Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03
Of o Game When CeuryL CotseB Remamto
Decorated at PrHenC by Society Cincinnati

gagged In this business and hopes soon
to accomplish the object of his mission.
He Is attended by Benjamin Banker,
an Ethiopian, whose abilities as SUR
veyor and astronomer clearly prove that
Mr.. Jefferson's concluding that race Of
men were void Of mental endowmentS
was without foundation.
wednesday evening arrived In this
town Maj. Longfont, q French gentle
man, employed by the President of the
United States to survey the lands con-
tiguouS to Georgetown where the Fed.
eral city Is to be built. His skill In
matters Of this kind is Justly extolled
by oil disposed to give merit Its proper
tribute Of praise. He Is earnest In the
business and hopes to be able to lay
q plat Of that parcel Of land before
the President upon his arrival in this
town"
L'Enfant was very enthusiastic over
tates of Washington, and on March
II, two days after his arrival in George
town, wrote to Mr.. Jefferson q letter,
In which he said
"As far as was able to Judge through
o thick fog passed on many spots
which appeared to me really beautiful
and which seem to- dispute with each
other who command. In the most ex-
tensive prospect on the water the grad
nal rising OF the ground from Carroll
borough toward Ferry road, the level
ana extensive ground from there to the
bank OF the Potomac as far as Goose
Greek present situation most ad-
vantageous to run streets and prolonr
them on grand and far distant point
OF view
or Maj. L'Enfant It may truth
q fully be said, that he was q man
OF most wonderful foresight and vision.
He had no idea Of building a Capital
City for IS States and 100000 of peo-
pie. but he builded for the future-a
great republic Of so States with possible
population Of 100000
He viewed the site selected from
many points on the Potomac River,
from the lofty elevations of Georgetown
and from the Anacostia hills. in order
TO determine the best location for the
public buildings and to arrange the
best treatment for the streets, ave-
nues and parks he had in contempla-
ton. L'Enfant's ideas we're original.
He realized the opportunity and wanted
to meet IL.
'Tt is not the regular assemblage of
houses laid out In squares and forming
streets, all parallel and uniform" he
says, that Is SO necessary, for such q
plan could do on well level plain, and
where no surrounding object being in
teresting It becomes Indifferent, which
way the opening Of the streets may be
directed. Such a regular plan is but
o mean continuance of some cool mag
nation wanting q sense of the real
grand and truly beautiful, only to be
met with when nature contributes with
art and diversity the objects"
He planned for the placing Of the
Capitol Building on jenkins Hill, where
1t Is today, and In one of his letters we
md him referring to this particular
location by saying:
After much menutial search for an
eligible situation, prompted, I may say,
from fear Of being prejudiced in ia
YOUR Of a first opinion, could discover
no one so advantageously to greet the
Congressional building as is that on
the west end of jenkins heights tCap-
itol HID. which stand as a pedestal
waiting for q monument, and + am
confident, were all the wood cleared
from the ground, no situation could
stand In competition with this. Some
might perhaps require less lahour to
be rendered agreeable. but after all as
sistance of arts none ever would be
made so grand and an other would
appear but Of secondary nature"
Added to this Is his reference to the
placing Of the White House, which is
especially interesting just now:
THAT were to determine the seat
Of the presidential palace. In its differ
ence Of nature, may be view of adj
vantageous to the object Of adding to
the Sumptuousness Of O palace of con-
venience Of house and the agreeable
ness of country seat situated on that
ridge which attracted your attention at
the first inspection of the ground on
the west side Of the Tiber entrance It
will see 10 or IL miles down the Po-
towmack front the town and harhor
Of Alexandria, and stand to the view
Of the whole city and have the most
improved part Of 1t made by addition
to those grand improvements for which
the ground In the dependently of the
palace is to proper"
\ y 4
THE beginning Of the end of L'En-
= fant's connection with the design
ing OF the District came before Presi-
dent Washington had submitted to Con-
gress on December 10, 1871, the record
Of his plans. It was then that Wash.
ington directed him to clear away all
distractions in the way Of his survey
ing lines.
Though q genius In some respects,
yet L'Enfant demonstrated right here