Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-15

the assistant secretary of war, the
general commanding the militia OF the
District of Columbia, the omcer IN
charge of public buildings and GROUNDS
at Washington, District Of Columbia, ana
the superintendent of the United States
Capitol building and grounds be, ana
is hereby created, which shall cause
plans and estimates to be prepared Tor
a suitable armory for the National Guaru
of the District of Columbia, and report
the estimated cost thereof to the Con-
gress: Provided, that such plans ana
estimates be prepared under the super
vision of the Secretary OF the treasury.
And for the expense Of said commas
sion a sum not to exceed two tnousanu
five hundred dollars is hereby appro-
priated out at any money in the Treas
ury not otherwise appropriated 10 pe
expended on vouchers approved oy the
chairman of said commission.
''while nothing is said In the act as "
commission found it necessary 10 seiect
tentatively site. since upon this must
depend largely the siZe general arrahse-
ment and style of architecture or the
building. After looking careiuHy mo t the
matter. the commission decided upon the
site formerly occupied in part by the Ola
PENNSYLVANIA railroad station. between 9th
and eth streets, fronting on b street
northwest. This situation is central. &C,
cessible by several car lines. on ground
already occupied by the United states.
and near large park spaces which can De
used for outdoor drills. Moreover. IL IS
understood to be the policy OF Congress,
as evidenced by the location Of new build
ings for the Department of Agriculture
and the National Museum. to place public
buildings of a monumental character
along both sides of the Mall. The south
front of the proposed armory is to be in
nrolongation of the building line of the
corresponding front of the New National
Museum.
Estimates Give idea of Cost.
1T is believed that the estimates sub
mitted herewith give fair idea OF the
cost of building q suitable armory for
the National Guard OF the District of Co.
lumbia whatever may be the site select
ed, though undoubtedly many changes
will have to be made in both the exterior
and interior Of the building shown on the
plans transmitted herewith, should Con-
rress decide to locate 1t upon some other
site than the one contemplated by the
commission.
Tracy, Swartwout & Itchf1eld OF New
York as architects to prepare the plans
by the law. As a basis for the interior
ARRANGEMENTS. plans were used which had
been prepared by Maj. Francis B. Whea-
ton Of the National Guard, District OF
Columbia in consultation with many OF
it's officers.
LAS the National Guard of the District
of Columbia is a federal organization. ex-
clusively under the control of the war
Department, it is presumed that the
armory will be q public building under
the charge and control OF that depart
ment. and therefore available for the use
Of United States troops and for the stor-
age of military supplies In case of war.
riot or other emergency. This possible
use has been borne in mind in the plan
ming of the building.
Plans and Drawings.
..There are transmitted herewith the
plans and drawings prepared by the archi-
tects. seven in number, consisting of four
floor plans one section. one elevation and
one large drawing in .colors OF the h
street front of the proposed armory. A
copy of the report of the architects also
ia transmitted, which explains and de-
scribes the type Of architecture adopted
and the general arrangement or the IN
terror of the armory.
..The architects submit five different es-
Inmates of cost based on the use of five
mission believes that the concrete (gran-
tie composite) and the iight-colored gran
ite (Stony creek or equaD are the mate
rails most suitable for the purpose and
location, and between which the choice
should lie. The first, concrete, has the
advantage of cheapness and Of enabling
the colnmns, the chief architectural fea-
ture of the building, to be made mono-
lithic, but 1t is a material which has SO
far been used to only limited extent for
the exterior of large buildings, and for
none. as far as the commission Is aware.
70 oryfhiuc like the size and monumental