the structure itself Jo,.nd by ties of affection to the hearts of she peo- pie of Virginia but in the rotunda stands the priceless piece of marble. Houdon's statue of Washington. the most exact re- production of ths form and features of the Father of his Country extant. Not only virginians. but every American a,;d admirer on distant lands. will breathe valuable work of art Is safe from fossi- bie destruction by fire and will be pre- served for the admiration of generations yet unbosn.
 While no definite plans have been drawn for the repairs and enlargement. 1t is known that the building will he gwen all practicable protection against the ravages of fire by the substitution of metal or tile floors for the present plank
 
 ceiling and the removal of all the wood work that can bo dispensed with. More over the building is to be enlarged to meet the growing need of the State for moro ample facilities for the conduct of legislative and executive business. What was once amply large for the Infant State is far too small for the Virginia of the twentieth century.
 The historic plan and outlines are to pc faithfully preserved in the enlargement, which will simply amount to an extension of the north front along the lines of the present building The plan is to extend the north front twenty feet. adding that much depth to the hall of the House of Delegates and greatly increasing the floor space of the apartments now occnpisd by the offices of the Governor and the Secre- tary of the Commonwealth.
 The capitol Is ono of the historic build ings of the country and within the ptsr- tals have occurred many of the most stirring events of the nations history. It's very walls are redoleirt with eloquence and are q shrine of freedom. Within them the fathers have lifted up their voice for liberty. A list of the great men who have here spoken would be master roll of honor longer than could be fur nished by any otherl State-yea, than any other country Washington. Jefferson. Mason. Madison, Barbour. Monroc-these are names to conjure with. Yet they gre but few of the great ones that Virginia gave to the country and who in their day and time have lifted up their voice In the historic walls of Yirginia's capi- tol. Here Aaron Burr. an president of the United States. was arraigned and tfied in 1897 before John Marshall, the greatest of American judges The scene when Burr arose to plead not guilty to the charge of treason was notable and dramatic in the grouping of the leading men of the day. Back of the statesmen and generals of the Revolution a small boy had climbed upon the large brass doorknob to see over the crowd From his position of vantage he saw 1t all Forty yearaA later the world knew him as General Winfield Scott. the hero of the Mexican War. Here assembled the convention of 1SeS-30. a body whose per- sonnel was tho equal of any that has ever assembled. Here assembled the convention that severed Virginia from the Union and cast her lot for better or worse with her sister Southern States Here later. the delegates from those States assembled as the Confederate Con- gress. Here met the convention of 1887 and framed the constitution under which the people of the State now live, and here last met the convention which Is still in session building for them new set of laws. Truly the old building has played a lafge part in the history of Virginia and of the nation.
 One of the most memorable occurrepces at the old building, where many memora- ble events have transpired. was the capi- tol disaster. in April. 1870. as 1t is known, when the floor above the House of Dele tntt Nor xuH n the floor below. Three or four hundred people, who were attending trial in the room then occupied as the Supreme Court of Appeals of the State, fell to the floor twenty-five feet below and some sixty-hve or more were killed and about 2Os tn- jured Among those who were in the room at the time was United States Se1a- tor John W. Daniel and many other men of prominence.
 The Capitol, the cornerstone of which was laid on August IS, 1875. was built af- ter a model sent from France by Thomas Jefferson. The Legislature convened in it the first time on October l9. 17s9, though it was not entirely completed. Thomas Jefferson wrote of 1t as follows: 'I was written to in 1Ts5 (being then in Paris) by directors appointed to superintend the building of a Capitol in Richmond. to advise them as to a plan. Thinking 1t 2 favorable opportunity of introducing into the State an example of architecture in the classic style of antiquity, and the Maison Quarree of Nismes. ah ancient Roman temple, being considered as the most perfect model existing of what may be called cubic architecture, I applied to M Clerissault, who had published draw ings of the antiquities of Nismes. to have me a model of the building made in stue co, only changing the order from Corin- thian to Ionic on account the dim culty of Cofinthian capitals. I yielded with reluctance to the taste of CleTtssault in his preference of the modern capital of ScamcGzl to the more noble capital of antiquity. To adapt the exterior to our use I drew a plan for the interior with the apartments necessary for legislative. executive and judiciary purposes, and accommodated in their size and distrihu' ton to the form of dimensions of the building. These were forwarded to the directors in 17s6 and were carried into execution with some variations not for the better: the most important of which. however. admit of future correction"
 The model sent by him is still in the State library. in an excellent state of preservation. and Is t miniature of the ferson writes of the building after which the Capitol was modelled: Here I am gazing whole hours at the MaisoR Quarree like a lover at his mistf ess"
 The entire cost of the structure was about Si300O0 Of American currency, but many appropriations heve been made since then for repairs and changes.
 The Capitoi is situated in a beautiful
 ,- ...i4t a, xyelvetv eOd of blue grass