Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-11

focus attention on the Mall develop
ment, which has long been neglected
and which Congress intends to act
upon in the next session.
(6) IL this new arrangement of
streets is approved. it il proposed to
match of with the new Botanic Gar
den Conservatory on the south OF The
| Mall entrance with an aquarium on
| the north corner, at First street and
| Pennsylvania avenue. The Botanic
Garden with museum of plant life
and the aquarium would be OF great
educational value as well as OF In
terest to all tourists who enjoy such
exhibitions near the Capitol, which is
always the center of their sight-see-
| ing.
"a This new arrangement would
give greater prominence to one OF the
most important statuary groups IN
the entire country, the Grant Me-
| mortal. which now is hidden in Botanic
Garden shrubbery. 1t is proposed
that this hereafter shall be virtually
in the Capitol Grounds and that to
the west will be constructed mirror
pool similar to the one near the Lin
coin Memorial. That pool would be
in The Mall, between Second and
Third streets.
(8) With the development of the
Capitol- Union Station Plaza Park
must come an architectural front on
what is now the unfinished back OF
the Senate Once Building, along G
street, between Delaware avenue and
First street northeast. There now -
q dip in the grade OF Delaware ave.
nue. at G street and the plaza Inn
provement means q regarding OF that
street on gradual elevation.
Entrance Never Completed.
Because 1t was foreseen that
eventually there would be such q
need regarding the entrance to the
Senate ONCE Building at Delaware
avenue and C. street it was never
completed and there are only old
wooden steps. The G street side, or
north front, OF the Senate ONCE
Building always has been hidden and
is OF the plainest design. With the
DEVELOPMENT of the vista from Union
station to the Capitol this side of the
Office building win be very conspic-
uous. For that reason it viii be re-
built to conform to the more monu-
mental style on the Delaware avenue
side.
It readily can be seen from the
above program that the development
of the Capitol grounds leads into the
Mall development and the long-de-
sired Improvement Of the south side
of Pennsylvania avenue, on which
the Government laid q dead hand
nearly q quarter of century ago,
thus retarding It's Improvement by
private capital. In this connection
it is well to note that the Public
Buildings Commission for long
time has advocated just such q. pro
gram OF steady and co-ordinated de-
yelopnent. The famous report Of
1916 recommends as follows regard
ing the surroundings of the Capitol,
the Botanic Garden, the Mall develop
ment and the area south of the Capt.
toll to the river:
Measures should be taken to
place the Capitol in the setting de-
signed In the original plan OF Wash
ington. The south side of Pennsyl-
variia avenue from the Capitol to the
Treasury, should be toned up by the
location Of suitable public buildings
along its entire length, and all the
lands facing the Capitol grounds
should ultimately be used either a.
Congress gardens or as the location
for public buildings having relation
to the legislative branch Of the Gov
eminent.
Park Development Urged.
"The Botanic Garden area should
be developed into q public park, giy-
ing an appropriate setting to the
Grant Memorial now approaching
completion and to the Meade Me-
mortal soon to be erected by the
State Of Pennsylvania. The super