Evening star., 1938-03-30

and the transportation facilities
across the Highway Bridge will re-
suit from yesterdays action by the
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Com
mission in approving the site and
new design for the $4,000. 900 Thomas
Jefferson Memorial. according to
Representative Smith Of Virginia.
member Of the commission who also
served on the special subcommittee
which conferred with President
Roosevelt on the memorial
Representative Smith has been par
ticularly interested in development
Of the transportation facilities across
the bridge and in preservation Of
the cherry trees around the Tidal
Basin site. When Chairman Boylan
announced the unanimous decision on
the site and the design for the me-
mortal, Representative Smith en-
phasized that the cherry trees will
not be disturbed.
The action of the commission car
ries the unanimous Endorsement Of
the other two Government agencies
involved-the Commission Of Fine
Arts and the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, as we'll as
of the President
Basin to Stay Unchanged.
The plan approved yesterday, Rep
resentative Boylan explained, lis to
leave the Tidal Basin as at present
and to place the memorial "A feet
from its south bank, preserving the
present informal beauty of the basin,
diminishing the expense of the me-
mortal and its setting and preserv-
ing and improving the traffic ap-
proach to the Highway Bridge"
He explained that a site has been
designated approximately where the
bathing beach formerly was located)
on the south side Of the basin. on a
line south through the White House.
This has been regarded since 1901
as the proper site for memorial of
major importance, it was said.
Mr.. Boylan pointed out that sin
relation to the Washington Monu-
ment, it gives the Jefferson Memorial
position on the south similar to
the position Of the Lincoln Memorial
on the west, and completes the great
central part of the city, in which the
Capitol and the White House occupy
the other two cardinal points on the
east and north of the Monument"
From the Washington Monument
ground" he said, the Jefferson Me-
mortal will be seen across the Tidal
Basin, which will retain its present
irregular outline and natural beauty,
and in which the memorial and the
cherry trees f1anking it will be mir
rored. The selection of this site for
the jefferson Memorial has received
unanimous official approval"
5000 Feet From Monument.
The new site for the memorial is
about 5000 feet south of the Wash
ington Monument. On the South side
of the memorial will run the roadway
connecting the Highway Bridge and
Fourteenth street. This will be
Strengthened and double-tracked, and
cloverleaf will be constructed to re-
lieve congestion at the bridge-head.
Chairman Boylan explained that
the accepted design for the memorial
had been prepared in the Offices of
the late John Russell Pope, noted
architect, and received his personal
approval before his death. It is in
the classic style which Jefferson in
troduced and advocated for buildings
Of the Capital It is of the general
type of the Roman Pantheon, which
he admired-a circular building with
low dome, its curved outline con-
trasting, but harmonizing with the
rectangular bulk of the Lincoln Me-
mortal. A surrounding circular coll
onnade distinguishes the Jefferson Me-
mortal from others of the same type
and enriches the vista from the Poto-
mac River. The dome's interior is to
be dominated by statue of jefferson.
It offers suitable opportunity for COM
memorating, by bas-reliefs and in
scriptions, his services to humanity
and the cause of liberty, Chairman
Boylan emphasized.
In considering the design Of the
memorial" Mr.. Boylan continued, "the
Jefferson Memorial Commission in
vited the chairman Of the Commission
of Fine Arts to sit with it and had the
benefit Of his advice T. held repeated
conferences with the commission, as
well as with the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission. No less
than six successiv. designs were pre-
pared to canvass the various ideas
suggested, and these were thoroughly
discussed with the other commissions" :"
Building of Marble,
The building is to be Of marble, cir
cular in plan with a portico facing
north. The plan is for a circular
central room about 80 feet in diameter
with domed ceiling. In the center
Of this marble-lined room, on q great
pedestal, will be an heroic standing
figure of Jefferson. Space is provided
for suitable inscription from Jeffer-
sons writings in the friese of the main
entablature encircling the room. On
the four diagonal points there will be