Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-22
What Washington Lacks to Become
4 Truly Great Capital City

myriads of small stores. with their
customary embellishments enhance
the provincial idea. A few tall build
lngs. some with hideous brick gables
exposed and of no particular archi-
tectural form. throw the smaller struc-
lures into sickening relief. And then
there are a number of business streets
lis 1t necessary to name them?) that
frankly one would never expect to find
in this Capital City On the other
hand. there is one thoroughfare. or
rather one side of il. which might in
some measure and with iudicious i'm
pfoNement serve as a model for the
rest. ! mean Vermont avenue and
Fifteenth street from Thomas Circle
10 New York avenue. This thorough
fare is largely occupied by office build
inSs. but the elements of dignity and
grandeur are there. The effect is lost,
however, behind a barricade of trees.
the avenue being altogether too mar
row for such eXuberant foliage. In the
Summertime. looking UP from the
sidewalk, one sees nothing but A dense
mass of leaves. These criticisms lead
naturally to A survey of PENNSYLVANIA
avenue. cancer in the heart of the
Nations Capital. on the complete
Transformation Of which every effort
American as well as every Washing
tonian. Pennsylvania avenue is ma
tional disgrace for which there is no
defense. If I criticize the trees on
Fifteenth street I bless them on the
Avenue. What pity pedestrians may
not walk along the center of the car
tracks rather than on the sidewalks
and only in the Summertime. when
the foliage is thick, Representative
Boylan goes from Peace Monument TO
Third street, but why stop al Third?
Let us deeply hope that the $50
600. 900 scheme will give us Pennsyl-
vania avenue which will be the pride
of the Nation and satisfaction TO the
most historic and esthetic taste. Let
us not forget that outside of Wash
ington Pennsylvania avenue is virtu-
ally synonymous with the National
Capital. Certainly to the European
ear no names coniure up the Ameri
can scene more wildly than Fifth
avenue and Broadway. New York. and
Pennsylvania avenue, Washington. In
the first two imagination and actu-
atty harmonic. but in the last he
Wilderment and shock are the re-
actions to the interested beholder of
the main street of the Nation.
l will here make a practical susges-
ton in the reconstruction of PennsYl
vania avenue. Keeping in mind the
Place de Ia Concorde or the Place
Vendome. would suggest a vast open
plaza of at least twice the dimensions
of any of the existing park squares
and extending from Pennsylvania ave
nue. to b street. Round this should
be grouped the Government buildings.
the plaza being quite unobstructed by
trees, so that the architectural effects
may not be lost. This plaza should he
midway between the Treasury and
the Capitol. This, and only this. will
give that air of grandeur and majesty
characteristic of the European capt.
tai. America is worthy of II and,
Furthermore. she is ripe for II. And.
most important of all. this scheme
should be supervised and carried out
under A committee of the hest archi-
tects of the Nation. of which man
like Ralph Adams Cram should he
one.
The first impressions of a city on
emergence from the railway station
are indelible, and for that reason the
proposal to develop the Union Plaza
is no less important. Here lies an
opportunity seldom met with at
"
the grand effect by turning acct
dentally, as did the present writer,
into Massachusetts avenue or North
Capitol street. The entrant should he
drawn by the very prospect. unerring-
" to the city's heart. And here hes
the opportunity at hand. Let us hope
men of large vision may take 1t. This
Union Plaza should be kept wide open
and not choked up indiscriminately
with trees. The grounds should be
purely formal, n vast green and rest
full sWard closed to games of any sort.
Speaking of games calls forth an
other thought relative to the all too
few park areas. Too much space In
our public parks Is devoted to what
Kipling graphically calls the muddled
oaf and fianneled fool" All that BEAU
tiful expanse contiguous to the Ex-
ecutive Mansion is sacrificed to the
base baller and foot baller The idea
of recreation Is expressed solely In
terms of violent exercise and bowling
mobs. Its Interpretation in restful-
ness and peace, in relaxation, In in
ward reflection and musing under
the cedars and the stars" never seems
to be associated with our city parks.
To get this we are supposed to go, say,
to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.
These activities in Potomac Park
could very. well. without hurt to any
one and with mercy toward all, be
confined to one section and not &C.
cupy the more beautiful and more
convenient areas as at present. This
should be seriously taken into account
now in the schemes for extending and
originating our park system. II
also is In keeping with the spirit Of
grandeur, dignity and peace which
every one of us from our hearts wishes
to be the characteristic of the Wash
tngton Of tomorrow.
PATRICK J. WARP.