Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-31
THE TENTATIVE PLANS
Arrangement of Offices in New
District Building.
THE DETAILS GIVEN
FLOOR SPACE AS ALLOTTED BY
THE ARCHITECTS.
Report Made to'the Commissioners
The Working Drawings to Fol-
low at Early Date.


architects FOR the new District building.
set of tentative plans showing the arrange
ments for the various offices of the local
government departments on the different
floors of the structure There had been
previously a general assignment of space,
but the commission ia now Getting down 10
details and the indications are that working
drawings will soor be forthcoming.
Mr.. J. T. JAMESON representing Cope Il
Stewa rdson, brought the floor plans over
from Philadelphia personally and went
infinitely over them with Capt. Chester
Harding, assistant to tho Engineer Com
missioner and supervisor OF construction CT
the District building Capt. Harding sum-
rncned the heads Of the various District
departments for consultation regarding the
ARRANGEMENT of the space assigned to their
respective divisions. number OF minor
changes will be made In tbs. plans and Mr
Jameson has returned to Philadeiphla win
the drawings of the third. fourth and ffth
floors which will he revised In accordance
witt the suggestions made yesterday by IN
Commissioners and the heads OF depart
ments.
The new building IS to be FIVE stories ~
height wiki a basement. The basement pS
the way will have Il floor two or three
feet above the sidewalk level. A subbas'e
ment for machinery and storage purposes
viii he the only occupied space below t'ie
will be I'D a grand staircase on the f street
front. TIE entrance to the street floor q,
basement will he from l3i2 ana lfth
streets just south OF L street.
Greatest Demands in Basement.
The ba scnant floor had to meet the great
est demands for space. and 1t Is believed
that the ARRANGEMENT which has now been
made is the most convenient both from the
standpoint Of the District officials and the
public. The basement floor and the main
or first floor will extend around all four
sides of the building Above the first floor
the Offices will only extend along the north
east and west fronts. as the south front
Will he open for the purpos" OF admitting
light and air to the court
In tie basement the effort has been 10
make ARRANGEMENT for all those offices
which have to deal with the public In large
numbers These include the main portion
of the assessors office, where the tax bills
are 10 bc prepared and delivered, ana the
office, of the collector of taxes. where the
bills may he paid. Entering from the 18th
street side. the citizen Will at once ma the
assessors Office. which extends along the
entire 18th street front with the northwest
corner. a nine-fnot corridor runs in front
of the assessors office and leads immediate
ly into the tax collectors Office which ex-
tends along the south or l. street side or
the building and includes the southeast
corner. On the 1872 street side will be the
Office OF the disbursing officer, with d pri-
vate entrance from the street. Huge vaults
are provided both for the collector of taxes
and for the disbursing officer. The water
registrars office where water bills are pre-
pared and delivered, is on the h street front
of the basement, and includes the north
west corner. The board of charities has a
room on the northeast corner for the trans
action of the business Of attending to pau
pcrs and assigning sick people TO the Varl-
GUS institutions The health department
viii have several rooms. including one for
the detention Of any person suspected or
smallpox ur other contagious disease, in the
basement. The heating plant VIII ba locat-
ed in the court area. Rooms Will be pro-
vidcd for police and fire department store
rooms. bicycles, etc.
General Offices. Police Department.
Entering the main floor from the main
entrance will be found TO the right the
general offices of the police department, in
Guiding the detective bureau. The police
department rooms include the northwest
corner The building department Will eA
tend from the left of the main entrance on
the Z street side all the way around and
along 49,. street. through to ID street. The
assessor will have the entire south front
on this floor. with the exception of the
southwest corner, and his offices will also
extend half way around the 18th street
side. Mr.. Darneille. the assessor. VIII have
his private Office this floor, and the
offices OF the assistant assessors excise
board and personal tax appraisers will also
be included IN the space assigned To the
assessor
The fire department will be located in
rooms facing on the court at the west side.
The inspector of plumbing will have CORE
spending the east side Of the
court.
On the second floor the auditors Office
will extend along the 1919 street side. The
health department Will have the r. street
front. Major Sylvester superintendent Of
police, will have private office on the
14th street side of this moor. and the per
nit clerk will also have offices along that
front. The insurance department will have
rooms on the east side OIL the court and
the inspector Of gas and meters VIII be ON
the east side OF the court.
The Three Upper Floors.
The third fourth and fifth floors will cor
respond somewhat with the arrangement of
offices on the same floors in the present Dis
trict building. rented structure on Louisi-
ana avenue. The third floor will include
the sewer and water departments, the
perintendent of property. the Office Of the
captain of engineers serving assistant to
to the supervision OF the sewer and water
departments. Captain Harding Is the off,
cial in charge of these departments at pres
ent. The third floor will also include the
street cleaning department and the oilice OF
| the sealer OF weights and measures. The
| corporation counsel may also have Offices
on this floor.
The fourth floor Is to be given over prin-
cipally to the surface division. of which
| Captain H. c. Newcomer. assistant to the
| Engineer Commissioner, Is at present in
| charge Here will be the offices Of the ensi-
| offices OF the District surveyor lat present
| In thu CITY Hall buildinRo and the offlca of