Evening star., 1935-04-14
CAPITOL PROJECT
HEARING IS FIXED
House Committee to Hold
Session Wednesday on
Alteration Plans.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

House Committee on PUBIC BullOll,SS
and Grounds. Authority for tile i'm
provement has already passed the
Senate.
Extension of the sighted east front
was intended by the Senate and House
when the present wings, housing the
two legislative chambers. were added
to the original structure.
The plan, contemplated since 1868,
when it was recommended by Thomas
U. Walter, then architect of the Capt.
tol, has been indorsed and urged by
subsequent holders of that post. The
same finding has been made by con-
sulting architects, who declare that
the building is out of proportion, that
the midsection, Immediately under the
dome, appears to be chopped short,
and that the whole Structure-mag-
nificent as it is-appears top-heavy.
Lynn to Attend Hearing.
David Lynn, the present architect
of the Capitol and his assistant Hor-
ace D. Rouzer, will be present to
answer any questions the committee
may ask about the several sets CT
plans which have been prepared. For
the first time a note of objection to
the project will be sounded by DR..
Leicester B. Holland, chief OF the
Fine Arts Division of the Library OF
Congress.
The present form of the Capitol is
the result of series of additions over
a long period, carried out under di-
rection of various architects of the
Capitol, each of whom added to, and
to some extent modified the work of
his predecessors.
Architect Lynn explains that the
central portion of the old building,
including the western extension, was
completed under supervision Of Archi-
tect Bulfinch between 1918 and 1929.
The iron dome was designed and
erected by Walter who became archi-
tect in 1851 and continued in that
capacity until 1865. He also erected
the north and south wings This was
the last important alteration in the
the building.
The dome as then planned and eX-
ecuted rests upon rectagonal base
or skirting which overhangs the east
wall approximately Is feet and 6
inches, in such way that 1t rests
upon a void space apparently with
out support. It was not intended that
this condition should be permanent.
Walter left reports and sketches, show
ing he proposed as the next step to
carry forward the wall and portico of
the central portion in order to give
the dome an adequate appearance Of
support.
War Halted Project.
The Civil War interrupted the prog
ress of this work. The building to-
day, therefore, represents an unfin-
ished stage in the development of what
was intended to be a complete and
harmonious design. 1t presents in
this overlap of the dome what many
architects have unanimously agreed
is serious architectural defect. Wal
ter in his report 70 years ago, referred
to above, said: 1.-The eastern portico
of the old building will certainly be
taken down at no very distant day,
and the front be extended eastward"
Walter favored building out the CEN
trail portion at least to line with
the north and south wings, now occu-
pied by the Senate and House.
In an appropriation act 81 years
ago Congress set up a joint commits
sion to investigate and report on the
extension of the Capitol Building.
This commission appointed the firm
Of Carrere & Hastings, consulting
architects, to study the problem. This
firm submitted an elaborate report
February 10, 1905, urging the neces-
sity for the proposed extension east
ward. They submitted alternative
plans.
The Senate in passing the bill now
before the House committee, reached
the conclusion that it is highly de-
Sirable that the central portion of the
Capitol be extended eastward to cor
rect the architectural defect now ex-
1sting." 1t advised that the exact dis
tance to which the front should be
extended may best be determined
through the preparation of complete
architectural drawings and designs as
we'll as scale and full-sized models,
and that this detail may safely be
left to the determination of the COM
mission proposed to be created by this
bill"
Lynn to Explain Plan.
The Senate committee seemed to
favor a modified plan which Architect
Lynn offered and which he will ex-
plain to the House committee on
Wednesday. It is considered to offer
certain advantages both from practical
and aesthetic points Of view.
This plan, except for slight modi-
fication in the width of the central
portico and the steps leading to it,
which is considered desirable in order
to give additional emphasis to the
central entrances, preserves the origi-
nal architectural design and detail OF
the central portion of the building.
In addition, it provides for certain
practical necessities which were felt
even at the time of the previous study
more than 80 years ago, and which
have since become of more serious
Importance.
Provision is made for a corridor be-
tween the House and Senate wings
on the gallery floor level.
Additional space will be created for
the use of committees, particularly on
the House side where the Appropria-
tions Committee now occupies rooms
on three separate floors, and by re-
leasing space now occupied by these
committees, the project will allow the
provision of adequate space for the
reception of those having business
with members 1t provides for Sc ad-
ditional rooms.
It is intended also that such portions
of the building as are now built of
sandstone should be refaced with
white marble so that the central por-
ton will conform to the House and
Senate wings.
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