Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Hopes for action by the Forty-sixth
Congress assuring the erection OF a
Hill Site Chosen Library Of Con- on
for New Library. sress T Sa wears sss-
ago, by a sudden reversal Of decision,
in the Senate, on the score of the site,
this causing delay in enactment which
was virtually certain to be fatal to the
chance of enactment before the close OF
the session. The Star Of February 20,
1881, says:
"The decisive action Of the Joint
Committee on the subject Of additional
accommodations for the Congressional
Library gave rise to the hope that Con-
gress would make provision ct this seS-
sion for at least the commencement OF
the construction Of @ new building by
the coming Spring. But the action Of
the Senate last night discourages such
hope and promises . continuation OF
the policy of delay. There Is, perhaps, not
a single member OF either house OF
Congress who does not appreciate the
Importance Of early action in this mat
ter. Valuable works In the Library are
falling into decay because of want Of
room to properly shelve and keep them.
The board of experts selected by Con-
greSS unanimously decided against the
plan, formerly suggested, OF charging
the Capitol so as to provide accomIno-
dalton within its walls for the Library.
This board, composed Of architects Of
national reputation, pronounced that
plan utterly impracticable and declared
that the present contents of the LIZ
brary, not to speak of its growth and
its size q few years hence, demand q
separate building. In this view the six
members of the Joint Committee con-
CURED, but there was q difference Of
opinion as to the best site for the pro-
posed new building.
"Only two sites were proposed, one in
Judiciary Square, the other east Of the
Capitol. Five out of the six members
Of the committee recommended Judici-
airy Square for numerous reasons, chief
among which were that the site would
not cost the Government anything and
that the erection of the building could
be commenced at once. Considering
the condition of the Library, the latter
Is q point of great moment. The site
east of the Capitol consists Of the en-
tire square between First and Second
streets east, and 3 street northeast and
B street southeast. That ground Is oc-
.cupied by numerous buildings, some OF
which are handsome and expensive
residences, and q few Of which were
but recently erected.
1T was stated In the debate In the
Senate that the cost Of obtaining this
square and tearing down the buildings
so as to prepare it for the new Library
would be about $1,000, 900. While this
was undoubtedly the honest opinion of
the Senator making the estimate, he
and those who unite with him In d.
recting the purchase of that property
will in the end ascertain that his fig-
ures are too low. There Is perhaps not
a real estate dealer or any person
familiar with the value Of property in
Washington who would take the con-
tract, with the right Of condemnation
included, to get that square and to re-
move the buildings for $4,000 900. In
counting the cost Of this site the fact
that some Of the property owners are so
averse to being disturbed that they are
determined to resist to the bitter end,
In the courts, must not be overlooked.
Not only will this resistance add to the
cost of the site, but, what Is of even
more Importance, it win delay the erec-
ton OF the much needed Library build
ing.
square east of the Capitol involves the
CACSbACAA Va OLA CAPCAASANC 0AAAGAA8 4bA
the Supreme Court in addition to the
Library building. The cost Of the latter
is estimated at from 100000 to $4,-
00O, 900 and 1t is to occupy one side of
the square. The opposite side, too, must
be occupied, and every consideration Of
taste and symmetry would demand that
the building be very similar to that of
the Library, and hence another $1,000
600 would be called for very soon.
These are facts for Congress to con-
slider In taking action upon the Library
building, and in addition to these the
central location of Judiciary Square, its
accessibility to visitors as we'll as to
residents Of Washington, including all
the Government officials and employees.
In the erection of fine building and
the enlargement and extension of the
institution 1t has beer understood and
asserted that the conversion of the
Congressional Library into h national
library worthy this great ana growing
Government was contemplated. Half OF
a. -. A.. NJ 4 a.