Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-26
PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Also Grounds Owned by the
Government.
COL. BROMWELLREPOR
WORK DONE DURING THE LAST
FISCAL YEAR.
Both on the Executive Mansion and in
the Parks-Estimates for
Next Year.
COL, CROMWELL REPORTS

Col. Charles g. Bromwell, the engineer
officer in charge of public buildings and
grounds. today submitted to General Mac
kenzie. chief of engineers, a full and COM
plete report of operations for the care,
preservation and improvement of public
parks, reservations, etc, during the past
fiscal wear. Summarizing the work at
the executive mansion the report says
that the entire exterior of the mansion
and of the Presidents Office building was
painted and much miscellaneous painting
done about the interior of the mansion
The cloak boxes in the east terrace were
remodeled revolving door placed at
the northeast entrance to the terrace and
a white marble basin placed around the
fountain on the roof of each terrace.
new hot-water radiator was placed In
one of the attic rooms. Two new orna-
mental iron lamps with six electric lights
each were placed at the entrance to the
diplomatic waiting room from under the
south portico. An auxiliary fire alarm
system was introduced. a new police pa
troll register system installed and full
complement of new fire extinguishers
purchased. Thirty-three of the larger
oil portraits of the Presidents, etc, were
cleaned and their frames repaired and re-
"A
welt with frame was purchased and hung
in the mansion. Considerable new furnt-
ture was purchased and old furniture
was repaired and renovated. set of new
granite steps was erected in the north
east corner of the north front areaway.
New asphalt pavements were laid on the
roadwayS north of the east and west ter
races, and under the portico of the east
terrace, and the driveway leading to that
portico changed from a gravel roadway
to macadam road. An inventory of the
public property in the mansion brought
up to date was prepared. Extensive re-
the Presidents stables. An additional
greenhouse structure and four additional
plant frames were constructed at the
propagating gardens alongside the other
greenhouses there. A colonial flower
garden was laid out at the south side of
the east terrace and one at the south
side of the west terrace.
The Public Grounds.
The operations in the public grounds are
summarized as follows:
Twenty-one park spaces and parts of
two others were separated from, and TWEEN
ty park spaces were added to. the park sys-
tenn. Two unimproved reservations were
partially improved and four previously
partially improved were still further i'm
proved. Cement coping constructed around
1O,sO9 feet with 1877 corner posts at en-
frances to walks. Fifty-two flower beds
planted in the autumn with 10000 bulbs and
plants for spring bloom and 2O6 planted in
the spring with OH, IA plants for summer
decoration. Twenty-four thousand square
yards of sod laid to restore worn portions
of lawn surfaces Ninety-two trees and
granite placed around the mound at the
base of the statue of General Logan in
Iowa Circle. The grassed oval in the
Presidents Park white Lott opened to
of thereon The Naval or Peace" Mon
ument at Pennsylvania avenue and 1st
street northwest placed under the jurisdic-
ton of this office and the ground about it
improved A new frame building for a tool
house. work shop and Office room erected
in Garfield Park. Eight hundred and
ninety two trees, shrubs and plants planted
in the grounds of the Library of Congress
In the Capitol grounds the ornamental beds
on the north, south and west terraces
planted with 1886 summer Towering and
ornamental foliage bedding plants, the
eighteen large bronze vases surrounding
the balustrades of the west terrace planted
with ornamental palms, plants and vines
and 4,OS2 ornamental trees, shrubs and
plants purchased for the grounds and
planted temporarily at the propagating
gardens until sufficiently developed for per-
manent planting in the Capitol grounds
Additional band concerts arranged for the
summer, so that commencing with June /
1904, concert was given in some one of
the parks each day in the week excepting
Sunday. The work of constructing a
macadam roadway in Potomac Park from
18th and streets northwest to MARYLAND
avenue and 14th street northwest COM
pleted, and the roadway opened to public
travel on October 10. 1904; lie grading Of
the grounds, with the exception of the area
between the new roadway and the propa-
ga ting gardens substantially completed:
about 1000 feet of bride path constructed
and an iron pipe fence 2, 7O7 feet in length
constructed along the top of the revet-
ment wall on the east side Of the tidal
reservoir.
Development Of L'Enfant's Plan.
Col Cromwell refers to the fact that his
Office has in its files, the old records of
parks, maps, deeds of transfer and the orig
inal LEnfant map of Washington, and a
well-equipped garden plant, all tending to
show. he says. that up to the present, the
care and maintenance of the
parks as laid out by l. Enfant and approved
by President Washington, have been car
ried out according to the direction of, and
appropriation made by Congress 1t is
along these historic lines, he says. that
new endeavor should be ENCOURAGED and
expansion carried on.
The future development of the park sys-
tenn of the city of Washington has received
the attention of his Office for a number
of years, and studies of a comprehensive
character have been prepared, not only for
the improvement If the parks within the
city limits, but also for connecting them
with those in the suburbs.
Col Cromwell says that the Improvement
Of the reclaimed fats now known as Po-
tomac Park, in connection with the beau
of the mall on lines proposed by
l. Enfant, and later by this office, is a sub
ject well worthy the serious attention of
Congress.
The area covered by the park spaces of
the District Of Columbia under the charge
of his Office is 426, 222 acres. There are in
all 3O2 reservations, varying In size from
$50 square feet to 81 acres
Estimates for Next Year.
The total estimates for the fiscal year