Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-01-31
Exterior Deslgn OF Court House
IL Disapproved.

New exterior designs for the Court House
building here are being prepared. The de-
sign completed some weeks ago. and which
was intended to be modification Of the
front of the United States Treasury In
Washington, has been disapproved by the
National Commission Of Fine Arts. follow.
ing its submission by special COMMITTEES
of the building committee. and these plans
have been scrapped.
Those directing the planning Of the new
building wanted an impressive. monumen'
tai building. with the idea Of having Q
structure which would not only stand oul
in the county seat. but would be in con.
formity with the general public building
design in the District Of Columbia. The
architects planned such building and II
was approved by the full committee, which
at that time. ordered 1t submitted to the
Fine Arts Commission.
The Fine Arts Commission was said to
have severely criticised the plan submitted
pointing out that while it was intended tc
be replica of the front Of the Treasury
there were many features Of the design
which took away the likeness which 1t was
intended to have. The commission sus.
sested building Of the Georgian style oi
architecture. prevalent in this section In
the early nineteenth century. This is a
brick construction with limestone trim. q
style now followed by the District Of Co.
lumbia government in the construction of
public schools. fire engine houses and police
stations. It is the same style. 1t was said.
as the Offices of the Fine Arts Commission,
as the Octagon House. st. Johns Church,
and Tudor Place. in Washington. and the
Arlington House in the National Cemetery.
While the Fine Arts Commission has
no control over the matter, IL was indicated
by E. Brooke Lee. member of the build
ing committee. that its opinions would be
followed in the construction. The commits
sion took the matter for consideration in a
spirit of cooperation. and the county off,
cials intend to abide by it. although it was
StCohiy tuuASdtC0 SudL ~ Wdo uCSlkCU u
have a monumental structure. constructed
entirely of limestone.
In the effort to get this kind Of struct-
ure. the architects have been instructed to
prepare two new exterior designs, one car
ryine out explicitly the recommendation of
the Fine Arts Commission for a structure
Of the Georgian style and the other using
a full facing of limestone. The Fine Arts
Commission was Of the opinion that the
Georgian style would make nice building,
would be typical of the construction in this
section and would fit in better with the
Washington buildings.
The architects will have the new DESIGNS
completed by February and the special
committee having charge of submitting
them to the Fine Arts Commission will
meet at the county building at Bethesda
to consider them. Capt. Chester Wells is
chairman of this committee. It was indi-
Gated that the new plans would be sub
mitted direct TO the Arts Commission,
without being considered by the full build
ing committee. 1t is probable. however. IL
was said. that copies of the drawings would
also be sent to the full building committee
SO that both could consider them at the
same time.