Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-04
MAGNIFICENT SETTING Ia
y is PLANNED FOR AVENUE
Washington's Historic ''Main Street. to
Be Fringed With Monumental
Federal Buildings.


have passed for more than Q
i 4 century. in a few more years
will have setting worthy oil
the main thoroughfare Of a great
capital.
Under the Federal building plan. the
somewhat soiled and ragged fringe OF
buildings on both sides of the Avenue
from Peace Monument to Fourteenth
street will be replaced by magnificent
Government structures.
For many years the rather SQualid
appearance of some sections of the Ave-
nue. has been a source of surprise to
inaugural visitors who were not familiar
with the reasons for delay in improv-
ing it.
The plan long has been in the minds
of leading Americans. But it remained
for this generation to translate it into
action. Already great plans have been
drafted on paper for building an array
of monumental buildings on the south
side of the Avenue mad for controlling
the nature of privately constructed new
buildings on the north side of the Ave-
nue.. expected to match somewhat in
stateliness the Federal buildings OPP
posite.
$75,000,0O0 Authorized.
On the south side of Pennsylvania
avenue, lying between that street and
the great park-like Mall, and stretching
to the Treasury Department Is a great
triangle of land, which for years has
been filled witha nondescript assortment
of residential, business, manufacturing,
wholesale and retail houses The Gov
eminent has decided and authorized the
transformation of this great triangle
into an area of Government buildings
OF character and design commensurate
with the dignity of the Government of
the United States. Congress has au-
thorized expenditure of at least $75,-
100000, most of it in this triangle, and
leaders in Congress have promised
more, to make this area something of
which the Nation will be proud
The construction OF millions of dol
lars worth of great public buildings
on one side of the broad street is ex-
pected to result eventually in rebuild
ing much of the north side of Penn
sylvania avenue to house more i'm
portant and suitable interests than now
occupy the locations along the east
ern end. Private interests are expected
to turn toward the trend of public
buildings in the National Capital much
as it is said in the other cities of the
United States that business gathers
around the Federal post office and
courthouse.
The Government by the right of emf
nent domain and complete control will
decide what Is to be done with the en-
tire south side, but it is now exercising
some thought to what may happen to
the other side of the Avenue SO there
Is already pending in Congress pro-
posed legislation which would give the
Government authority under coming
regulations to control the height and
architectural exterior of buildings ada
cent to Government structures. The
legislation would apply to any part of
the National Capital, but it is expected
TO be especially helpful in the case of
the eastern end of Pennsylvania avenue
Authority Recognized.
Already the right of the Government
To. exercise some jurisdiction, even
without the authority Of new iegisla-
ton which is only in the tentative
stage, has been recognized. In an in
stance the United Cigar Co. had planned
one-story building on the corner Of
Fourteenth and Pennsylvania avenue
opposite the towering Willard Hotel, and
across the street from the great tri-
angle. After some negotiations with
company altered the design Of the
building more to conform to what the
Government thought would be suitable
at that location.
It is not only mere beauty that the
Government is driving at, however, in
planning to put up on the Federal tri-
angle the most imposing group Of uni
fed architectural composition Iii the
world 1t is Federal housing. For Uncle
Sam is woefully lacking In buildings
to house his own activities. This was
amazingly illustrated within the past
few weeks. when figures were made pub
lie showing that the Federal Govern
ment pays out in annual rent for build
ings to house Government activities, in
this city alone, the large sum OF
$1,218,000.
Many Government departments are
housed wholly or in large part In rented
quarters. For instance. the Department
of Justice, the Department Of Com
merce. the Department Of Labor and
the Interstate Commerce Commission
are all In rented buildings, while the
extensive Department Of Agriculture Is
scattered virtually all over the city Of
Washington, part In Government build
tngs, but mostly In rented quarters.
Not all OF the new Federal buildings
are to be concentrated in the Federal
Triangle, which will put an entirely new
face on famous Pennsylvania avenue
The Department of Agriculture, for in
stance. is now getting a new admins
tration building, to connect the two
white marble wings, which whimsical
Secretary of Agriculture. Wilson, erected
with the permission of President Roos"-
welt, when Congress did not give enough
to erect the whole building at once. This
new administration building is now well
under way, with It's structural steel tow
trinR above the trees of the Mall Be-
hind the present buildings the Govern
,nent plans also to put up what is to be
known as an extensible building for the
Department of Agriculture, eventually t
occupy three squares. and TO be connect.
ed to the main building by bridges ovei
B street.
There are also other projects OF thu
triangle, such as an addition to tn
Government Printing Once, Tor wmcl
contract has been let and preliminary
construction started.
Another huge housing project for tn
Government up on Capitol Hill will b
the new Supreme Court Building, To-
which Congress has already appro
priated for land purchase 81 100000
And there are other lesser housing prof
ects elsewhere in the city.
But to get back to the Federal tri
angle and its Pennsylvania avenu
front. which is to be so strangely meta
morphosed within the next few years
Congress has taken two principal step
on which executive branches Of the Gov
eminent principally the Treasury De
partment. are working. 1t authorizes
$50 000.O0 for land and buildings in tn
District of Columbia. and then late
added another S25,0000 900 to be spen
for purchasing the land in the triangle
ALREADY much work has been accom-
plished, and much more is under va
under the authority of these enact
ments and subsequent appropriation
For instance, the Treasury Department
has already enternd into ADVANCEMENT