Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-01
COUNCIL WILL USE NEW
CHAMBER FOR FIRST time
Room Has Been Handsomely Re-
furnished and Decorated at
Cost Of $4,000.
OLD PORTRAITS REToUcnED
Old Soileti Oak Has Gone, and New
FITTINGS Are OF Solid Mahogany.
Modern Lighting System Installed.
Silver Water Set

To-nights session OF the Common
Council Will approach the dignity Of
a function OF state. II Will be the
first meeting OF either of the city's
Legislative bodies In the remodeIcd and
redecorated Council chamber, and the
occasion VIII be observed with a cere-
| moniai that is usually wanting in the
routine meetings of the lower branch
The chamber has been closed TO the
! public for more than two months while
a small army OF painters. decorators
! and cabinetmakers worked within to
! transform the old, hcgrimed oak in
terror into the resplcndcnt hall Of gold
ana mahogany. In which the city's law
makers will, beginning tonight. meet
/ periodically to grind out ordinances for
every need.
PORTRAITS HAVE BEEN
SkILFULLY RETOUCHED
! There is littl" in the new chamber
! TO identify IL with the old except the
,nNariahlc cube proportions imposed By
the walls. ceilings and floor. Every
! thing else has been either removed or
/ retouched into something new. Even
/ the old portraits OF Washington, VIII
liam Byrd. Marshall and Lafayette have
/ been washed OF their Accommodations OF
/ dust and cigar smoke. ana stand forth
| fresh In living oil. The rusty gold OF
their frames has been covered with
twenty-two carat gold leaf. and is lus-
! trous again
| Instead of the drab and ink neck cd
CARPET that served the chamber faith
| fully for score OF years. there ~ now
a deep blue carpet OF sprinEy. luSuri-
Gus nap. which covers the entire floor
within the railing that divides the
chamber proper from the gallery as-
| Int ai hc
| the floor is covered with carpet OF
patented cork. blue in color, like the
carpet within. designed to dcaden the
| sound OF footsteps and preserve to the
chamber n diEnihcd silence.
FURNISHINGS IN REsTFUI.
! SHADES OF HUFF AND MAHOGANY
The walls and ceiling and the COL
| umns themselves have been washed
and Numbered to restful shade OF
I bun. blending tremendously with the
| furnishings. The base OF tho columns
have been finished In mahogany OF the
same shade an the furniture.
! The golden oak furniture OF the old
| chamber-golden oak once, but grimy
! In recent years-has been replaced with
| dark red mahogany. The new desks
are OF the sanitary" type. and contain
| q number OF improvements over the
| old. Most of the furniture was built
| In Richmond. after specifications
agreed upon by the contractor. the Vir-
! gtnia School supply Company. and the
| Building Inspector.
! Slight but pleasing changes have
, been incorporated In the construction
OF the seats reserved for the president
! and clerk. The chairman's dais and
| seat has been lowered with decided
advantage to the general arrangement.
! Like the rest Of the chamber the
woodwork OF the raised dais is OF solid
| mahogany.
NEW WINDOW DRAPERIES
AND MODERN LIGHTING SYSTEM
The inside shutters OF the old
regime have given way to buff shades.
matching the color OF the walls and
ceiling. The windows on the Tenth
! Street side. to the rear OF the chair
mans seat. now have rich velvet drap-
cries Of deep blue, approximating the
shade OF the carpet.
| Instead OF the ponderous brazen
chandeliers that hung suspended from
the ceiling in the old days. cutting off
one anothers light by their own mass
and casting shadows over the whole
| chamber, there has been installed n
1 system Of reelected lighting by means
OF incandescents concealed in inverted
alabaster bowls. No direct light Is
visible to the eye. The light Is cast
upward to the ceiling from the inverted
bowls and reflected from the buff sur
face to every portion OF the room. In
it's lighting arrangement the new
Council chamber resembles the audi
forum OF tho Jefferson Hotel.
The electric fan problem-one of the
denominations OF the old chamber-has
been solved by the mounting of small
| rotary fans on the four supporting
pillars. battery OF four fans Is
mounted on each pillar, each placed SO
as to swing through an arc OF so de-
grces. The fans are small and com
pact. and will not. as formerly, OBJ
struct the view from any portion of
the chamber.
COMPARES FAvORABLY