The Washington times., 1913-01-29
HIGHWAYS LEADING
TO MEMORIAL, PLAN
PROPOSED BY BACON
New York Architect Believes
Avenues Leading to Struc-
ture Fitting Monument.
By GEORGE H. GALL.


With no malice toward those who
are advocating a roadway to Gettys-
burg as a memorial to Abraham Lin
coin. and solicitous only that an ade-
ouate memorial be erected to the mar
tVred President, Henry Bacon, noted
architect of New York and author OF
the design selected by the Lincoln Me-
mortal Commission for a monumental
building on Potomac Park, is in the city
today and disclosed to a representative
OF The Times an entirely new idea with
reference to the memorial, which may
receive favorable consideration by the
House of Representatives when the
matter is taken up this afternoon.
Mr.. Bacon suggests to those who
would honor the memory of Lincoln
with roadway. that two highways be
built, both forming avenues leading to
the monumental structure which is pro-
POSED to be built at the western end Of
the Mail as a terminus. Incidentally,
if Mr.. Bacon's suggestion be carried
out, it viii realize two of the most
important features of the Park Com
mission plan for the development OF
Washington, the construction of the
Memorial bridge and the parkway con-
noction between Potomac and Roek
Creek parks and beyond,
Need Terminal.
IF monumental roadway is built,
one of its essentials is a terminal that
shall be monumental" he said.
AN examination of the plan of the
city of Washington discloses the fact
that If the Lincoln Memorial recon-
mended TO Congress is built on the site
in Potomac Park, it win be an appro-
pirate terminal for two possible monu-
mental roadways, one leading to the
north through Rock Creek Park, the
other leading TO the south by means of
a bridge across the Potomac, directly
connecting the memorial OF the man
who saved the Union with Arlington
Cemetery, where those are buried who
died on the battlefields.
This bridge, Joining Virginia with
the District of Columbia, would, more
over. be symbol OF the reunion of the
North and the South, augmenting the
Importance of the Lincoln Memorial.
Few persons have controversy with
those advocating good roads for gen.
eral use, but many heartily believe that
a roadway would not be an adequate
memorial TO Lincoln.
"a Lincoln Memorial on the Potomac
Park site will help by means of its i'm
portant position the building of monu-
.
roadways should realize this proba-
biiity. On all the plans showing the
development of Potomac Park the begin
ming of the two roads above mentioned
Lincoln Memorial submitted recently to
Congress they are also planned.
Site Significant. q
'.On no other site in Washington could
the Lincoln. memorial have an equal
significance. nor could the advocates of
monumental highways find so monu-
mental a place, and one so capable of
majestic treatment as is this point on
the great axis of the Capitol and the
Washington Monument, to have the two
highways begin. 1t is proposed to raise
the ground at the site. forming a ter
race Loco feet in diameter, and the floor
of the memorial is proposed to be on a
level forty-fve feet above the present
grade. ...--
Rows of trees on the outer edge of |
ther terrace will partly inclose the space
in which the memorial stands, and will |
give to il the character of a sacred |
grove. Wide avenues are planned lead |
ing from ii TO the broad waters Of the |
Potomac and to the Washington Monu- |
ment On this site in all directions is a |
free and large field for landscape treat |
ment. 1t Is the best site in the United |
states for a memorial TO Abraham Lin |
coin"
Recalling as an illustration the Appian |
Way as memorial, Mr.. Bacon declared |
that the one feature of the road which |
psrtakes of purely monumental char |
acter is the terminal at Brindisi, where |
The road ends on the brow of a blum |
the sea and where stands |
a lone column, erected by the Romans |
TO mark the place where Roman leg |
ions embarked for war.
Would Be Useful
The architect declares that in respect |
TO usefulness the proposed Lincoln |
Memorial would be far superior to any |
roadway that might be constructed. |
What could be more useful" he asked, |
than q great monumental structure |
inspiring all who behold it with the
ideals for which Lincoln lived and died?
There can be nothing more useful than
an inspiration 10 good citizenship
Mr. Bacon is contender for good
roads, and sees ahead the time soon at
hand when, through the operation of .
ihe parcel post. il will be necessary to I
deliver parcels by automobiles to rural
districts. Against that time he would
have adequate roads built. But these,
he points out, should not be built under
the guise that they are for some me-
mortal purpose. They will not be built,
he says, to do honor TO any great man,
but because they will be. found neces-
sary to get the rural mail delivered.
But he distinguishes clearly between
these roads or a road to Gettysburg,
and the sort of roads which he proposes
In connection with the Lincoln Me-
moriaI The latter would be appropriate |
memorial itself and en-
hance its dignity and beauty. They
v oiIld, he thus shows, be truly memorial
roads.