Evening star., 1933-01-29


Capital that they can be reached
quite as quickly from the heart OF
the city as can some outlying sec
tions of the District of Columbia, and, besides,
some of the roads leading to these parts OF the
Old Dominion State are especially beautiful
and attractive.
Arlington County and Fairfax County be-
yond are now fairly we'll supplied with bridges,
but in less than 25 years either additional
bridges or tunnels will have to be erected TO
take care of the ever-increasing amount OF
travel from the nearby Virginia towns ana
cities which seem to be growing almost over
night and as for Alexandria, it is surprising TO
observe the strides it has made in recent years
and the large number of people who live there
and work in this city. Just a few months ago,
ON Halloween night the writer drove his car
alond King street in the Ancient City and
could easily have thought himself in Washing
ton. Indeed it will require more than the
Highway Bridge to bring the crowds from
there to the Capital few years hence.
The Arlington Memorial Bridge is a great
help and is going to be a greater help, par
ticularly to both Arlington County and Fair
fax County 1t is a credit to the Nation, and
it is unfortunate that our new public buildings
do not class with it, especially in massive and
substantial construction. The incongrulty be-
tween these limestone buildings and the struc-
lures erected, and being erected, under the d.
recton of Architect David Lynn, are almost TOO
apparent to call attention to- Perhaps in
few years they will begin to paint them white
as they have been doing with the Capitol and
the White House for great many years.
Incidentally the latest volume of the records
of the Columbia Historical Society contains the
results of a bit of research work conducted by
the well known historian, Wilhelmus Bogart
Bryan, in which he explodes certain statements
regarding the painting of the White House, and
submits evidence that it was called by that
name prior to the burning of that building by
the British, on August "a, 1914. Among varl-
GUS things Mr.. Bryan says:
"Some months ago while reading up on an
entirely different matter I came across IN
documents relating to New England Federalism,
edited by Henry Adams, letter to Timothy
Pickering. 1t was dated London April "a 1911.
and written by Francis j. Jackson, then but
recently returned from service as Minister to
the United States In this letter Mr.. Jackson
uses the name White House in reference to the
presidential residence, as if it were In common
usage"
\ hR BRYAN also refers to the first printed
W. reference to the name white House."
which appeared in the Federal Republic
IN Of November L. 1914, Georgetown news
paper and the fact that James Hoban, the
architect Of the White House. in giving an ac-
count Of the progress Of the construction OF
the building, in the Autumn of 1798 states that
tho WOrk Is competed OF Cleaning oo"h diio
painting the walls of the building and strik-
ing the scaffolds."
The letter of Francis j. Jackson, referred to-
proves that it was called the White House prior
to the erection of the building in the Summer
of 1914. Nor does the fact that the name
seems to have first appeared in print in No
yernber of 1914 disprove this, for it is very re-
motely possible that the White House could
again be restored sufficiently to have it painted
white in 72 days, when it is known that Presi-
dent Madison did not return there until March.
1877, just when he was ready to turn the
building over to his successor, President Mon
roe For the first 10 days following the in
yasion by the British the President lived in
his old home, 1333-1335 F. street northwest, at
that time said to have been occupied by his
brother-in-law. From there he went to the
Octagon, at Eighteenth street and New York
avenue, where he stayed until the October
following, and practically finished out his
administration at the house still standing on
the northwest corner Of Nineteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue.
But to return to the Arlington Memorial
Bridge, which is so helpful to nearby Virginia.
It seems the Government from very early
date realized that bridge somewhere between
the Long Bridge and the old Aqueduct Bridge
was very much needed and early as 1886
even went so far as to have plans drawn for
one the bridge to cross the river from OBJ
servatory Hill on an approximate line with New
York avenue and crossing the Potomac and
Analostan Island (Which they would now have
us call Roosevelt Island, to Arlington and the
Virginia shore. Capt T. w. SymonS OF the
Engineer Corps, assisted by Smithmeyer and
Pelz architects prepared a design and plans
for this bridge which was to be called the
Grant Memorial Bridge An item published in