Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-14
ORNAMENT To- CITY
Proposed Building of Southern
Commercial Congress.
WILL COST 100000
Materials From Every Southern State
to Be Included.
PLANS OF PRESIDENT PARKER
Has No Doubt of the Success of the
Undertaking-Eno in Sight
to Warrant Going Ahead.
PLANS OF PRESIDENT PARKER

THE city OF Washington is the only
city in the Union that belongs to every
section, and to which every American
can refer as our city The construction
here of the Southern building and the
making of this city the home of the
Southern Commercial Congress- while not
in the beginning a notable fact, will, if
intelligently handled. not only bring to
this city thousands Of people, but will
make it the great meeting ground of
southern people. and the center of valued
condensed southern information"
This statement by John NJ Parker OF
New Orleans, president Of the Southern
Commercial Congress, embodies the gen.
eral plan of the organization of which
MI Parker is the head. The work of or
ganization has proceeded to a point where
the aims of the southern men back of the
movement have taken definite shape.
| Plans for it's Washington home have been
| accepted and it's first annual meeting
| will be held here in December.
| That the congress will be a success and
| that its work will result in untold benefit
| to the south and to the city of Washing
! ton is not doubted by Mr.. Parker or those
WashingtOnians who have taken an in
terest in the scheme.
Million Dollar Building.
The proposed building will be erected
| on the northeast corner of 18th and H
streets, the site being. that occupied by
| the old ST. Matthew's Church. 1t was
| purchased by the Southern Commercial
| Congress last winter for $4,000 The
| cost of the building is estimated at 81, 600,
| 600. The plans were drawn by T. Frank
| lin Schneider of Washington.
| The site for the structure is square, be-
| ing $50 feet in each dimension. H and
18th streets and a twelve-foot alley gave
| 1t light and air space on three sides.
| The lot and it's location afford an ideal
place for modern office building. Mr..
| Schneiders plans call for building in
the French style eleven stories high. Ris-
| ing from the center of the building is a
| square tower. which will be. twenty-five
| stories in height. 1t is intended to make
| the building a veritable temple of south
| ern progress and monument to it's re-
| as far as may be of southern materials,
| and it's inner decorations will be derived
from the various states represented in
! the congress.
| Provision is made for lighting the build.
| ing by means of broad air shafts, which
will result in giving to every room or suite
Of rooms natural light and air.
| Upon the ground floor will be construct
| ed quarters for large bank and several
| stores. Above will be the quarters of the
The plans for the interior of the building
have not been decided upon and will not
be for some time. A decision in this mat
| ter is left open purposely in order that
such probable tenants as the Washington
Chamber of Commerce. the National Press
| Club. the proposed Southern Club or any
big CORPORATIONS which need special ac-
commodations may be consulted as to the
plans.
| An attractive feature of the building
| will be the appearance in 1t of material
from every southern state. The granite
| of North Carolina, the marble of Tennas-
see and Georgia the steel of Alabama, fine
woods from Louisiana and Mississippi
| slate, thing and other products will all be
made use of in some way so that they will
appear conspicuously.
| Gateway to the South.
Zone thing the public can he assured
Of" declared Mr.. Parker today. in talk
ing over the plans of the congress, land
that is that any information that comes
from our headquarters here will be alb
solutely reliable. 1t will be based upor
facts and figures, furnished by the gov.
eminent and drawn from reliable anG
authoritative sources in the SOUTH
i by having our headquarters here We
will help to make Washington the gate
/ way to the SOUTH Northern capitalist
or immigrants will soon learn that they
can come to Washington and get first-hano
information concerning the south and Its
affairs.
| Mr. Parker and the members of the
committee assisting him here In Wash.