Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-11
QUEEN ANNE's oRANGERY.
Great Britain Historical Worlds Fair
 Building.

Building.
 St Louis. Aug 1.-The orangery, one
 of the most beautiful of the buildings
 in the gardens surrounding the historic
 Kensington palace, the birthplace of the late Queen Victoria, is to be repro
 duced as the British national building
 at the worlds fair, St Louis.
 The orangery is considered by Eng
 fish critics as one of the most beauu-
 full examples of renaissance archltec-
 ture in London, if not in all England.
 It is in truth an ideal representation of
 the Queen Anne style of architecture, for the plans were drawn by Sir Chris
 topher Wren under direct orders rom Queen Anne and revised and approved
 by her. The work of construction was
 begun in 1704. The orangery was de- | signed for greenhouse and since lt
 was built POO years ago, 1t has never
 been surpassed as specimen of garden architecture. It was more than green house and not only was treasure | house for the queens choicest plants
 and flowers, but was place where the | queen aai her favored attendants de- | lighted to retire and indulge in quiet l conference over their cups Of tea.
 The beauty of Queen Anne's orangery
 was appreciated in the time immediate l ly succeeding its erection. With the | steady decline in taste during the
 Georgian epoch it fell into disregard,
 and when the court deserted Kensing-
 ton, in 1760, the orangery was aDan- l dohed to complete neglect.
 l Early in the nineteenth century l critics saw the beauty of the garden | {&ra 1 An attempt at partial restoration was
 made, and one writer said in 1920 that ! it was filled with a choice collection of
 his ma1estys exotic plants. The same
 writer said the orangery was originally
 built by Queen Anne for a banqueting l house. but the highest authorities say | that this is not true.
 l It was on the occasion Of her SOth
 birthday celebration that Queen Vic | toria decided to open to the public the | state aparment and the grounds sur 1 rounding Kensington palace, the place ! where she was born on May A, lSlS. l It was in this palace where the la mented Victoria passed the early years ! c.SSSher life, and where she was when ! her accession to the throne was an- l rlounced. Here it was that she first met the prince consort and was wooed l by him. The place was filled with l plea sarlt memories and she desired to | have the place and grounds open to her | subjects.
 This was the occasion for the com l plete restoration of the oragnery, one | of the delightful spots of Kensington. ] Every piece of the old carving had been ] treasured up, cleaned, repaired and patched in with scrupulous care. The | woodwork had originally been painted l white, but it was decided that as the I wood was oak, richly and quaintly l carved. 1t would be better to have the l natural wood finish and thus retain all l the sharpness of the delicate chiseling ] of the fo1iated capitals, architraves and cornices It was eventually decided to
 stain the interior woodwork with q l tone of color like oak. This staining
 alone involved several processes wash | ing down vinegaring over to take out
 lime stains, sizing to keep the stain 1 from penetrating the wood, staining, vanishing and flat vanishing.
 | The total exterior length of the build l ing is I'll feet and the width thirty-two l feet. Tn Kensington the orangery l fronts the south, with the palace for l the background. In the worlds fair l grounds the reproduction fronts east l with Administration palace, a splendid l building of the familiar Tudor-G Gothic architecture, forming fitting back 1 ground. As a specimen of an unaf- l fectedly ornamental exterior of brick l the front elevation, aiming rather at
 simplicity and plain dignity than mag
 nifcence or grandeur, is admirable In | the center is section more elaDorately l treated than the rest, with four rusti-
 cated pillows supporting an entablature l of the Doric order. Above the cornice, | over the central doorway, is a semi | circular window. apparently designed 1 to give light to the roof On each side 1 of the central section are four high windows, with sashes filled with small
 panes of glass. At each end are slight l ly projecting wings, or bays, with win dow doors extra high, and reaching to the floor level, to admit tall grown
 oranges and other plants. These are l fianked by rusticated piers. A similar
 arrangement of windows and niches IS
 repeated at the ends of the building. l The main building at St Louis will be made larger than the original by the construction of wings extending back
 from either end. On the lower floor
 will be offices and rooms for visitors.
 In a large room on the ground floor will
 be the banquet hall where elaborate l functions will be held.
 l Great Britain's participation in the l worlds fair at St Louis is on a most | comprehensive scale. The commlsslon'
 besides obtaining commanding site
 for the British government building,
 has obtained space in all departments
 for extensive displays.
 Great Britain will contribute to the
 worlds fair the largest collection or
 art she has ever exhibited. The com
 mittee is composed largely or members | and associates of the Royal academy,
 and all of the noted English painters
 and sculptors will send their latest and
 best works.
 Five of the members of the British
 commission are well known members
 of the London Automobile club which A>m W