The Washington times., 1903-06-19
MANSION TO SURPASS
ALL OTHERS IN CITY
Ambitious Plans of Senator
Clark of Montana.
ERECT REGAL PALACE
Foreign Architects Commissioned to De-
wise Structure That Will Meet the
Expectations of Western Croesus

Senator W. A. Clark, Of Montana,
whose millions have never yet been
held still enough. in their ceaseless
earning of interest. to discover how
rich he really is. is planning new con-
quests. with Washington as his field of
action. According to reports now cur
rent among The Senator's friends in
Washington. and believed to be well
founded. Mr.. Clark has finally deter
mined TO erect here the grandest man
sion ever contemplated for the National
Capital and one that will entirely
eclipse his own palatiaI mansion just
completed In New York
In the metropolis his house ranks
with those of Andrew Carnegie. Henry
Phipps, William c. Whitney and others
Of the millionaires who have built their
homes lately, and far surpasses :he
Vanderbuilt palaces erected nearly :wo
decades ago. Not content with equality
with the best houses in New York. Mr..
Clark's ambition for his Washington
home is that IL shall stand absolutely
in class by itself. unapproached by the
mansion of any other man.
In a Class by Himself.
Two reasons are assigned for the de-
lay in beginning construction since Nj
Clark came into possession Of the val
liable site on Dupont Circle, where for
merly stood Stewart Castle" for many
years occupied by the Chinese legation.
The first and most usual one is that ne
has not yet been able 10 obtain salts
factory drawings for the fine residence
he desires as his home here. The next
and more interesting statement now N
circulation among Mr.. Clsrk's friends
is that he has decided not to approve
the plans finally until he sees what has
been accomplished IN the residences now
in course OF construction by Thomas F.
Walsh and Larz Anderson, on Massa-
chusetts Avenue. within two blocks OF
his own site. Even the Townsend house
near By and the Letter mansion are to
be surpassed in every way or the plans
will not. 1t is said. meet with Mr. Clark's
approval
Two firms OF world-famous architects,
one in Paris and the other In London.
are said to be preparing competitive de-
tana Croesus. When these are sub
mitted TO him, Mr.. Clark will call for
revised plans should any details OF the
one rejected seem worthy Of inclusion
in the one approved. with practically
all the sites for grand mansions In the
vicinity of his new site occupied. Mr.
Clark will then be better able TO tell
how easy or how difficult il will be 10
surpass all his neighbors.
A Vast Architectural Pile.
The plans for Mr.. CIark's prospective
residence here are reported to contem-
plate mansion extending from Connec-
ticut Avenue. along the Dupont Circle
concave front, around Massachusetts
Avenue and including the site OF the
house now occupied by Mr.. Clark at the
Twentieth Street corner This would
give the Senator a ground area far In
excess OF even his most fortunate neigh
bors.
The development of the plans abroad
and the actual construction OF the man
sion Will consume at least two years.
That Mr. Clark's plans are we'll laid
for a social conquest. however. is in
dicated by his assignment just before
the adjournment OF Congress last spring
to membership in the Foreign Relations
Committee Of the Senate.