Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-15
PUBLIC building. architecture
ally unique In character as far
as designs In the United

u
ital. 1t will follow the only really dis
tinctive type of architecture of which
the undiscovered new world could
boast that of the amazing edifces of
the Maya Indians. whom the Spanish
conQuistadores found in that portion
of Central America now known as the
Mexican state of Yucatan.
Aside from its general appealing ar
chitectural and archaeological aspect
and the fact that it is to be erected In
Washington. it will possess two fur
Their points Of special interest. In the
first place. 1t will be peculiarly appro-
pirate to it's unitarian purpose, and
in the second 1t will be the work of
a local architect, Maj George Oakley
Totten, already favorably known here
for his designs of both public and
private structures.
A collector of American Indian
curios. whose name is widely known
both in this and other countries, was
DESTROYS of a design for a suitable and
artistic museum building Of small size
which is to be willed to the United
States government. Pursuant to
suggestion that the only distinctively
American architecture having artistic
merit is found in Yucatan, that por-
ton of lower Mexico which projects
northward something like thumb
into the gulf, Mai. TOtten, after
study Of the material in museums and
libraries, both here and in New York
"a study which more and more
aroused his interest in and enthu-
siasm for the Magyar school-con-
cluded that the best method of pro-
cedure would be trip to the Central
American fountain head OF inspira-
ton, during which he might make
personal observations and first-hand
studies on the ground.
Maj. Totten has just returned to
Washington after lengthy visit OF
inspection. which proved especially
valuable in that 1t included the dis
covery on certain fragments OF pulid-
ings of the colors applied by their
constructors and enabled him to re-
produce some of this work for use in
connection with the design on which
he is now engaged.
The general discovery that these
buildings were colored Is not new.
1t is definitely known that all or
them were were deliberately colored.
both inside and out. just as were the
Greek and Egyptian temples. and the
remaining hues are beautiful In their
purity and point to WONDERFUL
knowledge Of color material. The To-
cal architect. however. was fortunate
enough to gain additional knowledge
of the colors used through the loca.
ton of fragments long buried In the
earth, and will be the first to attempt
to reconstruct the entire color scheme
of any one building.
In regard to the design for the
small museum, which is to be placed.
in all likelihood. on the Mall In the
vicinity Of existing museums and
galleries. Maj. Totten says that he
found it advisable, after due inspec-
ton. to make general design and
directly reproduce appropriate details
rather than to attempt to originate
details, for the reason that their
symbolism is entirely unknown to
any one today.
Yucatan possesses more than a hun.
dred remains of cities and towns
constructed by these people. the
Maya Indians. No one knows pre-
cisely when they came into the coun.
try or from where. The bigoted
Spaniards began their occupation by
burning the existing libraries writ
ten on deerskin and maguey paper
and destroying sculptures. vases and
many other unrecorded objects. The
work Of destruction thus begun was
carried on in regard to the big build
ings by the degenerate descendants
Of the once proud Mayas. but enough
exists today to mako Yucatan at once
the envy of archeologiats and also
their despair. because with the de-
struction Of practically all their
writings (only four remain) all
chance for clue to the meaning of
the carved symbolical characters.
with the exception of the calendar
signs, seems to be forever lost. Some
of the cities appear like ancient
Egyptian Thebes. to have been com.