Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-17
Buildings on the Hall.

"A on uStuIS I4ldL IOr Sixty years stood
as a conspicuous Landmark in WASH
lngton, housing the Department of Ag-
riculture, has just been razed. and its
successor, a monumental creation of
white stone lately erected immediately
to the rear, has been exposed fully to
view. While the old red brick building
may be regretted as familiar feature
OF the Capital scene, it is not to be
questioned that its replacement by a
classic creation is a decided improve
ment.
The rather rocco structure that
housed the Department of Agriculture
when it was new branch of the Gov
ernment-when indeed it was only a
bureau and not a department-was at
the time of its erection regarded as
something quite elegant in architecture.
1t was representative of the peculiar
public taste of the period. 1t was con-
spicuously placed, so that it commanded
attention, standing on the southern side
OF the Mall with a long vista of view
provided by Thirteenth street. Before
1t lay terraced flower garden, which
was proudly shown to visitors by Wash
ingtonians.
The original placement of the Agri-
culture Building in the Mall was a
grave mistake Of judgment Oil the part
Of the Government ofncials of the period.
To the east stood the Smithsonian In
stitution, until then the sole occupant
OF the park. The setting Of the Smith
sonian was appropriate, for its type was
suited to the scene. The Agriculture
Building, however, was a trespass upon
the reservation, inspired solely by rea-
sons Of economy, and it led eventually
to other invasions, first the new" Ma
tional Museum-now the old one east
Of the sn1ithsonian-a most unpleasant
combination Of brick and colored tile.
and then the strictly unitarian and un-
beautiful Army Medical Museum, at
Seventh street
With these four structures standing
in the Mall, some thirty years ago, the
move was made for the utilization of
that park space for other public edifices
Eventually, the still newer National
Museum was placed on the northern
side, opposite the Smithsonian. An ap-
preparation for larger Agriculture
Building was rushed into execution by
President Roosevelt. in the form of two
wings, Ranking and somewhat in the
rear of the original structure, it being
his thought that If the construction of
these two wings were effected in the
Mall the project for placing future
buildings within the park would be es-
tablished. So they stood for years, de-
tached and inconvenient, symbols Of q
shrewd maneuver for the use Of the
Mall as building sites.
Now there are altogether six struc-
lures in the Mall, the three Of the
Smithsonian National Museum group,
the Freer Gallery, an adjunct to the in
stitution; the Army Medical Building
and the finally completed and united
Agriculture Building. A seventh Is
proposed, home for the National CAL
lery OF Art, Tor which site Is tenta-
lively allocated Immediately to the west
Of the National Museum, on the north
side OF the reservation. The hope is
that when this is built two of the other
structures that now stand in the Mall
will be destroyed, the first addition to
the Smithsonian and the Army Medical
Building. These are wholly out of the
picture. The Smithsonian should, and
probably will, remain, even though it
is not in harmony with the classic forms
Of the National Museum. the Freer Gal
lery and the Agriculture Building 1t
has its artistic merits, and as the orig
inal occupant of the Mall it has its es-
tablished right Of tenure that should
not be disputed.