The Washington herald., 1910-02-13
PLAN ELABORATE
DISTRICT ARMORY
Interior Designs Seen Here
by National GuardSmen.
BIG DRILL HALL PROVIDED
Second Floor Contains Officers
Rooms and Administration Head
quarterS-Third and Fourth Floors
10 he Equipped for Indoor Sports.
Structure VIII BE Imposing.

one Of the most interesting announce
ments Of the week is that Of the tentative
plans for the new armory FOR the District
National Guard. to be erected on the site
of the old Sixth street station, formerly
the terminus Of the Pennsylvania Rail
road In this city. The plans have been
sent here from New York for inspection
and approval by the officers Of the Ma
tional Guard and others interested in the
project and viii soon be properly as
sembled in the Office of the architects in
New York and submitted 10 Congress.
The building. as foreshadowed in the
plans, will be a large four-story structure,
probably constructed Of stone. and will
occupy a space OF approximately coo by
400 feet The building win have an I'M
posing entrance and lobby. fanked by
reception rooms and an Office room TO be
used on drill and other occasions. All the
space, except the small portion reserved
for these purposes, on the ground floor
viii constitute the drill hall, which viii
be about 800 10y 500 feet in dimensions
The drill hail VIII be constructed with a
high ceiling and viii have a Mezzanine
floor above the front entrance and gal
leries on both sides for the use Of spec
tators who may wish TO observe the
movements Of the troops below
For Officers Rooms.
The second floor OF the building will be
devoted TO officers rooms and the admin
istration of the building, details Of which
have not vet been seen here except by
those directly connected with the con-
structioH Of the building
one of the most Interesting features OF
the proposed building is the disposition
Of the third and fourth floors. which will
be given up 10 recreation purposes and
general sporting events. The plan for the
third floor contains a large basketball
court two handhalI courts, the former
90 by 81 feet, and each OF the latter 30 by
50 feet At the opposite end Of the floor
is a gymnasium 100 by 50 feet. 20 be fitted
up specially for the use Of the national
guardsmen. About one-third of the space
ON the third floor will be devoted 10 toilet
and bath rooms, the locker room. and a
louuging and smoking room The bath
system on this floor viii be fitted up with
the accessories Of a Turkish bath. except
the swimming pool which IS 10 De In the
basement of the building.
Equipped for sports.
The fourth floor viii be equipped with
an outht for sports included IN the usual
programme of an indoor meet Rooms
are provided for basketball. tennis, hand
ball. boSiug, fencing, and wrestling, a
running track I'm the shape of an ellpse
and q shorter course for straight-away
dash running. A small gymnasium is
also provided on this floor. These rooms
with administration Office examination
room, and directors ONCE. take up the
entire space. one of the striking features
Of this equipment is that most OF the
rooms are surrounded by galleries from
which TO observe the contests going on
below.
Il is understood that the Washington
Armory. IL completed along the plans
provided, will be one Of the largest and
best equipped in this country. II is said
the structure viii somewhat resemble on
the exterior and in the interior the
armory in the city Of Buffalo. recognized
as the ideal armory IN the United states.
The plans OF the interior and the de-
sign for the exterior will be submitted 10
committees In Congress, and it IS eX-
pected that II the plans are accepted, an
appropriation will be made to begin the
construction Of the building during the
coming fiscal year