The Washington times., 1912-01-14
M'h|Ll.AN SCHEME
F0RC|TY BEAUTIFUL
FOLLOWEDCLOSELY
Plans for Capitals Develop
ment Firmly Fixed as Any
Constitution.
MANY UNSIGHTLY
BUILDINGS GONE
Structures Costing Millions Have
& Arisen in the Last
Decade.
By GEORGE H. GALL.


Ten years ago tomorrow. on January
u. 1902. Senator James Mcmillan. from
the District Committee, presented to
the Senate the esthetic constitution OF
the, district Of Columbia. the famous re-
port OF the park commission on the fu-
ture development Of the National Capt.
lal.
Never given any standing in law, the
recommendations of the con mission and
tne provisions of its comprehensive
plan. have. nevertheless. by the events
OF the decade, become almost as firmly
nxed as any constitution.
Every Important, new step in the up
building Of Washington in the past ten
yeaEs has been taken III conformity
with the Mcmillan plan. until any fu-
ture departure from the general schem
Is weil-nigh impossible.
The presentation Of the report ten
years ago by Senator Mcmillan started
q period Of construction which has
amounted to "reminiscences, when the
accomplishments Of the decade are
taken into consideration.
what has been done entirely in con-
formity with, the plans of the park
commission since they were laid before
the Senate and the country? How far
has the ideal OF the most beautiful
Capital IN the world actually been
Work During Period.
In the past ten years
]. The unsightly Sixth street railroad
station has been entirely removed from
the Mall. as the commission planned:
the still more unsightly Baltimore and
Ohio railroad station Eas been cleared
away. and, at cost of $4,000, 600, the
new Union Station with its vast plaza,
has been constructed.
2. The new Senate Office building.
facing the Capitol plaza on the east.
mas been completed at cost of 50, $780,
ON. i.%.
.. The new House Of representatives
office building. ON the opposite side of
the pla"a. has been built at a cost of
$3.250OO0.
uonal Museum has been built on the b
street northwest line of the Mall. at a
cost of 3.50O,NO.
b. The District government has been
removed from it's old tuildings, In Lou
ble structure. occupying The square be-
Fourteenth streets northwest. and cost
8. Two wings of q new white marble
building for the DepaI Itment of Agri-
culture have been built on the b street
southwest line Of the Mall, at an ex-
q. Extensive additions have been made
TO the White House.
I. Two buildings facing the wash
tngton Monument and White House axis
OF the Mail. the white structures OF the
Pan,American Union and the Daughters
VI the American Revolution, have been
OO0.000 20
Large Memorials.
o. The statue and group memorial to
Gen. u. 8. Grant was located after
a bitter contest on the site advocated
by the Park commission. at the foot
OF the Capitol grounds. and the work
OF constructing the piece is now near
TO- Congress has appropriated 81, ,0OO,- :
600 for memorial TO Abraham Fin
coin; designs for the structure have
been submitted, and every authority
TO whom the question of site for the
memorial has been submitted has rec
commended that the Park COMMISSIONS IS
location. at the western end of the
MAIL sndaen IN what bs Is sSSo,p nsw PotS%ae Park
that location is one of the main fea-
lures OF the commissions comprehen-
sive plan.
IL. Designs have been approved. land
purchased. and appropriations about to
be made for a group OF three magnif-
icent buildings to cost $500 900, and
to occupy the four squares bounded by
the Mall e. Fourteenth, and Fifteenth
streets northwest. and for an open
park to. take the place of the old build
ings now covering the adjoining tri-
angular block fronting ON Penpsyivania
avenue.
It Is a feature OF the Park Com
missions plan that all of the land be-
tween First and Fifteenth streets and
Pennsyivania avenue, and the Mall shall