The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-11-06
THE DESIGN OF THE ocALA CAR
NEGiE LIBRARY AND THE
CIVIC CENTER GROUP OF
BUILDINGS


nounce the design of the Ocala Car
negie library and the civic center
group of buildings as being exceed
ingly pretty and attractive.
The designer himself is home
grown-an Ocala Product-who has
studied abroad and returns and gives
Ocala something native, something
entirely Indigenous to the soil of our
country.
Some would have thought that the
young architect would have been car
ried away with the Italian, Greek OF
Egyptian sculpture, but no! he says
that the colonial type of architecture
ranks with the best and is growing
in favor-that it is modest, chaste
and harmonizes with the simplicity of
our democratic institutions.
The more the design is studied the
more it grows upon one and if the
people of Ocala will come together up
on this beautiful civic improvement,
about which it seems to us there
should be no conflicting opinion, Ocala
will have something for which genera
tons will bless us for all time tc
come.
In writing to relative in this city
about this design, which was not in
tended for publication, the young
architect, after regretting his impos-
ability of getting his design here be-
fore our election for civic bonds, and
how diligently he had labored on the
plans in his spare moments, he then
goes C1 to say:
Il an very well pleased with the
way the plan has worked out. 1t is
simple, straight forward and practical,
and feel sure that the group can be
built fCc the price set. One of the
bigges; considerations has been the
matter of the appropriation and this
rather small sum to work with has
naturally influenced the design con-
siderably. Just the same, the group
of buildings proposed in this scheme
can be made extremely attractive
Nothing in America is more dignified
more satisfying or more distinctive
than our southern colonial work-the
only true, American style.
Il have been able to have criticisms
from several architects of high stadn-
ing and am doubly assured as to the
merit and appropriateness of the de-
sign. My reason for mentioning this
fact is because some were not at first
taken with the idea of colonial style.
AS proof that my selection of a style
is a happy one l would mention the
fact that in the Washington City Hall
competition held recently, and in
which many of the largest eastern
architects participated, the majority
chose this style, and quite unknown
to each other. Also if you look at
any of the architectural MAGAZINES,
you will see that most of this class of
work has been executed in this style,
the feeling being prevalent among the
best informed men that this is the
only style indigenous to America.
You will look far before you see any
thing more pleasing than the note
struck at Mount Vernon, Washing
tons home on the Potomac.
"The simplicity of the design will,
l am sure, excite more or less adverse
criticism, Notwithstanding the fact
that it is quality which all designers
aim at and continually strive for.
Simple, chaste, dignified quality is
what | have had in mind and | feel
sure that l have arrived at that end.
Il think that If you will look at the
drawings with that idea in view, you
Will see how the result was obtained.
AS to the plan, many of my archi-
tectural friends have been quite en-
thuiastic about the disposition both
OF the buildings and the arrangements
internally of each. l shall be much
surprised if better scheme is to be
had"