Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
Office Building of the Senators
Probably Unequaled.
COST HAS BEEN $4,669,372
Suite of Rooms for Each Member Of
the Upper House.
THE LUXURIOUS DINING HALL
Five Kitchens, With Everything
Operated by Electricity-Two
Years to Construct.

This city now has probably the finest
office building in the world. II is prac-
tcaIly complete and already the United
States senator's for whose convenience 1t
was built at a cost OF 81 669.37" are oc-
cupying it. Other office buildings may
have cost more but they are larger. 1t
is safe to say that none Is finer archftec-
turalIy and none is more masnificeEdy
appointed.
There are ninety-two senators. and the
cost of the building is. therefore, ap-
proximateIy $50 80 per senator
1t is probably the only building in the
world that has an underground passenger
railway of it's own.
The site. which is bounded by Delaware
avenue, b. c and LIST streets northeast,
cost the government S746.111. The actual
construction of the building, including a
special foundation required by the proN-
unity of the Pennsylvania railroad tunnel
cost SO. 400 761. The furnishings. includ-
ing Office furniture, rugs. committee-room
furnishings. window shades awnings.
mirrors. kitchen and dining room equip
ment etc. cost 100000. There still re-
mains $4,000 to be spent on Improving
the approaches to the building.
Three Sides of a Block.
The building occupies three sides of an
entire block, the 1st street side remain
ing open The street and Delaware
avenue fronts are set back from the curb
more than IS feet. and the space between
the sidewalk and the building is en-
beIIished with the necessary terraces to
give the proper architectural setting
The north and south dimension or the
open court is 2s4 feet, and the combined
frontage of it's three sides is SS4 feet,
making the combined frontage or the
street and court facades 234l leet, or
nearly one-half q mile.
In conformity with the Capitol and also
with the Office building erected on the
opposite side of the Capitol plaza for the
members of the House of Representatives.
the principal front of the building. that
on b street. shows three stories above
ground. The grade falls away from the b
street side toward the north. and the north
front. which is on c street. shows all
five stories above ground. This side of
the building overlooks the Union station
plaza
Above the cellar is a floor to be used
for the administrative office. storage and
folding rooms, etc. and above that are
three floors Of Offices devoted exclusively
TO the use of senator's. For passenger
service there are thirteen elevators, sup
plemented by seven staircases, not lnclud-
ing the handsome main entrance stair
case near the rotunda. The offices on
each floor are arranged in a double row
separated by corridor twelve and one
half feet wide. one row facing the street
and the other the interior court, which Is
TO be improved with a fountain, drive
way and grass and flower beds
Suite for Each Senator.
There are a few single Offices. but each
senator gets suite of from two to three
rooms for his private use. The furniture
is Of mahogany. the same as all the wood
work in the building. and so beautiful
are the rooms that when one walks in
an exclamation of surprise is sure to es-
cape him. Each suite has a beautiful
open fireplace, sumounted by a polished
marble manteIpiece in simple classic de-
sign All of the electric chandeliers are
of glass. Each suite of rooms has in ad-
dition a private lavatory and a spigot
from which ice water can be drawn at all
times There are. of course. the usual
hot and cold water SpigotS besides.
The most beautiful parts of the build
ing are the rotunda, the main stair hall
and the big conference room, finished
throughout In polished marble. The ro-
tunda extends from the second floor to
the roof and Is surrounded by handsome
f1uted columns.
Some idea of the appointments of the
building may be had from rte fact that
there are on the three upper floors four
office suites Of three rooms each, ninety
four office suites of two rooms each, ten
single rooms, eight committee rooms. be-
sides the conference room, rotunda. main
stair hall, post Office, telegraph and tele-
phone offices, dining ROOM with kitchens
and pantries. bathing room. barber shop,
offices for the superintendent and for the
watch, and SO on. The bathing room is
not yet completed. but it will contain a
large number of shower baths for sena-
tors. with adjoi4 Il rooms for drying. etc.
The Conference Room.
The conference room is of a monu-
mental character and the finest room by
far in the entire building. 1t is on the
floor just above the street level and opens
on the main stair hall on one side and
faces the court on the other. 1t is in
tended for all sorts of conferences, for
lar purposes. 1t is fifty-two feet by sew
enty-four feet in size. 1t will seat 300
persons comfortably. The walls are OF
polished and colored marble, and it con-
tains twelve great Corinthian columns
spaced about its walls.
Under the rotunda and extending
through both the cellar story and the
story above il is a large vaulted room
That is the terminus of the subway run
ming from the building to the Senate end
of the Capitol. This is where the little
dog-car automobiles stop when they
bring senators over from the Capitol.
OF the eight committee rooms six are
twenty-five feet by fifty feet and one
story high. The other two are each thirty
feet by sixty-fve feet and extend through
two stories. with arched ceilings. All of
the committee rooms are finished with
marble pilasters. marble mantelpieces,
paneled plaster walls. ornamented plaster
ceilings and marble floors.
Palatial Dining Room.
The dining room. which is ar the corner
OF Delaware avenue and street. is the
same size as the two-storied committee
room Immediately above. 1t is a par
ticularly handsome room. being treat ed
also with marble pilasters. highly polished
and with beautiful marble maEtelpiece
and floor. Below the kitchens-fye
rooms in aIl-and everything is operated
by electricity. There is 10 be every pos
sible convenience that ID cook could ask
for.
Architecturally the new building Is
classic in design. like that for the House of
Representatives. and its principal facade
resembles in treatment the buildings fac
ing the Place de la Concorde in Paris
the end pavilions being modelled on those
of the Colounade du Louvre. Structural
, - - i OF tue masonry TYNE
rs distinguished from the skeleton type
"a. ,..e Usual commercial office
buildings. The walls are faced with stone
and backed with brick. The floors are
carried on steel beams and between the
beams is the concrete floor construction.
The roof is of concrete covered with