Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-02
More Than One Hundred and Ten Years old,
and forHaIfa Century the Center Of the
GySLJe, This Classic Structure to
Be the Dominating Feature of the
NeeO Municipal Center.

section looked upon it from a purely practical"
viewpoint apparently
President Hoover is not the first President
to make use of commissions when in difficulty
Nor has the practice been confined to Presi-
dents The City Council on that occasion
named a commission to settle the controversy
over the new city hall. But this commission,
like not few others since that time, could not
make up its collective mind and straddled the
question. It made an alternative decision. The
city hall should be built, it said, either in
Judiciary Square or on the north side of Penn
sylvania avenue between Third street and John
Marshall place. Even the alternative selection
lies within the boundaries Of the proposed new
Municipal Center today.
It Is supposed that the motive for selecting
as q possible site the location on PENNSYLVANIA
avenue was to appease the strong sentiment
then existing by the improvement Of that
avenue between the Capitol and the White
House and on to Georgetown.
William Hewitt for many years registrar of
the city. laid the corner stone under the
auspices Of the Grand Lodge of Masons of the
District after the controversy over the site was
settled by the refusal Of President Monroe to
give his consent to the use Of public land on
Pennsylvania avenue for the building
Although it was not the first time the Dis
trict Grand Lodge Of Masons had participated
In such ceremony, it was the first civic pro-
ceSsion In the history of the city. City officials
members Of the Masonic Order and citizens
generally joined in the parade down Pennsyl-
vania avenue and UP John Marshall place to
the site Of the corner stone laying as described
In the National mtelligencer of that day August
IA, 1920
1t seemed to the citizens Of that time to have
had particular significance, as this was to
be the f1rst building of any size built In the
Federal City other than for the Federal Gov
eminent. 1t was in q sense the beginning of
the feeling Of local self consciousness-of civic
pride
WHEN the Court House, as it has come to be
called exclusively since the city govern
ment had moved elsewhere, was repaired about
IL years ago-it was made to appear to the
casual observer like the original structure 1t
followed the same plan as that of so many of
the early Colonial structures, both homes and
public buildings, having two wings and a central
portion with portico and main flight of steps
leading from the principal entrance hall
The original building, however was of brick
OVERLAND with stucco The late Elliott Woods,
architect Of the Capitol, who had charge of
remodeling the City Court House, chose for the
outside Indiana limestone-the same material
that Is being used for so many of the new
public buildings in Washington. 1t has a
lasting quality and lends itself to carving
readily.
The interior of the old building was torn
away and made more spacious. The entrance
hall on the main floor was especially enlarged.
Handsome stairways lead here to the second
floor and entrances are found to two of the
principal branches of the District Supreme
Court from this hall. There Is also more room