Evening star., 1935-02-24
AMENDED CENTER
PROGRAM STUDIED
Fine Arts Board Expected to
Report This Week on
Wyeth Plans.

Indicating satisfaction with sketches
for the revised Municipal Center pro-
gram as submitted by Municipal
Architect Nathan C. Wyeth, the Fine
Arts Commission yesterday took the
plans under consideration. A formal
written report is expected to be sent
to the District Building this week.
Locking ahead to the time when
Washington will have a population Of
100000, anticipated by 1890, the COM
mission suggested that the District
Supreme Court building should be
restored as City Hall, a purpose for
which it was used 100 years ago. This
would mean that a new Supreme
Court building is in prospect where
the old Pension Office Building, oc-
cupied by the General Accounting
Office, now stands.
The amended Municipal Center pro-
gram would take in the two squares
north of c street, along Indiana ave-
nue., adjacent to John Marshall place,
for an administration building of the
District government. The Police Court,
Municipal Court and Juvenile Court
buildings would be placed in Judiciary
Square. In all probability, according
to H. P. Caemmerer. the commission s
executive secretary, the recorder of
deeds Office will be in the Juvenile
Court building, although this awaits
further study.
No Ruling on Two Squares.
The Fine Arts Commission handed
down no ruling on the question of
the two squares owned by the District
government along Pennsylvania ave-
nue., adjacent to John Marshall place,
that were originally intended for the
Municipal Center. The decision has
been made to modify the plans and
erect a less costly development. Some
thought has been given to selling
these two squares to finance the build
ing of the revised Municipal Center
and there has been some talk of
swapping these with the Federal Gov
ernment in return for the National
Park Service giving up its jurisdic-
ton to the municipality in Judiciary
Park.
Inasmuch as the Fine Arts Commits
sion is concerned only with questions
of architecture and landscaping, it
did not delve into these problems Of
land transfer and finance. Some sug-
gestion has been made to have the
new General Accounting Office Build
ing constructed along Pennsylvania
avenue. near John Marshall place.
Wyeth submitted design for the
new tuberculosis Hospital at Glenn
Dale, Md, and this received commits
sion Endorsement. This program also
embraces a nurses home. The plan
is in the Georgian type of architec-
ture.
A comprehensive program looking
to development of the approaches to
the Capitol and suggesting studies
along this line by the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission
and the Fine Arts Commission, was
presented to the latter body by Fran
els P. Sullivan, speaking on behalf OF
the Allied Architects Of Washington,
Inc.
Threat to Dome View Seen.
Mr.. Sullivan told the commission
the prospective industrial develop
ment of the area to the south of the
Capitol rs a threat to the vista of the
beautiful dome from the river. Al
ready a number of commercial activi-
ties have sprung up in the region
near the Army War College.
The architect, who is chairman OF
the National Capital Committee Of
the American Institute of Architects,
said his presentation was designed to
indicate a line of study by the two
commissions, as offering possibilities
for future development. All the ap-
proaches to the Capitol should be
studied, he said, as a unit and
treated to harmonic with the build.
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