Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-20
Washington's Evolution.

Already the Spring invasion Of Wash.
ington has begun. Visitors rom all
parts Of the country are dropping In
daily, in steadily increasing numbers.
Many of these are wayfarers making
homeward progress from the South
Others are definitely Washington-b bound
travellers, with the Capital as their OBJ
jective. In q fortnight the inflow viii
be much heavier, and by Easter 1t will
be in full tide, with thousands entering
the city daily.
These visitors will all doubtless have
heard or read of the plans for the de-
veiopment Of the Capital, mainly through
the erection Of public buildings. They
will perhaps have seen pictures of
the proposed constructions and of the
revision of street and park lines. They
will look for signs of this work. and will
see but little evidence of the progress
that has actually been made Some ex-
PLANTATION will be forthcoming, and it is
to be hoped that the friends here whom
they visit or the guides on the sight
seeing buses and the citizens generally
with whom they come in contact will
explain the status of the work.
There are at present in evidence only
three actual constructions of the series
that has been planned and provided for
in authorizing legislation. These are
the Commerce Department, the central
section of the Department Of Agricul-
ture and the southern half Of the In
ternal Revenue Building. To the eye Of
the newcomer and, indeed, to the eye of
many a Washingtonian who is not fully
acquainted with the situation, there 10
no further evidence of progress. Yet it
Ia the fact that a considerable part Of
the land within the Mall-Avenue tri-
angle, where the constructions are chief
ly TO be placed. has been acquired by
Government purchase or condemnation,
and that the sites for the second group
Of structures to arise have been thus Sc
cured. Only a few hours ago a con-
domination jury was organized to proceed
to secure the lands lying within the
bounds of the site for the Archives
Building. just west Of Center Market.
BY another Spring many Of the now
unsightly structures occupying the
Mall-Avenue triangle will have been
RACED, In preparation for the next units
of the program. Indeed, at the present
rate of progress in condemnation and
purchase and plan drawing and fund
providing little will be left of the old
occupancy of the great building space.
Shortly after the first of July work will
start on the razing Of the structures
standing in the square just north Of
the Commerce Building, that space to
be transformed into park.
Meanwhile purchase and condemna-
ton work is proceeding apace within
the area designated for the municipal
center, bounded by Pennsylvania, In
diana and Louisiana avenues and Third
and Sixth streets. Funds for the prose-
cution of this work are carried in the
newly reported District appropriation
bill. II Is quite likely that before the
close Of this calendar year much Of that
space will have been cleared, in prepara-
ton for the beginning Of construction.
And the Federal Government will be
proceeding with the clearance of the
land required for the laying out Of
boulevard linking the Union Station
Plaza with the Mall to reach the latter
&C Third street This, together with the
municipal center clearances, will rid the
north side Of Pennsylvania avenue Of
It's now disfguring relies of the past.
It is thus altogether probable that
TIL Spring visitors of next year will see
q great change in the aspect of the
Capital. Several great structures will
be rising to completion. Unloveliness
will have been removed. to make way
for works that will few months later
give substantial form to the plans for
the Washington Of the country's dreams.
And by 1892 when the Nation will cele-
brate the bicentennial of the birth Of
George Washington, the city bearing his
name will be, indeed, worthy of II,
though perhaps not quite finished In
detail
These facts should be made plain tc
all who come this Spring to pay their
respects to the Capital.
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