The Washington times., 1917-02-11
Architects Award Medal to John
R. Pope for Monumental
Structure.
CAPITAL TEMPLE UNIQUE
Sixteenth Street Building Fol-
lows Greek Style and Cost
100000

The. Temple OF Scottish Rite, situ-
ated on Sixteenth street, has been de-
creed by the Architectural League to
be the finest building erected during
the past year. John Russell Pope,
the architect, has been awarded the
medal of honor given byNths league
only when the workmanship war
rants It Not only has the Jury, made
up or men who won medals in the
past, chosen this building as first IN
design, bat Il has DESIGNATED II a.
the fnest structure OF its kind in the
nation The honor conferred upon
Mr.. Pope, therefore, is twofoId.
In the Fine Arts building, in New
York. there are now on public sx.
hibttion water color drawings, pho
tographs, and samples OF materials
showing the perspectivss, actuaIs
and compositions OF the various high
class buildings erected during the
past year The architects placed
their workmanship on exhibition in
a keen but friendly competitions. John
Russell Pope's was chosen as ehe besr
and to him will. be given, after the
20. beautiful gold medal Of honor
80 80 AAoSAApeAon Ic4AAuB VI MS
work OF art.
Cost Approximately S2,Ooo.OO0.
The. Temple OF Scottish Rite Is the
property-of thirty-third degree Masons,
The highest order OF the great Ma
sonic body. 1t is built after the Greek
style Of architecture and constructed
OF heavy marble and solid bronze. No
proximately $4,000, 900. Situated on
nearly a whole block on Sixteenth
street, between r and streets, It
is one of the most distinctive build
ings In Washington, and il unique in
that there is not another OF like de-
sign anywhere in this country.
The building is about $50 feet high
and nnished on all four sides, the en-
trance having a few extra embellish-
ments. The door in the forecourt Is
guarded by two big sphinxes. Once
inside the richness of the great tenn
pie Is soon revealed A big bronze
screen, in the form of q sunburst. said
to be the largest In existence TODAY
and costing 100000, at once attracts
the gaze. The large entrance hall or
atrium Is sixty-four feet square and
twenty-five feet high. On either side
Is a line Of dark green granite col
umns- The floor IL Of marble and In
the center OF the hall is q large mar
bic table A handsome marble stair
case leads to, the main chamber, on
the upper door. and on either side are
corridors leading to the suites of~the
grand commander and secretary gen
eral.
Altar Of Black Marble.
The grand chamber is sixtyfour
feet square and ninety-five feet high to
the top of the dome. A eolonnade OF
thirty-three marble uprights, thirty:
i've fet high. emblematic of the thirty
three degrees ofScottish Rite Masonry,
surrounds an altar of solid black and
black and gold marble. which Is On a
approached on all sides by
black marble steps. Concealed in
the dome is an organ, which can be
played from the floor Of the great
chamber. The doorway leading to
his chamber measures twenty-five
feet and is of solid black marble re-
touched in gold. On each side OF the
shamber Is great window thirty feet
square. In each OF these are two COL
imns OF very dark green granite with
bronze caps and bases. The floor OF
he chamber and the wafnscotinx
about eight feet high, are Of marble.
while the walls above are Of lime
,tone.
A marble staircase at the rear of
the entrance hall leads to a great
hall on the floor beneath.
which Is also chiefly decorated with
marble. The wall paintings through
'ut the temple are of the Pompeifan
'tyle, the forms and colors showing
hey were determined upon after 8
careful study in Avery Library and
he Metropolitan Museum OF Art.
Used Once In Two Years.
The temple was erected for the use
'f the Scottish Rite Nasons during
heir national conventions. Accord
ng to these rites, it is Said. II will
lot be used more than once in two
1ears for the specific purpose for
which 1t was built The building,
however. is open to the public. Tho
srand commander at the present
ime is Charles E. Rosenbaum.
John Russell Pope. the architect who
designed this structure. has won many
which called for a display
u w nile q STUDENT
e captured the Schermerhorn travelling
in 1894. which took him
broad. He won a fellowship Of the
american Academy Of Rome. and while
I the BeauX Arts won the Jean LecIair
institute OF France prize in architecture
ie won the competition for the monu-
nent Of the Great Lakes. which Is lying
n allegiance. and was successful in the
ompetition for the Lincoln Memorial at
KY, which he designed in
he form OF a modified Doric temple.
Ie has designed buildings for many
rominent persons. including the house
{ the late Congressman r. s. Hit OF
of ex-Ambassador Henry
White, OF J. r Mclean. to which was
dded later an unusual conservatory in
Italian stucco style Of architecture Of
/ S. Mccormick and ex-Vice President
,evi p. Morton. besides designing
ouses for prominent Newport and Long
sland people. including Stuart Duncan.
,gden L. Mills. Robert Bacon, and Mrs.
William X. Vanderbilt.
The honor Of being awarded the medal
{ honor by the Architectural League is
eally an additional honor. for recently
ir Pope was made president of the
Academy in Rome. which ia-
titution he attended when a student.
p0I ICE To WEAR AGS