Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-08
Plans for Beautify ing Capital
Discussed in the Senate
WASHINGT ON'S IDEA
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE MAY BE
SITE OF NEW BUILDINGS.
Care to Be Taken to Preserve Beauty Of
the Mall-Suggestion offered
to Locate 0fices.

in the Senate today. Senator Newlands
called up his bill introduced yesterday pro-
viding that building line be established
through the mall from the Capitol to the
monument, preserving an open space of 800
feet between buildings that may be erected
on both sides of the mall. Mr.. Newlands
very clearly stated that he favored placing
buildings on Pennsylvania avenue rather
than on the mall. his concern for the mall
space. as indicated by his BILL being for the
purpose of a wise precaution against an
encroachment on the SO0-foot space in the
case of such buildings as may be built I'M
der existing law.
The Agricultural Department building, SO
far as he was concerned, he would have
preferred to see on the south side OF PENN
sylvania avenue.
Ncwlands asked for immediate considera-
ton of his bill. but 1t was soon developed
that it would be preferable to have go &c
the committee ON the District OF CoiumDla'
and Senator Gallinger, who was present.
said that he would see that 1t received
prompt attention.
Senator Gallinger did not commit himself
t. any special tSa atn nail 81 e say.
Ing that that would be matter for discus
sion in the committee
Follows Original Plan.
Senator Newlands reviewed the work OF
the park commission, saying that Its plans
had followed closely the lines laid down by
Gen. Washington and carried out by Len
FAINT That original plan, he said, had pro-
vided for the mall space to be open width
of 600 feet between north B and south b
streets. That had been modified by the
parking commission to the extent Of pro-
posing a width of 800 feet, allowing space,
If the government should need it. for build
ings on either side Of the Mall. THE ne
cessiay of the bill, Mr.. Newlands said, was
made prominent at this time by the propo-
sition to place the building for the Depart
ment of Agriculture in such way as 20
reduce this central space of lawn to wv
feet
He wished it clearly understood. he said,
that there was no proposition to have this
lawn space converted into a boulevard, as
had been frequently enormously stated
The boulevard idea was one or the things
evolved in the plans of L'Enfant. but that
was not adopted by the park commission.
Instead of the proposed boulevard there
would be a great lawn, 300 feet wide,
through the mall from the Capitol to the
monument, and on each side of this lawn
would be planted rows of elm trees forty
five feet apart. A roadway on each side of
the 800 feet space would be provided along
the building lines established in case the
government should wish to have public
buildings there. Mr.. Newlands spoke in
complimentary terms of the accomplish
menus OF the members OF the park COM
mission. They had, he said, merely follow
ed the original ideas of Washington, and
it was a question now whether those ideas
should be carried out eventually or
whether buildings should be constructed in
the mall in a way to prevent that being
done.
BY reducing the space between building
lines to 600 feet, as proposed by the House
committee on agriculture, the view of the
monument from the Capitol would be in
terrupted. The government had already
he said, got rid of the Pennsylvania rail
road station on the mall at a cost of 49,
0O0, 000 toward which amount the District
Of Columbia had contributed. Since then
1t has ordered two public buildings, one
for the Department of Agriculture and
the other for the National Museum, to be
located on the mall The appropriation for
the Department of Agriculture was ST.
100000 and for the National Museum build
ing, S3500,000. 1t was essential, he said
that these buildings that it had already
be given proper sites. so not to inter-
fere with the future development of that
space.
Mr.. Newlands said that there was a very
general sentiment in this city. in Congress
and out. favoring the south side of Penn
sylvania avenue for public buildings in or
der that it might be rescued from it's pres
ent deplorable condition The sentiment of
Congress has been crystalized on that idea,
and was one in favor of purchasing all that
property between the mall and Pennsyl-
vania avenue from the capitol to the Treas
ury Department. There were twenty-five
or twenty-SiX blocks in that area and
eventually they would all be needed for
public buildings. The park commission ap-
proved that plan.
1t had been stated that the plans of the
park commission, If carried out would cost
s2O0,OO0O00 He had no idea where such
an estimate could come from. and supposed
1t also included the cost of buildings that
the government would erect for its uses
a nd fOr 10nI1 re fhot ,fchf n1,f
The preservation of the park features of
that plan he said, would cost very little.
The stretch of land between the Capitol
and the monument would require very little
elm trees and the construction of two mar
row roads on either side of them would be
very small.
He hoped the committee on the District
of Columbia would give consideration to
this bill and see that some building line is
established through them all because the
degree of encroachment could not be fore
told unless action of that kind was taken.
Favor the Avenue.
Senator Gallinger said that his committee
would take this matter up at once. So far
as he was concerned he favored locating
the buildings the government might need
on the south side of Pennsylvania avenue.
Senator Newlands agreed with Mr.. Gal
linger as to the desirability of having pub
lie buildings there. He thought that about
Lafayette square would probably be build
ings in which the official family Of the
President would have their offices, such as
the main buildings for the executive depart
ments.
About the Capitol grounds and on Capitol
Hill buildings should be reserved for the
legislative and judicial branches of the gov
ernment. The Library of Congress was
there very properly. and beside 1t there
should be Supreme Court building. On
either side of the Capitol grounds there
should be buildings, respectively, for the
Senate and House of Representatives.
On the south side of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. there would be need for many govern
ment structures of handsome nature. The
geographical survey had become very large,
and should have building on the south
side of the avenue.
There would be other structures of that
kind needed by the government and they
should be located there. He believed that
1t would only be few years before expo
sitions would be held in this city every ten
years, as they are in Paris. and the mall
would be the proper place for such EXPOSE
tons. He believed that on the mall would
be found sites also for permanent EXPOSE
ton buildings in connection with the Ma
Mus