Evening star., 1923-06-07

outlying sections of the District to
interfere with the harmonious de-
veL"pment 50 wisely planned For
many years In the early days of the
capital the elaborate plans Of rEnfant
received Scant recognition by the Of
hcialS in charge. According to one
authority that condition of apathy or
indifference continued to a greater or
less degree until the powers that be
were suddenly awakened to the ad-
Nantases of a higher degree of civic
beauty by the highly artistic design
ana arrangement of the buildings and
grounds at the worlds Columbian ex-
position in Chicago in 1893.
Washington was one OF the first
American cities 10 feel the impulse
OF that awakening. Senator James
Mcmillan was primarily influential
IN having called together in 1901 a
group OF eminent architects and
artsts. d. H Burnham, Charles F
Mckim. Augustus Saint Gaudens and
Frederick Law Omsted comprised
that commission. They visited vari-
Gus cities in Europe and later pre-
pared a s a result OF their studies the
existing plan for the expansion and
identification of Washington, now
acknowledged to he one of the most
comprehensive plans for civic beauty
in the world. That plan recognizes
the great merit of lEnfant's Mall
expands
it 10 meet the later conditions. 1t
also includes an extension of the
park system over the newer part of
the city, which not included in
the original design. so that when
the natural growth takes place the
newer areas will be as well pro-
vided with recreation parks as the
old
Future Public Buildings.
The central feature of the new
plan may be- outlined generally as
providing for a broad mall. extend
ing from the Capitol westward. in
cluding the Washington Monument,
to the great memorial TO President
Lincoln, on the bank of the Potomac
river. Crossing that line. which
forms its major axis. is shorter
axis extending at right angles north
and south through the Washington
House at the northern end and a
proposed group of buildings at the
other. dedicated TO the memory of
the nations founders. The Mall thus
becomes large diamond-s shaped
park extending through the heart of
the city from the Capitol to the river
providing sites in great number for
large public buildings and giving
opportunity for an artistic arrange
ment of roads and trees and a park
development of great dignity and
beauty. The scheme will ultimately
embrace within its limits nearly all
of the great departmental admins
trative buildings. the Capitol and the
White House and provide sites for
many semi-public buildings for art
and science, for armories and con-
vention halls
The second essential feature of the
art commissions plan is a chain of
parks connected by boulevards ex-
tending from the river through Rock
thence east to the Soldiers Home,
through the grounds of the Boys In
dustrial School. thence TO the Ana
costa river. where a large aquatic
park is being created by f1lling in
the swampy flats. formerly insanitary
and useless. with material dredged
from the river channels Outside Of
that chain of parks is to be another
similar boulevard connecting the nu-
merous civil war forts, which ii is
expected, will thus become part
of the park system of the District.
Memorial Buildings Grouped.
Great progress already has been
In the Mall are the office buildings
Of the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives. the new National Mu-
scum, the buildings of the Agricul-
ture Department. the Smithsonian
Institution, the Freer Art Gallery.
the Washington Monument, the
Grant Memorial. the building Of the
bureau of printing and engraving.
the Pan-American Union building,
the Continental Memorial Hall of the
Daughters of the American Revolu-
ton and the building in memory of
the heroic women of the civil war.
Cross. Ali these buildings were
located with view to their adding
coin Memorial is one of the most i'm
portant of these and marks the
western end of the longer axis of
the Mall.
Rock Creek Park was acquired in
1892 That is a park Of natural de-
sign, comprising over 1900 acres.
Geological Park. adjoining 1t on the
south, embracing 10 acres was ac-
ian Hill parks were bought in 1911
and the clearing and opening Of the
area lying between the Capitol and
the Union s1fton is in
formerly marshes and mud flats, was
filled in with material dredged from
the river and the park area COM
pleted and partly developed. The
construction of East Potomac Park
by reclaiming from the river an area
Of 327 acres is now ready for de-
velopment as a large athletic recrea-
ton field. Plans are now being pre-
pared for the enlargement of Rock
Creek Valley with view to It's
Transformation into a highly devei-
oped parkway connecting Potomac
Park on the riverfront and Rock
Creek Park in the interior. On the
lower Anacostia river large areas
have been reclaimed already by the
filling and work there is still in
withia magnificent river
park in view IN that sida Of the