Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-05
State Buildings Plan
Is Thirty Years Old
To the Editor of The Sta:

The ably written contribution ap
pearing in your edition Of last Sunday
by Mr.. Frederic J. Haskin on state
| Buildings in Washington" was a
| valuable contribution to the already
somewhat extensive literature upon
this important subject. He summed
up the proposition in his usual
felicitous STYLE. showing the ad
vantages, not only to the National
| Capital, but to the whole Nation, OF
such permanent exposition at
Washington. He might have added
the following list Of advantages to
accrue from such an institutions:
l.. The benefits to interstate com
| merce.
2. The immense advantage to the
Agricultural, Commerce and other ex
| ecutive departments of having sc
much authoritative data directly at
hand regarding each State.
8. The enormous and abiding in
terest such a permanent American
exhibit at Washington would excite
in other countries, attracting mum
| berless visitors here.
He might also have referred to the
practicability of defraying all costs
Of these buildings and exhibits, az
well as running expenses, by charg'
ing small admission fees and rentals
| for space for exhibits until each state
could afford to throw its doors and
it's exhibition rooms open to the pup
lie.
The proposition Is so important and
has so many sides to it that it is a
wonder it has not been taken up
| by Congress more seriously long ere
this.
In the preparation Of his article
Mr.. Haskin overlooked one interest
| ing feature which he will pardon me
| for mentioning, as l am sure he Is
always DESTROYS of making all his
statements historically correct. Ills
| indication that this idea of State
buildings was first set forth IL years
ago by a Washington banker Is not
strictly in accord with the known
facts. The idea Is really an old one.
1 have before me q copy OF the
| Evening Star Of June 10, 1907, nearly
| 20 years ago, in which, on page To-
part 2, appears an article by tne
| late Louis p. Shoemaker on state
lOT w dOhLhS bOAAS AAA
| he sets forth in much detail the
plans now being discussed. He de-
sires that the Government shall SET
aside a certain number of acres Tor
| the use of each State in Rock Creek
Park. At about that time bill was
introduced in Congress by the iate
Senator John 3. Henderson of Mis-
souri, embodying this idea. His widow
the we'll known social leader OF thls
CITY. Mrs, John 3. Henderson, has
since shown keen interest in the
DEVELOPMENT Of the plan. An even
earlier writer on the subject was the
architect, F. w. Fitzpatrick, who nrst
planned one large structure Tor al
| the States, but was finally convinced
that nothing but separate bulidlns
and exhibit for each State would meet
the requirements.
In Tune. 1906, the writer of this arti-
Gle, knowing nothing Of previous et-
forts in this direction, sent letter 10
a Washington newspaper from Nash
vile. Tenn, outlining permanent IN
ternational exposition at washington
The editor of the paper atterWaru as
sured him that many members OF the
Diplomatic corps here expressed TO MN
their warm support of the idea. Wh'ch
was also we'll received nationally anu
especially by the press of Boston.
On February "a, 1907, TINS writer
published an article of several columns
in The Star detailing plans for a per
manent international exposition al
Washington, and the information is
impaired therein that this sort or
scheme was projected about 1880 by
the National Fair Association. com
posed Of william NJ. Calf, William e.
Clark. Horatio Browning and others,
who secured a tract of land at Ivy
City in the District for that purpose,
but It failed" Copies of this article
and others appearing in Chicago peri
ideals and elsewhere upon the sub
ject were sent to all the leading news
papers Of the world.
At a meeting of the Brightwood Citi
zens' Association, held a good many
wears ago, at which the writer made
an address and exhibited plans for
such a permanent exposition. the late
Judge Ashley NJ. Gould, who was pres
ent. stated that this idea of State
buildings had been Incorporated in tbs
original L'Enfant plans for the City
of Washington. The idea Is so logical
and of such obvious Importance and
benefit to all concerned that 1t is really
remarkable that Congress has been sc
slow to make it a reality.
In 1917 an dIDDlJlOuS el1OlL was hitI'IS
to start the "WoEld's Permanent EX
position at Washington, and the
progenitors of the movement had
astonishing success in obtaining sup.
port for the movement among mem
bers Of the diplomatic corps as well as
business men and organizations all
over the country. 1t was poorly
financed and fell by the wayside. The
present movement for State buildings
rests upon a much more solid basis.
No one can deny that the more
recent revival of this plan and the
shaping of it's coming realization are
largely due to the work of Col. Robert
N. Harper. ably seconded by Mr..
Frank NJ. Lowe and few other far
sighted citizens, whose financial stand
ing and ability are of immense value
to the undertaking, the realization of
which will be the most magnificent de
velopment that Washington has seen
since the laying of the corner stone
of the Capitol.
LINDSAY S. PERKINS.
MoIo Haste WsRh