Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-10-09
MEMORIAL WHEN
COMPLETED 10
COST S2,lN,0O
Soon to Begin Pouring
Eight Foot Slab Of
Concrete
AWARD CONTRACT
Crawford Paving Co, to Construct
Fifteen Foot Granite Wall to Cost
250,OOO-Date For Cornerstone Lay
ing Undetermined.

An important meeting of the ex-
ecutive committee of the George
Washington Masonic National Me-
mortal Association was held Satur-
day in the Crawford C0mpany's Of
fee on Shooters Hill. There Were
present Hon. Louis A. Watres, Presl-
dent of the Association; VIM. /. Dan
iels Of New Jersey; Melvin NJ. John
son of Massachusetts and Charles H.
Callahan of Alexandria. members of
the committee and j. Claude KEEPER
of Washington. d. c., secretary.
Others attending were S. Eugene Os-
good of Grand Rapids, Michigan, con-
sulting architect, II. W. Corbett and
Mr. McMurray, of the firm of Helmle
and Corbett, Architects, New York;
Carl r. Parker of the firm Of Ohm
stead, Landscape Artists, Brookline.
Massachusetts and Percy f. Gran
ford, contractor of Washington, D. c.
The meeting proved to be very in
teresting and important. The archi-
tects and contractors made reports
upon the progress of the work al
ready awarded and under construction
and estimates of the total cost Of the
completed building and grounds were
submitted, the result Of which proved
most gratifying to the committee.
The total maximum cost of the build
ing, including landscape work and
terrace walls was estimated at two
million, one hundred thousand dol
lars. This estimate covers the cost
of the completed structure, with land
scape decorations and is within the
approximated amount that the COM
mittee had set out to raise.
The pouring of the eight foot slab
of concrete which will form the foun-
dation for the building will begin
in a few days or Immediately upon the
arrival of the structural iron for re-
enforcing purposes.
In addition to this the Committee
on Saturday awarded to the Crawford
company contract for erecting fiji
teen feet of granite wall around the
entire building. This belt of granite
will extend from the concrete base
to what is known as the water table
about five feet above the first floor.
The rest of the exterior structure IS
to be of a species of Tennessee mar
Bile. The belt of granite just awarded
to Mr.. Crawford will cost two hun
dred and fifty-fve thousand dollars,
which amount will include the front
steps and approaches, and it was es-
timated that it would take until next
June or July TO complete the concrete
base and the granite work already
awarded under the most favorable
working conditions.
A stone wall around the terrace
forming the driveway at the foot Of
the steps of the Memorial building
and a wall around the first terrace
at the foot of the hill and up King
Street was also ordered, as was the
grading Of the winding road to the
Temple and the completion of the ter
races, as now designed. The grading
to the north of the Temple will also
be completed.
The contractors have built tempo
rary steps leading up to each terrace
from the bottom of the hill to the
site of the Temple and permanent
steps of stone will be erected up to
the first and last terraces at once.
Surface or top soil has been scatter
ed over some portions of the terraces
and seeding and sodding have also
begun. 1t is expected that this par
ticular work will be completed with
in the next two weeks.
A platform with steps leading to
the temple has been erected on the
east front. The top Of this platform
is one foot below the first floor OF
the Memorial Building and the struc-
ture will rise two hundred and fVe
feet above this point or about fifty
feet above the tower erected by the
contractors. The framework on either
side of the platform, resembling some
what a miniature shOOt-tho-shoot,
represents the coping of stone balus-
trade. which will be erected at either
end of the steps leading 10 the temple
and will give the observer Ialrly
correct idea of the enormous SIZE or
the approaches to the east front Oh
the building.
No definite time was set for the
laying of the cornerstone but 1t was
determined to call meeting OF the.
full board of directors, consisting OF
twelve members, scattered over every
section of the United States: TINS
meeting will be held sometime IN No.
vember at Alexandria and the date
of the ceremony above mentioned VIII
be fixed at that time.
A very pleasant feature IN connec-
ton with this meeting OF the COM
mittee was a luncheon served oy mrs
Crawford and a visit by the mayor
and two members of our city council
Messrs. Jones and Ticer, who joined
the committee at luncheon and gave