The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-04-29
BEAUTIFUL WASHINGTON
City is Being Rebuilt Along Artistic
Lines.

Washington. April 27.-The two
congressional committees on Public
Buildings and Grounds are as impor
tant in the line OF their special du-
ties as any committee of congress
They are. in fact, a board Of con-
structlon with practically unlimited
scope. They approve or disapproye
of all applications for public buildings
throughout the country, and their O.
X, on a bill for the erection Of a
court house or postofllce is about the
largest and juiciest Christmas pres
ent that the senator or representa-
i've dreams of receiving Many are
the villages and "cities" throughout
the broad land which are doomed in
to life and activity by a new govern
ment building, and thousands OF bills
are introduced in each house every
session for this purpose Possibly
one in fifty are approved and passed,
and then the architect Of the treasury
gets busy "in our midst"
But IL Is to the city of Washington
especially that this committee is a
good angel 1t is through its agency
that this city is being gradually re-
builded into something marvellously
beautiful. The creative schemes Of
the committee along these lines are
certainly magnificent in their scope.
The lack Of funds does not interfere,
and millions and tens of millions are
appropriated to render practical the
ideals of creative genius. Some OF
these propositions, now in process OF
accomplishment may be mentioned
Pretty nearly every man, woman
and child in this country has at least
! heard of the capitals most magnif-
cent thoroughfare, Pennsylvania av-
enue. IL runs directly through the
center Of the city from Georgetown
to the navy yard, and would cut ex-
! actly through the White House If it
had not been induced to make a
I slight detour around that historic ed
/ ifce and the treasury. 1t is only that
section OF it between the capitol and
treasury, however, which is under
stood by the Avenue" This is the
nations Great White Way" the city
Of wonderful night, with palaces and
prisons-or something worse-on
each hand Washington segregates
its vice-with large YIN the reg.
ion below the avenue. from Tenth
street to near Fifteenth. Here Il is
probably kept as innocuous as any
thing of the kind can be Il is not
allowed to cross the dead line of the
avenue north, and the red lights are
strictly prevented from extending the
sphere of their activities It may be
mentioned in passing that the vast
postoflice department building, In
GLIDING also the city postofice, and
located on the south side OF the av
enue between Eleventh and Twelfth
streets. is in the exact center of this
section.
The section of the avenue under
consideration. between the capito
and treasury contains some dizzy
comparisons, in architecture and il
most other respects Elegant gran
ite and marble business blocks adjoir
dilapidated one story saloons anC
pawnbroking establishments. and tn,
law OF contrast everywhere find.
wonderful complication. Nearll
all the finer buildings are on th'
north side, the south or lower sid,
being largely occupied by small bus
mess houses, Chinese restaurants
cheap lunch rooms and various un
kempt occupations. As the avenu,
nears the capitol it becomes more an,
more questionable in appearance, Jew
clothing stores, cheap hotels and sal
oOns everywhere This is the section
formerly known TO fame and other
wise as "the Bowery." though il ha
been taking on a cleaner and NOR
wholesome aspect these later years
Gradually the old buildings are Civ
ing way to larger modern ones. ant
in course of time the section will b,
re-created
On the lower side of the avenu,
and opposite this section the frs
three blocks from the capitol ground
are taken up by the government 30
tanical garden. The section beyond
extending to the treasury and takinj
in all that chunk of the city lying be
tween the avenue and the Mall ant
the vast parkway of the Potomac
Flats is bought by the government
and in time will be wholly cleared o
: all buildings except the postofIice
The entire lower side of the avenu
between the Botanical garden and tn
treasury will be swept clean, all tn
foul back streets and alleys compris
ing this section. including the red
light district, will go, and all tn
land abutting on the avenue on tina
side will be retained for locations 70
the magnificent new governmental
department buildings to be erected il
the near future The block neares
the treasury is already purchased ant
will soon be demolished to maxi
room for massive structures designed
as homes for two departments OF tn
government And so later clea
along the great street to the capitol.
When this scheme IS FINAL,
brought to completion, and with tin
continual building Improvements OIL
the upper side of the street, PennsyI
yania avenue proper, from the capito
to the treasury and White House vii
present an aspect of sweeping ant
I majestic architectural grandeu
equalled by no city OF capital o.
earth. Combine with this scheme tn
other already adopted by congress pr
viding for the removal of the two vas