Evening star., 1937-03-29
BOYLAN ANSWERS
CRITICS OF PLAN
FOR MEMORIAL
Commission Chairman Is
sues Lengthy Statement De-
tending Site and Design.
MANY EXPRESSIONS
HELD MLL-INFORMED"
Points Out Proposed Location Is
ION a Major Axis" With
Monument Center.

Critics of the proposed location and
design of the Thomas Jefferson Me-
mortal were answered today by Repre-
sentative Boylan, Democrat, of New
York, chairman of the Jefferson Me
mortal Commission, who issued a
lengthy statement in response to
some expressions so ill-informed that
possibly general statement of the
governing considerations may be vel
coined"
Representative Boylan said members
Of the commission were unanimous in
their opinion that jefferson warrants
major memorial because he stands
with Washington and Lincoln as one
Of the towering figures Of history"
The memorial site selected by the
commission lis on major axis" Boy
lan's statement said. The Washing
ton Monument occupies the center.
Lincoln the western terminus, while
Marshall and Grant have other posts
along this line. Another great axis
extends north and south through the
White House with Jackson to the
north in Lafayette Square. To the
south at point corresponding with
the Lincoln Memorial on the west is
vacant site which has long been
recognized as the suitable one for an
other major memorial. completing in
that area the great park commission
plan of 1901"
Tells of Conferences
Emphasizing that the jefferson COM
mission conferred constantly during
last year with representatives of the
Fine Arts Commission and of the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission, Boylan said his commits
sion selected the site on the south
axis of the White House. which well
fulfllls governing principles laid down
by the chairman of the Commission
of Fine Arts at the first meeting Of
the memorial commission.
1T was the opinion of the commits
sion. as of many highly placed in
Washington, that the designer should
be chosen by direct selection, as in the
case of the Lincoln Memorial and
many Government buildings in WASH
ington. John Russell Pope, architect
of the Scottish Rite Temple and the
/ Archives Building and designer OF
several distinguished memorials, was
selected by the commission and pre-
pared many designs during period OF
two years. The memorial commission
gave due weight to suggestions that
the memorial be devoted TO unitarian
purposes which would have involved
the choice of different site. It is the
universal experience that in such me-
MORALS the utilitarian side soon DOM
| mates the commemorative. even to
the extent of completely effacing it.
Jefferson himself approved the purely
commemorative and monumental type.
Cites Jefferson's Tastes.
For the architectural character Of
| the memorial, Jefferson's own views
and tastes were also largely determin-
| ing. One of the types he approved
! was adopted in the Lincoln Memorial
| and the other is now selected for the
| Jefferson Memorial. Following JEFF
ferson's own principals. the character
is purely classical
The size of the memorial was fully
| considered in relation to all factors
| involved. First designed to be of
! greater size, it was reduced after study
| to the dimensions now proposed. 1t is
of substantially less width than the
Lincoln Memorial, from which it is
| separated by great distance, each
! O
! Washington Monument in different
directions.
The jefferson Memorial Commits
SION" Boylan explained. gave care
| full attention to costs and worked with
most detailed estimates. The direct
cost of the Lincoln Memorial. begun
in 1910, was approximately S3,000.000.
estimated as equivalent to s5,200,000
| today Besides this, easily an equal
sum was involved in developing the
surroundings with park treatment,
roads, water approach and so forth.
| The cost of the jefferson memorial
proper, with its foundations, includ-
| ing the whole area of its terraces, Is
estimated at S3,O00000 These figures
have been confirmed by borings,
which now show bedrock at about 80
feet" Boylan's statement said.
Boylan explained that the work of
filling, grading and relocating certain
roads, all of which has been planned
for many years, should not be charged
| to the memorial, but will furnish work
for unskilled labor.
Concluding his statement, Boylan
said:
Noble and simple in design, suit
able in character, appropriate in
scale and reasonable in COST this me-
mortal to one of the greatest Ameri-
cans will stand in the park he first
proposed, on the banks Of the Potomac,
where he planted the Nations Capt.
tai, in sight of his native Virginia