The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-02-15
PLANS Of BUILDING
At SOLDIERS HOhE.
Biggest Dormitory and Mess
Hall III United States.
BIG U-sHAPED DINING ROOM
Structure to Be Fiseproof, and WIZ
Be Erected by the War
Department.

architects Baldwin & Pennington, OF
baltimore are sending out plans and
specifications for what is said TO be
the largest mess hall and dormitory
buildine ever erected in the United
States.
The structure is to be one of the
eroup of buildings at the Soldiers Home
here and will be erected by the war
Department The commission to plan
the structure was the result of com
petition among architects throughout
the country.
The building will be four stories high,
with basement and attic, and VIII De
f1reproef in every particular. 1t will
be 2so feet long by 200 feet wide and
will cover an area equal TO an entire
city block.
Romanesque Style.
The structure is designed in the F<o-
manesque style of architecture and VIII
be built of white me-.ble. TO conform III
style with the surrounding buildings OF
the Soldiers Home
The approach TO this building, which
is in the form OF park south OF the
sherman Building, leads to the main
entrance. which is Romanesaue az
eaIie forming an attractive feature To
the three large central doorways5 these
orer, through marble vestiDuies into
the large entrance hall or foyer = feet
seep. y feet wide. Is feet high. nlisned
in white marble walls and floors. with
a wide monumental stairway at each
end Of the hail. These two stalrways
meet upon one landing. which forms q
band gallery overlooking the main DIN
ing hall
U-Shaped Dining Room.
This foyer leads to the large dining
hall. which is formed in the shape OF a
L. fifty feet wide by twenty-five feet
high. ard If extended in a straight line
would form a room $50 feet long This
dining nall, which is the principal object
OF the building and arranged 60 seat
1.50o persons at one time. is finished with
terrazzo floors and marble wssInseoting.
with buff brick walls above.
The dining hall opens through three
large eoorways inte the scuileries and
kitchen, the latter OF which Is 81 feet
wide by 20 feet long by Is feet hIgn, ana
contains the large ranges. IoasIers. ket-
ties. steamers, ovens, etc, SuIHciehl 70
provide meals for the larger NUMBER OF
persons to be served at one time, nd
than than any hotel kitchen. The scui-
Ieres and kitchen are finished in ter
razzo floors, with white enamenel brick
walls above, are lighted with large SKY
lights above and ventilated with fan
drafts into large stack twelve feet
square.
Big Baking Plant.
On this same floor and back Of the
kitchen are located the bakery. with two
large ovens: the grocery, meat, bread.
and flour rooms, the latter of which are
connected with coid-storage rooms and
refrigerators, supplied by refrigeration
from a plant in a separate building.
The upper floors are arranged with
large sitting halls, bedrooms. corridors,
linen rooms, barber shop. .layatorIes,
toilet rooms, and separate bathrooms
The sitting halls are finished IN mar
BILE and buff brick. The barber shop
layatorieS, toilet rooms, and bathrooms
der of the building IN quartered white
oak with plastered walls
Fireproof Building
The entire building IS fireproof, con
structed with terra Gotta floors and
partitions carried on structural steel
and finished with a slate roof. 1t will
be equipped with all the modern ap
plianees for cooking and serving. witt
standpipes hose reels. pumps. etc, fol-
fire protection -Four large. modern
electrically equipped elevators are con
proved signals and electrical control
lers
The building will be heated by aiFec
and Indirect steam supplied from cen
= trail plant in a separate building, ant
the ventilation will be accomplished
throughout by the use of electric fans
odors from kitchen and sculIerfes being
-. chs