Evening star., 1939-11-18
Limestone Decreed
For Construction Of
New Armoy
Decision Speeds PIons;
Action Comes After
Cost Estimote Review

Assured that the new District
National Guard Amory is to be
built of limestone instead of high
class of brick, thereby setting an
approprite style for the long
sought development of the eastern
axis of the Capital City, District
and National Guard oficials hast
ened forward today with plans for
the new structure.
The armory, which is to be built
under current appropriation of 81
100000 at the end of East Capitol
street, is to be the first unit of a
huge proposed sports center where
East Capitol street meets Anacostia
Park This is scheduled to include
a stadium, drill field, aquatic sta
dium. tennis arena and other facili4
ties. Between this and the United
States Capitol, city planners propose
TO locate public and semi-public
buildings built here in the future
These are to front on East Capitol
street and Lincoln Park.
Civic leaders in the eastern por-
ton of the city had urged the
armory be constructed of stone and
the National Commission of Fine
Arts and District officials yester-
day finally decided on stone.
Relatively Small Cost Added.
1t had appeared for a time this
would prove too costly and use of
a light grey brick of high class was
substituted tentatively. A review Of
the cost estimates of stone over
brick construction. however. revealed,
according to Engineer Commission
er David McCoach, jr., that to build
the armory of limestone would cost
only from $4,000 to $4,000 more
than brick. This fact was believed
today to have been the deciding fac
tor in the decision to use stone.
Both the Fine Arts Commission
and the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission completed
their November meetings yesterday
after considering number of mat
ters important to Washington.
After morning session marked
by approval of building elevations
on new Weather Bureau Build
ing, the location of a new dining
hall for the National Training School
for Boys, decision to hasten plans
for the final landscaping of the
Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
and discussion of plans for roads
connecting the new National Air
port at Gravelly Point with the me-
mortal highway and with U. S. Route
No /, the Park and Planning Com
mission approved the relocation of
Firth Stirling avenue where it ira
verses Boiling Field in Anacostia
Sc. and approved plans for a pro-
posed Alley Dwelling Authority prof.
ect east of the Anacostia River.
To Connect Parkways.
Firth Sterling avenue Sc. is to
be the connecting link between An
acostia parkway and Shepherd park
way, which runs to the District line
in the vicinity of Blue Plains S.E.
The avenue also will serve as the
southern approach to the proposed
South Capitol bridge.
In connection with completion of
landscaping of the Mount Vernon
Memorial highway, the planning
commission paid particular atten-
ton to unsightly dumps which mar
the beauty of the roadway. Thomas
S. Settle. commission secretary, said
after the meeting that the worst
of these is located near Belle Haven,
Va, on Hunting Greek. The COM
mission passed a resolution con-
demning such dumps and will seek
to work out plan of cooperation
with Arlington and Fairfax Coun-
ties whereby this nuisance might be
abated.
The Fine Arts Commission in
other action yesterday approved
subject to further study in the mat
ter of detail" Spanish American
war memorial for Tampa, Fla, spon-
sored by the National Parks Service.
1t also approved two mural designs
for the new Interior Building and
devoted considerable time to con-
sideration of plans for the Lafayette
Building, being constructed at Ver-
mont avenue and H street NV.