Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-01
CHINESE LEGATION
MINISTER LIANGE NEW HOME
READY FOR HIM.
Handsome Structure at, the Corner Of
10th Street and Vernon
Avenue.

When Sir Shentung Liang Cheng, the
Chinese minister, returns to this city from
the dedicatOry ceremonies of the Louisi-
ana purchase exposition at st. Louis he
will go directly to his new legation home,
corner of 10Th street and Vernon avenue.
Just before leaving the city for his west
ern trip Minister Liang moved his personal
effects into the new building, although 1t
had not yet been completed. His daughter
and young sons also moved in, the second
story of the building being completed be-
fore the conclusion Of work on the first
floor.
Not all of the members of the legation
have yet moved into the new building,
some of them still being in the house at
the corner of 18th and Q streets. The
Schneider house which has been occupied
by the minister of China for some years
was rented furnished so that it is nee
essary for the minister to provide new
furnishings for his new home.
In the Schneider house were quite num-
ber of pictures, large vases and bric-a -brac,
together with some very. fine examples of
Chinese furniture brought to this country
by former ministers. These are now being
taken to the new house. - There are also
on the way here from China, if not already
landed in this country, numerous boxes of
choice household goods for the home of the
new minister. Other necessary furniture
is now being purchased from local dealers
to complete the house for its tenants.
The new home of the Chinese legation is
of the EliZabethan style. The house COW
ers an area of about so by 81 feet, which in
cludes place for automobiles, Minister
WI, who designed the house, being a great t
admirer of the automobile and the posses
sor of one of then. The house faces the
-outF and is arranged with especial refer
ence having as many as possible of the
rooms face in that direction.
Practically Two Houses.
The entire structure is practically two
houses joined together. the part to the
south and on Vernon avenue being for the
personal use of the minister and his fam
ily All of their bed rooms have fine views,
the minister's bed room overlooking the
city.
The main entrance is on the south of the
house, the entrance of the legation being
on 18th street The northern part of the
house, which is entered from 10Th street, is
for the attaches of the legation. That part
of the house is entirely distinct from the
minister's quarters except for communicat-
ing doors. The living and sleeping quarters
in that part of the building are in no way
dependent upon the main legation building.
For the attaches there are fourteen bed
rooms.
In the case of the Chinese legation it is
required that every one attached to the
minister's household shall live within the
legation walls. That is also the case with
the Corean legation, but the same rule is
not adopted by any other of the foreign
legations in this city.
A distinctive feature of the house Is the
open hallway, open to the roof, adding air
and light to a portion of the house other
wise likely to be dark. This necessitates a
balcony around the second floor, from
which the entrance can be plainly seen The
house is now pleasing in appearance, but
when the florist, who has extensive plans
and entrance, has completed his worF the
structure will be shown off to still greater
advantage.
Wanted an American House.
The legation house was designed by Mr..
Waddy B. Wood, the architect, under the
personal direction of Minister WI, who had
some ideas of his own In a general way
about the kind of house he wanted for
the Chinese government. Minister WI did
not take kindly to the suggestion that a
Chinese room be made one Of the features
of the house. He wanted an American
house. and there is nothing about the
structure to suggest anything else. The
plans that were made for the structure
were a source of wonder to the minister
who watched them as they grew. In China
the architect has his plans in his head. He
knows how to build the house before he be-
gins. In fact, when he becomes an archi-
tect he has memorized all the plans he will
ever use For that reason the plans for
the american house the first of the kind
that has been seen by Minister Wu. were
works of wonder.