Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-19

the city, as laid by l. Enfant. in the ulti-
mate development of a chief metropolis
for the nation that would and could stand
for all time fairly representative of
very plans that the city's engineer
stamped the impress of his genius with
such force that all other considerations
had to give way; and. Notwithstanding
his withdrawal from the work at a later
day. the force of his perhaps unconscious
argument for a city beautiful had made
an impress not only upon Washington
himself. but upon the mind of the man
who succeeded l. Enfant in the compile
ton OF the plans.
Those plans. without the addition of a
single building. spoke eloquently for the
rise of a beautiful Capital city. The
broad streets running north and south
and east and west simply named. and
easy of location to the visiting stranger.
formed the first strong bands TO hold the
new city in its place. But even more than
city. making the distances shorter from
point to point. and naturally carving out
suggestions for circles and parks here
and there throughout the city. are the
zeal germs, to speak, from which was
TO spring the city Of grandeur. Given the
street plans. with their wealth of vistas
and ever-recurring open spaces suggest
ing the thought of beautiful parks, 1t is
not to be wondered that those who
planned the location of the public build
ings should be forced to consider the ulti-
mate Identification of the municipality
and make provision for il accordingly. 1t
may be considered as doubtful If l. Enfant
himself seriously considered any public
building in the formation of his street
plans. except the Capitol and the White
House. They were the all-important
structures 10 be considered by him. and
their location suggested later the location
of the other buildings to be erected.
Effect Of Avenue System.
BY many 1t is supposed that the intro
duction Of the avenue system by l. Enfant
was without any real design. Rather it
was a vagary of the seccentric mind of
the landscape artist, having no definite
purpose. But il has been suggested by a
prominent army officer that the plans for
Washington were laid not long after the
termination of the French revolution; that
l. Enfant. the Frenchman. with his mil
itary instinct uppermost had in Nina in
planning the National capital, TO produce
not only a design that was simple and
regular. but that he had also regard for
the defense of the city i'm just such emer-
gencies AS had confronted the capital of
his native land during that terrible revo-
luton. Consequently the precautiOn OF
the military engineer suggested the idea
OF bfsecting avenues. SO that from per-
haps dozen different points artillery
could command the entire city. And 1t is
declared thai il one familiar with the
theories of defense should examine the
plans of Washington. as originally con-
structed. he will perceive al a glance just
how effectually the Introduction of the
avenue supplied this means of defense
against a mob or, invader
The subsequent idea OF designating gov
eminent reservations. or appropriations as
they were then called it is believed was
evolved without a thought of a system %
parks. but was simply 10 provide sites for
public buildings the need Of the n arose.
1t is not believed. nor Is there. so far as
known. any record to indicate a precon-
ceived plan for the loo alton of public
buildings. or TO provide for parks per Sc
patent office and he smaller. but yet
beautiful old post office building. flank
ing street at 1.h street northwest
seems to support this belief.
Absence Of Building Position.
Save for the vi. ia from the White House
to the Capitol. II Is said. which was called
Pennsylvania avenue. there is appare ,tly
no design for a thoroughfare on which
public buildings were to be located Even
the Pennsylvania avenue vista was spoile
by the erection of the Treasury Depart
ment. shutting of the view from the Ca oi-
toll to the White House. The Mail itself
then rather undesirable GROUND. more or
less marshy. was reserved rather for mill
tary purposes than for The subsequent
Identification of the city. L'Enfant. / 4 his
fondest dreams. never ina gined that the
city itself would ever fill the naturai
boundaries prescribed by the streets he
planned. and Boundary street or Florida
avenue. as 1t is now called. he confidently