Evening star., 1935-11-03
New AdOrnment
for the Mall
By Frederic ]. Hnskin.

IN q communication to David BurneS,
who still owned a great deal Of the land
on which now stands the National Capi-
tai, advised that thrifty Scots farmer
that they were being delayed in laying
out improvements because so much of the
area was covered with his crops. The
other day site in the same location
was selected for the placing of the
gallery of art which is being added to
the glories of the city through the gift
of millions of dollars and priceless COL
lections by Andrew w. Mellon Of Pitts
burgh, former Secretary Of the Treasury
and Ambassador to the Court Of st.
James.
The site is on the Mall. In the original
plan of Maj. L LEnfant, the Mall was pro-
vided fora characteristic expression of
French landscape gardening. 1t was the
expressed idea of Maj. L'Enfant that,
in addition to constituting a beautiful
park, the Mall might properly be bor-
dered by the residences of foreign min
listers to the United States, and this idea
went so far that correspondence took
place with M. Frigo, Spanish Minister
to the United States, offering him site
and asking him to come to Washington
w IlldhC q OClCCIIOIIs IL ID
certain that if the Spanish Minister
looked at any site on the Mall he
promptly turned it down, as the whole
region was little more than swamp.
The history of the Mall is all Of a
piece with the entire history of Wash
ington-a tale of very slow growth from
beginnings which Enthusiastically blended
the pretentious and the squalid. The
mall was among the more backward
developments, and it is interesting to
note that the first suggestion of i'm
provement came with an early essay into
public ownership of utilities. The Wash
ington Canal Co. ran right through the
town from Georgetown, where it con-
nected with the old Chesapeake & Ohio
Canal. 1t almost Tapped the steps OF the
Capitol. In 1882 Congress issued
charter granting to the City Of Wash
ington the right to acquire the Wash
ington Canal from its private owners
and operate it, In order to provide the
city with funds for the purchase. Con-
gress calmly gave it the Mall.
The plan was that the city fathers
would cut the Mall up into city lots. sell
them and with the proceeds pay for the
Canal. Although a survey was begun,
in the following session Congress altered
the terms, took back the Mall. and sub
stituted money grant of s150000. 1t
must not be thought that this was done
because Congress thought it had made
a bad bargain. On the contrary, it felt
it had cheated the City of Washington,
as the Mall was not worth the needed
$500 as real estate. If it were possible
to purchase it today, sl5o,0oo,oo0 would
not pay for half of it.
Soon afterward Congress did begin to
think a little about the swamp and
appropriated $1,000 to build fence
around it and lay out walks and plant
grass. 1t was not, however, until 1848
that Congress really turned its attention
to the Mall. This was doubtless because
the site Of the Smithsonian Institution
had been placed there and the walls
of the Norman Gothic structure had
begun to rise Some grading was done
and trees were planted trees which, by
the way, continued to be among the
beauties of Washington until in the last
year or two they were hewed down or
moved away to make room for New Deal
improvements.
In 1850, with the approval Of Presi-
dent Fillmore, A. ]. Downing OF New
burg, N. Y, who was described as "hav-
ing cultivated taste in landscape de-
signing" was brought to Washington
to improve the Mall. Although he died
in a year, the work was carried on and
the area began to take on truly fin
ished appearance. The Washington
Monument had been begun toward the
western end of the Mall and small
hothouse for the Botanic Gardens had
been built at the eastern or Capitol end.
The specimens brought back by the
Wilkes and Gillis expeditions were re-
moved thence from Philadelphia, and
1859 found William r. Smith, dour
Scots gardener who had been a pupil
at Kew Gardens, in charge, with the
imposing title of public gardener-a post
which he held. by the way, until his
death in 1912.
With the coming of the Civil War, the
Washington Monument was halted at
$50 feet, not to be finished until Con-
gress took it over years later. The
appropriations for the upkeep OF the
Mall lapsed, and the area might almost
be described as reverting to the jungle.
The later history has been far differ
ent. The impressive pile of the Smith
sonian provided special tone, and as
the area was steadily improved, 1t took
on the seeming of an English park. The
Monument was finished and few other
minor structures and statues erected.
The Department of Agriculture Building
was the principal governmental edifice-
an unpretentious brick house with,
however, an exceptionally beautiful fore
court which now has been destroyed.
The National Museum, a bizarre struc-
ture of brick and tile, was erected next
to the Smithsonian and later the New
National Museum, huge domed granite
pile Finally, the Attic Lincoln Memorial
was erected.
During the World War temporary
wooden structures were Sprawled all over
the Mall and stood there for years. but
they now have been removed.
All resemblance to an English park
has departed from the Mall along with
its stately trees, and now 1t is a bare
expanse in the French manner with
stiff little paintings. formally placed. 1t
remains beautiful, however, and will be-
come more so with the erection of the
Mellon Gallery. The Freer Art Gallery
already had been erected, just west Of
the Smithsonian. while monumental
new edifice for the Department Of Agri-
culture has taken the place of the old