Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-06
THE PLAN OF WASHINGTON.
Credit Due to George Washington
and to Maj. Ellicott.
i, Arc E,,ftor If The Star.


| I have been interested in DR.. Thomas
Nelson Pages article and DIR. James
Dudley Alorgan's reply. but even DIR.
Page does not give sufficient credit and
honor to that accomplished engineer and
fine gentleman. Maj. Andrew Ellicott Of
GEORGETOWN, ID. c., executing the work
in detail, but, Of course, the conception
was the great Washington Jefferson
assisting with maps and suggestions. To
carry out their grand plan for transverse
avenues and interseetfng streets, reser-
vations for parks and the public buildings,
Maj. Ellicott drew true meridian line
by celestial observation, which passes
through the area intended for the Capitol.
This line he crossed by another running
due east and west. which passes through
the same area. Then lines were acct
rately measured and made the bases on
which the whole plan was executed He
ran ali the lines by transit instrument
and determined the acute angles by actual
measurement, leaving nothing to the UNI
certainty of the compass" SO sisted
|geographer Of the period, Jedidiah Morse,
A. NJ. of Charlestown. Mass.
In the extract from the book by Morse
which I read there was no allusion to
Maj. l. Ehfant, but the following was in.
,eresting as he described the newly coded
territory of Columbia and the just-eatab-
nshed city Of Washington. This city,
which Is now building. and including a
tract of territory exceeded in point OF
convenience, salubrity and beauty ~ none
in America and within the city
limits are a great number of excellent
springs, and by digging wells water OF
the best quality can be had. Besides. the
never-failing streams that run through
that territory may be collected for the
use of the city. The situation Of this
|equi-distant from the northern and south
ern extremities Of the Union, and nearly
SO from the Atlantic and Pittsburgh, upon
the best navigation and In the midst OF
q commercial territory probably the ffch-
est and commanding the most extensive
internal resources of any In America"
The capital plan had to enlanate from
Anglo-Saxon brains, and / have always
regarded the theory that l. Enfant ex-
ecuted 1t fallacy. Paris was not re-
no doubt copied the Washington plan. I
have read that il any old-world city in
f1uenced Washington and Jefferson in per-
fecting the plan 1t was the part OF Lon
don renovated by Sir Christopher Wren
after the great fire; but with that theory
do not agree. President WILSON, states
in his Life Of Washington" that he was
an accomplished engineer" That accom-
plishfnent made 1t easier for Maj. Ell
licott to carry out his ideas, but his con-
ception of the plan was an inspiration, as
was his selection of the site, surrounded
by such lavish picturesque beauty, alas!
annihilated in many parts OF the Dlstrict
Of Columbia during the past twenty years
In no direction was there greater waste
of beauty than along Rock creek, far
famed for its picturesque loneliness. An
extensive traveller has stated that in all
hts wanderings he had seen nothing more
picturesquely lovely than Rock creek at
the old paper mill bridge. now street,
Zoo to it's mouth than upper Rock creek,
for then the oak-wooded Kalorama es-
tate bordere.i the creek from that bridge
up to the mill property, thus described by
Thomas Jefferson in letter of 1902 to
Mr.. Joel Barlow. then minister to France:
There Is q most lovely seat adjoining
this city on Il high hill now for sale, with
"a fine. house, gardens. etc, and forty
acres of ground; 1t was built by Gustavus
Scott, prominent lawyer Of Maryland,
who was one Of the original promoters of
the Potomac company scheme for inn
provement of the river navigation, ETC..
Mr.. Barlow purchased the property upon
his, return to America, and Mr.. Jefferson,
when President, continually rode out on
horseback and gave advice on the plans
for. enhancing its beauty and fruit Gull
ture. When Robert Fulton was Mr.. Bar
lows guest they were often observed
spending q morning on the bank of Rock
creek, and tradition tells us the model Of
the first successful steamboat. the Cler-
mont. was here perfected" The pretty
lodge at the principal entrance gate was
designed by Latrobe from an DOMAIN tenn
pie, and the summer house on the brow
of a hill by Fulton.
KaloraIna was in perfection OF beauty IN
1851 and until long time after the civil
war. The mansion had been Partly de-
stroyed by fire, but by purchase Of adj
joining land from time to time the estate
had increased from forty to ninety acres.
Before its desecration-the massacre of
the hundreds of superb 0aks-James G..
Blaine tried to induce Congress to pur-
erase it for a summer home for our
Presidents; and previous to that Gen.
Michler endeavored to stir up enthusiasm
for it's purchase as the beginning of the
fine park he knew the capital should
have, but Congress, as usual niggardly
in its appropriations for the District of
Columbia, did not heed, and thus the
most wonderfully beautiful entrance to
the park. so central and convenient to
all, was lost forever, as our expenditure
of millions could not restore even tenth
of the beauty. ''for painter and poet have
united to celebrate the former beauty Of
Rock creek. that has its source thirty
miles UP in Maryland"
How those great lovers Of the beautiful,
Washington and Jefferson. must have re-
joiced that there was such q stream to
beautify the chosen home of the nation.
the capital OF the United States they
in their wonderful foresight knew would
become SO great!
LOUISA RITTENHOUSE.