Evening star., 1922-01-05
PLANS co FORWARD
FOR NEW LIBRARY
Approval and Closing of Con.
tract Asked of Carnegie
Corporation.

Plans for the southeast branch of
the Public Library moved forward
today. following action by Commits
sioner Cuno II. Rudolph. president of
the board of Commissioners, and by
the branch library building commits
sion, headed by Engineer Commits
sioner Keller.
Commissioner Rudolph. for the
board. and the members of the branch
library building commission united
IN letter to the Carnegie Corpora
ton of New York asking approval of
plans and authorization to close con-
tracts.
The building commission has recon-
mended to the District Commissioners
That the contract for the construction
and equipment of the branch library
building, to be located at the inter-
section of South Carolina avenue. 9TH
and ID streets southeast. be awarded
TO the Arthur L. Smith Company. Five
bids Were considered.
Besides Col. Keller. the building
commission is composed of Theodore
w. Noyes. president of the board of Ii
brary trustees: Charles j. Bell chair
man of the committee on branch Ii
braries. with DR.. George F. Bower
man. librarian of the Public Library,
acting as secretary of the commission
Architects Plans Approved.
The District commissioners. the
board of library trustees and the spe-
cial branch library commission unite
IN approving the plans of Edward L.
Tilton. New York architect The
plans have been inf,smally approved
by the chairman of the National Fine
Arts Commission.
We have now secured bona fide
BIDS for the construction and equip
ment of the building, with the result
that we agree to construct and euuip
the building complete and ready for
occupancy for the sum of S64, 900, in
Guiding exterior cornices of metal;
and for $4,000 with cornices of lime
stone. declares the letter sent the
Carnegie Corporation, notifying the
corporation that Legislation has been
secured from Congress authorizing the
acceptance from the corporation of
not less than $4,000 for the purpose
of erecting suitable branch library
here.
Since the building is to OCCUPY a
conspicuous site in the Capital city of
the country, where ii will be seen by
visitors ana tourists, we hope that you
Will agree with US in the desirabi
Of stone cornices." continues the let
ter.
Would Seat 100 Renders.
The plan is economical and the
cost less than other library buildings
OF similar capacity recently con-
structed, since it will seat comfort
ably 100 readers at one time and will
accommodate from $4,000 to 10000
volumes"
The letter points out that the site
selected is fine ohc. six blocks east
vania avenue, in growing section of
the District, with d present white
population of more than $4,000 per-
sons and colored population of ap-
proximately 5000. all of whom, with
out restriction, will have access to the
proposed branch library
The building commission held a con-
ference yesterday with the municipal
architect and others at the, District
building, when the plans and bids
were gone over carefully.
The new building will be wedge
shaped. and will be the second branch
of the Public Library to be estab-
lished here. the first being that at
Takoma Park. The southeast branch
will be one-story building, with base
nent. 1t will have a frontage of forty
feet. and will be sixty-four feet wide
at the rear. On the South Carolina
avenue side the building will be APP
on the d street side about eighty-two
feet long.
Many Novel Features.
The novel shape of the building
necessitated by the tract of land
upon which it is to be placed, it ad-
mirably used by the architect to in
troduce novel features. At the rear.
on the first floor, will be a STORY
room." containing a great fireplace.
Above the fireplace will be tiles de-
picting scenes from Chaucer's Can
terbury Tables
If plans run smoothly. construction
is expected to begin shortly, so that
the building will be ready for occu-
pancy by July l next.
The building is to contain special
rooms for teaching purposes, a rest
room. children's room, and special
rooms, with folding doors between,
room for lecture purposes.