Evening star., 1914-11-21
GETTING THE SQUARE
READY FOR BUILDING
Marble Edifice to Honor Memory of
Women of the Civil
War.
To Be Erected South of Corcoran Gal
lery of Art and Devoted to Use
of Red Cross.

An army of workmen is actively en-
gagged In clearing the square of ground
Just south of the Corcoran Gallery Of
Art and making a large excavation for
the foundation of the marble edifice to
be erected on that site in memory OF
the women of the civil war and which
Is to be devoted to the use of the Red
Cross. The preparation of the site re-
Quires the removal of the Liberty Bap-
tist Church. a large laundry plant, one
large brick dwelling. twenty-six small
brick dwellings, two frame houses.
stable and few frame buildings used
as storerooms or workshops. Nearly
all the buildings have been razed and
the others. with two exceptions, will
be removed within a few days. The
two buildings which are not to be dis
turbed for several months are the Bap-
tist Church. at the corner of 18th and
E streets, and the ee-story brick
dwelling on 18th street near Z street
The latter building is to be used as an
office and workshop by the contractors
and the officials inspecting the work on
the memorial
Church Built in 1869.
The church. which is in a fair state
OF preservation, was built in 1869 and
was reconstructed in 1901. 1t is un-
derstood the government paid $4,000
for the property. With that and other
funds, the congregation has arranged
for the building of another house of
worship on 23d street between l and X
streets. and expect to move into 1t by
the time they are required to leave
their present church, in April. Most OF
! the small dwelling houses yet to be
torn down abut on Hayes court near
the west end of the square. They are
two-story bricks occupied mainly by
colored families
Because the site of the memorial is to
be located on made ground-on what
formerly was q marSh-the foundation
requires special treatment. Long steel
caissonS are driven deep into the bog
| gy ground and then filled with concrete
These piles. which are from twenty to
twenty-five feet in length, are driven
into hard beds of gravel at a distance
designed to form a foundation as en-
during as base of solid rock.
Placed Near Center of Square.
Unlike the Corcoran Gallery Of Art
and Continental Hall, both of which
are nearly flush with the building line
of 18th street and which buildings
flank on either side. the civil war me-
mortal will stand near the center OF
the square, about 1876 feet back from
the street, in a position somewhat SIM
lilar to that of the Pan-American build
ing, just south of Continental Hall, or
the same street The sum of sSoo,0ot
was raised for the civil war memoria
by congressional appropriation and b!
private subscription, and OF thai
amount the sum of s357,000 already ha:
been expended in the requirement OF
the site The approved design for tht
building is the work of Trowbridge &
Livingston of New York, and the con
tract for it's construction of Vernon
marble is held by the le-Robertsor
Company of this city. The contract
calls for the completion of the build
ing within eighteen months.
| Col. Harris, superintendent of public
buildings and grounds. represents the
government in the supervision of the
work.