Evening star., 1932-09-11
GEORGIAN STYLE
RETURNS TQC|TY
New Municipal Structures
Bring Back Graceful Archi-
| lecture of 18th Century.

The Georgian style of architecture is
coming back to Washington. Recently
a number of important municipal struc-
lures of that type have been completed.
The list includes the Roosevelt Busi-
ness High School, Police Station No. 6,
Police Station No. 8, Fire Department
Truck House No. 13, Fire Department
Engine House No. 81, and Fire Depart
ment building to accommodate Engine
Company No. Is, Truck Company No. 3,
and Fire and Police Department
clinic, as well as the Alice Deal and
Paul Schools, the Mckinley and Gar
net-Patterson High Schools, and the
Northeast Branch Library. All were
designed under the direction Of Albert
L. Harris, municipal architect, and
raised under his supervision.
The civic revival of Georgian in the
Capital began with the decision of the
Fine Arts Commission that the munic-
ipal buildings should be in architec-
tural harmony with, but appropriately
subordinate to- the monumental Fed
eral structures of the city. The first
announcement Of this ruling gave the
District Commissioners and their staff
a problem. The question was: What
style would best serve the need? The
answer Was LOuIlU Ill WIldG ID CUAIllilOIlty
called colonial" but more accurately
denominated Georgian.
Adopted in Colonial Era.
1.-THE architecture of the new munic-
ipal buildings" Mr.. Harris explains, "is
properly known as Georgian, the word
deriving from that Of the four kings
George Of England, who ruled from
1714 to 1880. The inspiration of the
designs was the style adopted by
American builders of the colonial period
at the time when they first began to
construct really important and beauti-
naturally reproduced and adapted to
American conditions the best themes
they had known in England. The
genius of niigo Jones and Sir Christie
pher Wren was reflected by Matthew
Buckland and William Bladen, as well
as by other American architects All
these were more or less directly Stimu-
lated by the Renaissance of classical art
which swept Europe during the fifteenth,
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
1.-The new municipal buildings for
Washington, therefore, are adaptations
of Greek and Latin ideas OF architec-
tural form and content. That means
that they are in perfect harmony with
the monumental Federal buildings OF
the city which are Of classic character.
THE Fine Arts Commission felt that
the Georgian idea was right for munic-
ipal use, and we Fundamentally agreed
with its decision. BY using brick with
stone trimming and by avoiding all
stcne construction We have tried to
achieve simplicity and reticence In con-
sonance with the purpose Of the build
ings and their relatively minor place In
the plans for greater and more beau
tiful Capital City.
Setting Consistent Style.
Georgian will be the motif Of future
designs as they are required. We are
setting a style which we mean to follow
consistently.
There was time when police sta
ton or a fire engine house was expected
to be more or less barrack-like and
ugly, but that time has passed, and we
now know that any such building can
be attractive to the eye as well as OF
practical utility. In each such struc-
ture we have endeavored to reduce the
scale of design to the residential pro-
portions of the neighborhood for the
sake Of harmony. We feel that munich
pal buildings in residential districts
should conform to the scale of the
neighborhood. Larger scale, of course,
may be used in business districts.
In time practically every municipal
structure in Washington may come to
be Of the Georgian type. That is a goal
toward which we feel We ought to aim
Many private structures doubtless will
be designed along the same lines.
Georgian Is eminently suitable for
churches, as any one may see from the
New York avenue Presbyterian Church
and the National City Christian Church.
1T also Is suitable for banks, apartment
buildings, and, Of course, for private
houses. The style fits into the Ameri-
can landscape and is expressive of
American traditions and ideals"
Examples Near Capital
Mr.. Harris says that within easy
motoring distance Of Washington there
are scores of beautiful but little known
Georgian edif1ces of public, semi-public
and private character. He spends his
holidays visiting and photographing
churches, schools and houses of the
Georgian variety. Recently he has
been at Charleston, Winston Salem,
lamsburg and Petersburg.
Municipal architect since 1911, Mr..
Harris has been q resident of the Dis
! trict since 1890. He was born in Wales
!. and educated in Pennsylvania and Vir-
ginia. He has been professor of archi-
lecture at George Washington Univer-
sity since 1912 and held a similar posi-
ton on the faculty of Catholic Univer-
sity from 1916 to 1921. A fellow of the
American Institute of Architects, his
work includes the Army and Navy Club,
the Lothrop and Parsons houses and
new buildings for George Washington
University.
1t is understood that Henry Ford, on
the occasion of his most recent visit
to Washington, was so greatly interested
in the new Georgian municipal build
ings that he requested that photo
graphs of them be sent to him at De-
troit.