Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-05-16

WASHINGTON, May 16:-MuSs-
ums are now urged to collect doors,
stairways, and even entire houses to
add to their collections Architec-
ture, so architects believe, should be
| given a place in the galleries OF III
museums as the mother of the arts
and as the art which most vitality
concerns our daily life.
Such exhibits would enable the
| public not only to become acquainted
with examples of the best American
| design and construction, but also to
absorb the fundamentals of good
taste in architecture. Students OF
the builders art would have a de-
pendable source of information and
inspiration for their work. The fine
things that have been done by Amer
lean builders in the past would be
remembered more substantially han
by vague tradition.
As it is, the most beautiful old
portico or hand carved mantelpiece
serves its purpose and then is usually
strapped without any sentiment be-
ing wasted over it's artistic signih-
canoe.
Occasionally a building with an in
teresting past Is rescued from a sal
wage company. An historic house in
the path of a city's building progress
u some patriotic society to in
dignation. The society dashes to h
rescue, stirs up public sentiment, and
raises funds to save another historic
shrine for America.
But even a very famous house may
not survive such a campaign. the
Francis Scott Key mansion in this
city, a place regularly sought out by
tourists, was RACED after an unsuc-
cessful attempt to save it for pos
terity. And any house without a
highly significant background stands
practically no chance whatever OF
arousing popular interest.
All this seems unfortunate to arch
itects who believe that the public
has learned to associate historic i'm
| portance with architectural merit.
Here is a single illustration OF
these points: Two houses stood side
by side on Lafayette Square, one
| brownstone with garish interior, and
the other a fine example of pure
type. Both are gone to make room
for the National Chamber Of Com
merce headquarters now being erect
ed. The passing Of the brownstone
attracted a great deal of attention
4 a Odllel NEOolBL Aoh hfSA
there. The other house with its
simple front and it's tumbling wis
taria vines had a limited appeal and
no publicity. There was a scramble
for a cast-iron dog, an ornate Ian
tern, and some ~over-carved mantels
in the brownstone. The colonial en-
trance of the ne%ighboring house was
dismantled, one man buying the col
umn shafts without bothering to &C
quire the capitals.
To see a beautiful old doorway like
this torn to pieces and sold as sc
much lumber is to the designer OF
buildings as tragic as though a faded
painting by a master should be
scraped of it's paint in order that
the canvas might be used to patch q
sail.
All Good Work Can Not be Saved
OF course it is out of the question
!, to preserve all good work. 1t is mere
ly proposed that some carefully Sc
: lected exhibits should be acquired Il
represent architecture in the art col
lections of the great museums n Il
1 focus attention on the good and BAT
in building art. There are exhibit
, of this sort in Salem, Massachusetts
and in New York City, and a nation
al collection in Washington is nov
under consideration in connection
| with the national gallery OF tn
Smithsonian Institution.
J The national capital has in tn
! past been the cen of a large num
4 Der of architectural tragedies. 1
{ each decade of the city's histor
striking residences have been but
by statesmen and society leaders
: INow, each year is seeing the destruc
ton of more and more of these oil
homes. Even houses in sections sur
posed to be safely residential are be
D ing swept away to make room 10
I apartment houses and office build
, ings.
1 But not long age local interest !
a architecture for ~architecture's SAX
= was aroused through the threatene
t destruction of a stately K stree
n home known. as the Warder hous
Y 1t was recalled to the city's attentio
that this house was designed b
Richardson, one of Americas fore
n most architects. and that it repr'
> scented some OF the best work {
y Richardson's career
A group of influential men wa
called together to see IL somethin
ronld b dbnss and 3 SommitteA WI