Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-05-14
APPROVES the site.

TO the Editor OF The Times- Dispatch:
Sir have read with some degree
OF interest the protests appearing
in your paper against the erection
OF an Office building on the southe ast
corner OF III. capitol square. and
your editorial Endorsement OF the
same. and Was pleased at Governor
Tr!nkie's clear and fair explanation
Of the conditions that Influenced the
General Assembly In its action Oh
the question OF such building
Having hoen approached personally,
as register and superintendent Of
grounds and buildings. with protests
similar 20 those to which Governor
Trinkle replies. / feel that II would
not be aulss and due TO al! parties
IN !utrrcst--tO make tho following
statement Of efforts tina, have been
made by state officials 10 avoid AN
.ucroachmcnt on the capitol SQUARE
FOR an oiilce building size.
Soon after Gccan. register and
superintendent on March /. 1897.
re, cgn'z.d the need 81 more oiiic.
room. ala the then state Departments
being congested. ana In looking
around / found the Davis House To-
Gated within the street bounding
around the Square. and believing 1t
aside from thinking that tho State
should own It. | got prics from
the owners, which a. NOW recall
,>as $4,000. with his ia hand. l
approached number OF the LEADING
members OF the General Assembly.
thnt a purcha.. be made, but. deem
ing this price excessive. The oner was
not acted upon. This building stands
upon :. lot facing 20 feet on Frank
I'm Street and - feet on Governor
Street
AZ KS 1902 session tho General
Assembly passed IL bill! to enlarge the
Capitol and ,h.s was completed in
1905 and offered temporary relief:
Notwithstanding that the Constitu-
,!onul Convention had created the Cor
poration Commission. which had To
be housed In the Capitol. taking UP
al! the office room on the third floor
north OF the rotunda. The Depart
mcnt OF Agriculture. then in the II.
brary building. was moved to Offices
made from the original House OF
Delegates, thus relieving the conSest-
cd condition OF the Office OF the
auditor.
During Governor Swanson's term.
conditions as to room again became
acute and the enlargement OF tho IL
brary building wns approved by the
General Assembly OF 1905. by which
more room was given the First Audi
tor and space for the Mineral and Tim
her Exhibi;. and also giving room TO
the office OF State Board Of Charities.
etc.
After this. Things went fairly we'll
until the entry OF Hon. II. G. stuart
upon his term as Governor. when he
found want Of Office room again APP
10 81
Stuart rented tho Davis House for
two years and filled IL with depart
ments then In leased quarters and
others suffering from congestion In
the Capitol and Library buildings.
and took an option 10 buy the prop
erty a, the sum OF $4,000. ThlS OPP
ton. on the expiration OF Governor
Stuarts term and his retirement
from office. became. ! am informed.
the heritage OF Governor Davis. who.
thinking the price too high. called
TO his aid three prominent realtors"
OF the city TO pass their opinion on
the buildings Waite. Two OF these
gave as their opinion that $4,000 was
Il fair price. and the other said $37.-
l000-whereupon Governor Davis. ,nnx-
ious. even at some sacrifice, to pro-
vide Office space, agreed To give $780,
| O60-which offer WAS refused. and
then he threw UP the option. and or
dered all State departments using II
to remove TO other places.
With these conditions staring tho
Legislature OF 1922 in tho face. with
the price of tho Davis House lot
now at $4,000 (being prohibitive) and
no one Offering 10 give the State
site upon which TO erect an Office
building what else could II do but
choose lot in the Capitol Square.
upon which to build and relieve tho
situation?
regret the forced necessity to use
part OF the Capitol Square and the
| consequent destruction of tho now
| beautiful maple trees that ] planted
| in that part Of the Square some eight
| cen years ago. but sentiment, and
trees must give way to progress and
necessity.
JOHN w. RICHARDSON,
Richmond. Va, May 5. 1922.