Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-07-26
New Court House Bulldog.

With vision before them of Montgom
cry County becoming one of the creates
metropolitan additions to greater Capt.
tai of the United States. the court house
building committee. as recently enlarged
last Friday gave a general order for new
county building. which would be far ia
advance of the present strides in the county
and would set as a center point for the
predicted development Of the future in the
county and town.
With one stroke, the committee decided
that the present court house building be
thrown on the scrap heap to make way for
modern construction. Not even sentiment
for the historic old building. now crowded
out of its usual era by the advancing i'm
portance of this county could save any part
of it to be included in the proposed new
building. This new structure, the commit
tee decided, will be Of white limestone
throughout. and the general order given to
the architects was for long. low structure
to occupy the site to be made by the
present square and the area to the west
soon to be acquired by condemnation. and
to be united by the closing of Court street
by authority of the town council here.
The progressive march Of the county has
also sounded the abandonment Of the
present jail by the provision of modern
living conditions for the county prisoners
in new jail to be made part Of the pro-
posed new building.
While the projected structure is referred
to as the court house, it will really COM
bine all the features of a modern municipal
building. In addition to the house of JUS
tice, it will house all of the county govern
ment offices and will provide modern facili-
ties in the way of hearing rooms and offices
for the board Of county commissioners.
the police headquarters, tax and other
municipal and county offices.
As part of the county building project.
instructions were given for a complete
survey of the town, with the idea of plan
ming its future development in conjunction
with the proposed new structure. Irving
C. Root. chief engineer of the Maryland
National Capital Park and Planning Com
mission. who attended the conference, was
instructed to take steps to have this study
made, in cooperation with the mayor and
council of the town. and he was asked
particularly to request the services Of c.
W. Eliot I'd, city planner Of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commission. in
this important task.
Although the proposed building project
which the committee considered is to be
designed to take care of the business OF
the county for many years. nevertheless
the committeeman are even looking beyond
this. and proposed to plan far in advance
of this. so that future expansion will moi
be beset with the costliness experienced
by other cities and towns.
For three hours the committeeman dis
cussed the project and they had before
them tentative exterior and interior plans
for the proposed new building. which were
prepared by architects. These served
merely as a basis of discussion and vert
not in any way approved, the building
shown in the design being declared to b.
too high. The final action Of the commit
tee was for a long. low building. which
would be set off properly by the new sit,
and which would prove attractive to tn
people passing along the national hiehwa'
on which it is to be located.
The decision to have survey made @
the entire town in connection with the sit
was prompted by statement of d. /
Smith. of Washington. consulting architec
Mr.. Smith said that 1t was of prime i'm
portance that the building should be cor
ceived in style and on scale that wi
be fit for its position and uses. and adde
that build should be as near perfect a
can be made for the price. not casua
sort of structure that might be found il
any other place of the size.
This statement is offered with the sue
eestion that you look at this problem, TO
time at least, as though you were startin
anew. so that you may have chance 1
review and change where it may be foun
desirable. The long period which ha
elapsed since it was first begun woul
seem to make this necessary"
Charles W. Woodward, of the law firm
of Ciss ell & Woodward. counsel for tn
board of county commissioners, stated tina
condemnation proceedings for acquisition
of the land in the square west OF the cour
house would be filed this week. and pre-
dicted that the acquisition of land wOul
be completed within the next 80 days.