Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-01
EXPERT DESIGNER
TO QUIT i. S. POST
Frederick D. Owen Has Aided
In Plans to Beautify
Capital City.

Leaving visible monuments TO mark
his endeavors toward the beautifica tior
of the National Capital. Frederick n
Owen. engineer in the office of Pub
JIG Buildings and Public Parks Of the
National Capital. on January ~ next
his birthday anniversary. will officially
sever his connections with the Govern
nent service under. the retirement SyS
TEN. He is perhaps one of the best
known locally of any Of the civilian
employees Of the Federal Government
because Of his work in taking charge
of decorations and architectural de-
signing Of stands for public functions
such as inaucurations, and innumer
able statue and memorial dwellings
and dedications.
While AIR. owens service does not
officially end until January ~, he is
leaving Tuesday for Nassau for a
short vacation. and upon his return
will visit his cid Office daily. consum'
ing about a year without pay in keep
Ing the great fund OF material he has
collected in shape. In celebration OF
his service. Mr. Owen will keep open
house tomorrow for scores of his
friends and fellow employees al his
home. Ill. + street.
Shows Monument i'm Construction.
The invitation which he issued con-
tains two photographs, one taken
about 1877, when he entered the Gov
eminent service. looking west from the
Smithsonian Institution. showing the
Washington Monument only partly
completed. the great Potomac flats 10
the westward. and old T}her Creek
en,ptying into the river at Seventeenth
and r streets. Opposite II Is photo
graph. taken this year. showing the
area as reclaimed. and in which work
Mr.. Owen had much TO do as an en-
gineer. then in the office Of Maj. Peter
c. Hams. after whom llains Point in
East Potomac Park is named. Mai,
Haines was then United States Army
Engineer in charge of this river and
harhor district.
Mr.. Owen was born in Hartford
Conn. January 10. 1854. and other
graduating from the high school of
that city went to LehiCh University.
completing an engineering course. He
entered the Government service in
1877 in the office Of the Geological
Survey. which at that time had
rooms in a building which occupied
the present site Of The Star Building.
AT Eleventh street and Pennsylvania
avenue. Mr.. Owen pointed out that
from scientists then employed in those
rooms grew the ideas for the Smith
sonian Institution. the Cosmos Club
and the National Geographic Society.
While working in the Government
Mr.. Owen attended George Washing
Ton University. taking post graduate
tfsurse in the School Of Esthetics. and
applied his knowledge of engineering
and art to the public parks office.
While in the Geological Survey he
was assistant topographer to Henry
Gannett. with whom he travelled and
surveyed the middle part of the State
OF Colorado. With Mr.. Gannett and
party. he was the first to reach the
top OF Mount Owen. an altitude of
10 600 feet. in Colorado. The noun
tain was named after a member of
Mr.. Owens family. 1t was Mr.. Owen
who later discovered coal below the
mount in Ohio Creek. He said he
put il on the survey maps. and the
land now is the property of the Colo
RADIO Iron and Coal Co. The result of
the maps from the surveys conducted
by Mr.. Owens party and other parties
working IN Colorado was the prOduc-
ton Of an atlas of Colorado. described
b. Senator Shafroth as the Colorado
Bible"
Laid Out Highways.
After his service in thu Geological
Survey. he went TO the Office OF MAI.
Hams. where ne remained during 1881
and 1884, assisting that Official in lay
ang out the lines for what In now
East and West Potomac Parks and
helped design the seawal. behind
which was later pumped the mud
which settled and formed the present
parks. AS a matter OF fact. he said.
he had the honor Of being the first
assistant engineer 10 go with Mai.
Hams on this important work. He
also laid out the mai nr highways in
these two parkways.
In 1897 he entered the Office Of pub
tic buildings and public parks of the
National Capital. which then was
known as the Office of public buildings
and grounds, at the personal invita-
; ton Of Col. T. A. Bingham, then the
engineer officer in charge. Since that
time he has been engaged in much
important work in connection with
ceremonies, starting with the Roose-
welt ina nguration in 1865. his last Off
ciai function being the unwilling nf
the memorial In the Botanic Gardens
TO Gen. Meade. when he had charge
Of all the unyeiiing ARA n2ements. In.
Guiding the seating. design Of the
rte nds and paraphernalia for pulling
the unyeaiing cords.
lie has desig ned innUrnerahiA seals
Tor special occa sioDs. az well az those
used in the ordinary routine Of the
OfHce burmese. including police badges
He was in charge Of the dec0rat ions
Of the arfne conference here and de-
signed the seal used on the station.
cry. MIR. Oven also VAS the designer
~ The flag now used ~ the 0fficia
flag ~ the President Of the United
s'aiss. IL" also ~3s in charge Of and
derigne6 the exhibit Of the office ~
p1bbc buildings and parks at the
EeFq 1jcenteDniaj ~ Philadelphia.
Al ihe time Of the Spa nish-A,ner-
hcsn War. sir. owen conceived. de.
signed and fitted out the first war
rom in the White House. which. he
- ~. YVES the first ri it's Kind in the
"ofh. Here we're put maps and
chars IF the 'heatpr Of OPERATE ~.
e M AZ 6isps'c he& we're received In
CIPHER the. @ere Translated ana The
movements shown era phltaily on The
maps ~ coirred pins fags. etc
From these he late pfesidsni Ne.
klniey consts nifty studied the move.
n3ents ard c.Fec ed Others
fitted Out Cabinet Rom.
re & Lso fitted oD, the eabine, room
- IbS White House in similar fashion
far President Nilsson and ms cabinet
during she NgriG War one of the
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