Evening star., 1926-06-13
CITY GUESSING AT SITES
OF NEW i. S. BUILDINGS
Proposed s5o,O00,O00 Program Excitcs
Speculation, But Officials Refuse
TO Risk Starting Boom.

terror Department Building, at \irr-
tenth and + streets. "as typical in rc-
spect OF construction. materials. light
ing. proportion Of halls and walls to
office spaces. and cost per cubic foot p"
The Office type should be six or seven
stories above the basement, IL was
asserted.
Applying these precepts to the ccr-
struction program TO he carrie. -.
ward here during the next five years.
one may gain some IDEA Of what Is in
prospect for the Capital in the way Of
new Federal structures.
Archives Is Different.
While 'the purposes for which the
Archives Building is projected are not
Immediately classifiable under the
types suggested. it is known that the
original design, since discarded In ia
vor of more impressive and com.
modious edif1ce. followed the general
lines OF the departmental buildings.
The Fine Arts Commission. in pass
ing on the first design. explained that
the exterior design does not sufficient
ly express the special purpose Of the
building. The architectural treatment
is more fitted for one of the executive
department buildings than for a
building four-ffths Of which will be
devoted to the storage Of documents
The problem is by no means an easy
one, but il should ne undertaken at
once and carried to a satisfactory con
cluSiOn. ~
The site originally selected for this
, structure lay In the area between
Twelfth and Thirteenth. B and G.
streets, near the Post Office Depart,
| ment. So far as is known, nothing
| fn oh tloo
the Public Buildings Commission re-
garding this location.
The Bureau Of Internal Revenue has
| grown to departmental proportions
since the 1917 survey Of the commits
sion. AT that time no special provi-
| sion was made for this bureau. but
| ii was recommended that. Il Treasury
annex, occupying the entire Madison
place frontage opposite Lafayette
Square, be erected. A first section"
at the northeast corner Of Madison
place and Pennsylvania avenue. sub
sequently was completed. and in the
block at Vermont avenue and Fl street
| has been reared in addition the Vet
Grams Bureau home.
| Revenue Need Greatest.
The internal revenue situation since
| has become acute. The various divi-
sions and sections Of the bureau are
scattered all over the downtown sec.
| ton. seriously hampering efficiency.
In view Of the belief that the new
home for this bureau will be Of the
departmental type. it is expected that
this large structure will be placed no
| great distance from the Urea sury
| mot in the Mall" Just what is meant
by the cryptic statement in official
quarters that this building may he
put south of 3 street" is not clear.
unless 1t is the intention to place this
building closer to the Capitol. perhaps
| in the neighborhoOd of the temporary
buildings at Sixth and B streets.
| The Commerce house. Of course
naturally falls under the category Of
| departmental buildings, and since this
type was selected for the area along
Fifteenth street south Of Pennsylva-
MIA avenue. il would not be surprising
| to see it go up on the southerly pOr-
tion of the squares lying between the
Mall and Pennsylvania avenue. The
Justice Building, not Immediately pro-
vided for in the current estimates. had
been planned for the Polls Theater
site.
The Agriculture Buildings include
two types. The central portion, con-
Meeting the present monumental
wings, will have to conform to the
Mall scheme Of architecture, repre-
sented in the wings. but the new gen
eral Office no doubt will resemble the
Interior Building. an eXamplar OF the
pure Office style. The location sug
gested in 1917 for this projected Office
structure was between Twelfth and
Fourteenth streets and B and C.
streets, in which section the depart
ment now has a number of scattered
! offices.
Except, possibly for the Archives
Building, the locations of the new
Government buildings is yet wholly
matter for conjecture among per-
sons interested in the gigantic develop
| ment.
The details must he worked out by
the competent force Of engineers.
| architects. computers. draughtsmen.
| estimators and other technical ex-
perts to be employed shortly.
When all this preliminary work is
completed. however. and the stately
edifices now projected have lifted
themselves against Washington sky
line. the citizens of the National Capt.
tai and of the country at large may he
assured that Americas seat of Gov
ernment will rival. if not eclipse. the
far-famed capitals of the Old World.