Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21
NEW BUILDING READY
District About to Occupy
Municipal Structure.
DEDICATION 4TH OF JULY
Imposing in Appearance and
Thing of Beauty.
ASSIGNMENT OF THE SPACE
Commissioners Will Be Located on
the Fifth or Administration
Iloor-Other Details.
ASSIGNMENT OF THE SPACE

the handsome white marble home of the
District government, at 18th street and
PENNSYLVANIA avenue, to be known as the
municipal building. is completed and
with the exception of few minor in
terror touches. is ready for occupancy.
The big structure will house the vari-
Gus branches of the local government
within three weeks from today. and the
duties performed for many years in the
present official home of the District au-
thorities, in Louisiana avenue, will hence
forth be fulfilled in the new building.
Constructed With Care
Possibly no edifice has been constructed
in the District during the present genera
ton that has inspired more real interest
and is the cause for more pride on the
part of the citizens of the nations CAPT
tai than the new municipal building. The
dedication. the Fourth of July. will be a
memorable occasion, according to the
plans of the citizens committee in charge
The building is considered as handsome
as any public structure in Washington.
and compares most favorably with any
other municipal building in the United
States
Aside from the fact of being decidedly
thing of beauty in design and general
architecture, this building was carefully
constructed. Every precaution was taken
to avoid mistakes. The foundation is of
concrete.
The building is of imposing appearance.
1t is treated from an architectural stand
point in columnar style throughout. the
rear elevation being practically the same
in design as the front. The columns eX
tend either side as we'll as on the
front and rear 1t is believed that in the
future the rear of the building will be
almost equally as prominent as the front.
Cost Two and Half Millions. /
The plans for the building were drawn
by Cope & Stewardson of Philadelphia, |
and the actual work of construction was
commenced in April. 1904. The munich
pal building construction cost nearly |
% s2.500.O0o.
The building is so arranged that Of
fees in the basement are practically on
the street level The tax collectors of |
flee will occupy the entire south front
of the basement, having entrances open |
ing from the street. The disbursing |
officer has his quarters on the east front
of the basement, with private entrance |
through vestibule. The water office !
will occupy the northeast corner and a
portion of the north front of the base |
ment. The permit clerk has Office |
at the southeast corner. Eight eleva- |
tors connect the basement with the up |
per stories.
The police department has been al |
lotted five rooms in the basement and |
the fire department like number open |
ing onto interior court Three in |
terror rooms III the basement nave UccH |
assigned to the board of charities. A
bicycle room is in the front part of the I
basement. On the first floor are three |
additional offices for the assessors de- |
partment. The excise board has hve
rooms in the northwest corner. The |
building department is to occupy the east |
half of the front Of the first floor and |
practically the entire east front The |
auditors department is to occupy a |
suite of rooms extending across the |
south front. The plumbing inspector
has three large rooms facing on the |
court.
On the Second Floor.
On the second floor the police depaSt-
Iment will occupy the entire Pennsylvania |
avenue front and all but one room on
the east front. The health department
is assigned the entire south front of
this floor, and the inspector Of gas and
meters has FIVE rooms on the west front
Three rooms on the court are assigned
to the sealer OF weights and measures,
two to the coroner and two to the
health department, with connections
from below.
is arranged to accommodate the superin-
tendent of the water department and the
east side is for the property clerk ana d
portion of the sewer division. the west
side is for the department or Insurance.
with one room on the north front, ana tne
street cleaning department. Inc south
large room for the sewer division and an
examination room. The board OF chlldren
guardians and the third assistant en-,
gineer will occupy rooms on the east anu
west sides of the court.
Engineer Department.
The engineer department will occupy
the north frontage of the fourth floor
The property clerk has four rooms on the
east side: the surveyor five rooms and a
vault in the southeast corner, with the
computing offices on the south front and
southwest corner. The corporation coun-
sci has seven rooms on the west side. in
Guiding the northwest corner. The as
sistants to the Engineer Commissioner
have two court rooms each.
On the ffth floor are the offices of the
Commissioners 1t is to be known as the
administration or executive floor. The
beardroom is on the Pennsylvania avenue
front. The Commissioners rooms extend
along the entire east side OF the building
The secretary to the board will occupy
large rooms on the south front and on
the court The health department has
two rooms on the north front. The cleo
trical department and the office of the
inspector of dement's and the preSSroom
are also on the fifth floor
The individual offices of the Commission
erss are arranged as follows: Commissioner
Ma cfarland in the northwest corner: Com
missioner West. the northeast corner, and