Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-03-22
FOR THE BIG
EXPOSITION

SOAAC III ~ hhiiSo oDONG Tie DTtStuJ /
city of Norfolk, Va, and established
the first permanent English-speaking
colony on this continent. They call
ed 1t James Fort, which subsequently
becames James Town. They fought
the Indians, were m~assacred, built
stockades, erected a hcurch, the tow
err of which still stands. spread Chris
tianity, became acquainted with po-
tatoes, were initiated to the delights
of tobacco, formed a government,
multiplied and thrived, and finally
established the colony Of Virginia
and laid a firm foundation for the
greatness and prosperity of the ma
ton.
To commemorate all this, the
Jamestown Exposition has been built
and will be maintained from April
26 to December l on a beautiful spot
on the seashore overlooking Hampton
Roads, about five miles from Norfolk.
It's promoters set forth that the ex-
position Is to be of a historical and
educational character. Certainly few
places with more historical associa-
lions could be found on the CONT
nent. Beginning with bold Captain
John Smith (who was in one of the
original three b%oatloads), and Poca-
hontas (who saved Johns life, and
whom we all felt as If we almost
knew personally when we were study
ing history at SCHOOL,, this part of
the country is linked to a continuous
chain of stirring events that have cut
deep notches into our national gene
illogical tree. Even now, the counties
in that part of Virginia bear the good
old English names of Surrey, Sussex,
Middlesex, York, Essex, Warwick.
etc, and that part of Chesapeake Bay
right off the exposition grounds
where, among other notable conflicts,
the Monitor fought the Merrimac,
must be fairly paved with Federal
and Confederate cannon balls.
All this makes a. fine background
for a fair, and the fair itself, In It's
physical aspect, promises to be wor-
thy of its setting.
From an architectural standpoint
the jamestown Exposition is to be
thoroughly American. While he can
not yet boast of a national style of
architecture, the colonial type is suf-
ficiently individual and distinctive to
be claimed and accepted as American.
The design of the exhibition building
is almost consistently colonial. There
are no turrets or towers, no domes or
minarets, p%innacles, ~buttresses, and
other freaks of fancy; no long
stretches of garish white buildings,
decked out with w~edding-cake trim
mings and despatched with colored
lights until they resemble Christmas
trees. On the contrary, all the build
ings are low, both In stature and in
color tones. Few raise their roofs
above the tree-tops, while the most
of them, being built of Harvard
brick, trimmed with terra-cotta, and
fitted with such simple ornaments as
the long, low roof balustrade or bas-
relief panels, give a subdued color eff
feet most pleasing to the eye and
thoroughly novel to exposition archi-
lecture.
The general plan of the grounds is,
to a certain extent, similar to that of
other pleasure cities that have gone
before-a central court surrounded
by the more important or imposing
buildings. At jamestown this court
is framed on three sides only by
buildings, whereas the fourth rests
on the waterfront with two great
piers, two hundred feet wide, stretch
ing out nearly half a mile into the
bay. These piers have towers at the
far ends and are poined by a bridge,
thus enclosing a basin some forty
acres in area. This body of water is
called Smith Harbor, in honor of the
original John, and here will be held
the aquatic contests that are TO form
an important part of the exposition's
athletic attractions. The basin will
also serve as a harbor and landing
place for small craft, motor boats and
the launches from the warships. The
piers are being built by the govern
ment and form a part of the national
exhibit.
If you should arrive at the expo
sition in a small boat you would step
/ dSuOTO lTOul OullIu I1dIDOI DIT DloCON-
cry Landing and find yourself stand
ing in Raleigh Square, looking down
a broad vista of low symmetrical Co
lonial buildings toward the auditori-
UNI. To the right and to the left,
stretching along the shore of Ches-
peake Bay, are the state buildings
Pennsylvania, a replica of indie
~pendence Hall; Massachusetts, a
counterpart of the original State
House in Boston, where the Consti-
tuition of the United States was adopt
ed; Ohio's an exact reproduction OF
the first stone house built west OF
the Alleghanies; Georgia's, a repro.
duction of Bullock Hall, where Presi-
dent Roosevelt's mother was born;
and at the far end of the line in a
thick grove of tall pines, Kentucky's
state exhibit-Daniel Boone's for
and stockade. Such of the state
buildings as are not replicas of his
toric or public buildings are in many
instances models of the homes of vel