Evening star., 1939-07-08
Money Must Be Shifted.

H street.
Money Must Be Shifted.
The Government itself has to iron
out technicality before the 81 050,-
900 ALLEGATION is ready for use. 1t
was made to the National Park Serv-
ice which formerly had control of
public building sites, but this func-
ton now reposes in the public build
ings section of the new Federal
Works Agency and the money will
have to be shifted there This, it
was said this morning, will require
two or three days
Modelled after the Century Club
of New York and the Scientific Club
of London, the Cosmos Club was
formed here 81 years ago, in 1878,
and has grown to be the most i'm
portant scientific social club in the
United States. with a membership
close to 2,000-resident and non-
resident.
When college presidents, heads of
great universities. celebrated chem
lists and physicists visit Washington
they usually make their head
quarters in the Comos Club-the
former home of Dolly Madison.
The old home-which stood on the
southeast corner of Madison Place
and H street-has undergone so
many changes that its romantic
interest far outshines that of its
architectural background.
AS an adjunct to the club, the
old home of Benjamin Ogle Tayloe,
next to the Dolly Madison home
and now an integral part of the
Cosmos Club. retains more of its
original face" A small buff brick
house, 1t was built in 1923. Much
Of its original character and charm
were retained when the walls were
broken through and its quarters
turned into rooms for out-of- town
guests.
Built in 1920.
AS the original quarters of the
Cosmos Club. the Dolly Madison
house ante-dates the Tayloe resi-
dence by two years. 1t was erected
in 1920 by Richard Cults, who was
a brother-in-law of Mrs. Madison.
1t was in this house that the
widowed Dolly Payne Madison spent
the last IL years of her life.
The Cosmos Club purchased the
Dolly Madison house in 1886, and
the Tayloe home later. Rare can
vases and sculptures decorate the
interior of the clubhouse and once
these were placed on exhibition at
regular intervals, but lately public
showings have been discontinued.
Through the years, the Cosmos
Club has claimed a distinction I'M
known to any such organization in
the city. 1t resembles somewhat the
Athenaeum Club of London, the St.
Botolph Club of Boston and the
Travellers Club of England, though
it has a peculiar complexion all its
own. Here, at almost any time, may
be found a gathering of scientists
whose names are known around the
world-and they come and go as If
they were ''unknowns."
WHeI Tile WOTlQ war was at ltS
height, the Cosmos Club became
the center of what was undoubtedly
the greatest gathering of noted men
)f science ever assembled in one place.
They thronged the place. Here from
all over the world, they had come
to help direct the United States in
the production of arms of war, and
to deal with incident problems.
While Washington has gone on a
pace, in the building here of a great
new city, the old Cosmos Club re-
mains about the same as it was back
in the lush days of the republic; the
horse and buggy days when every
thing moved at a slower pace. There,
within the quiet old rooms that are
all more than 100 years of age, the
members enjoy home like atmos-
phere seldom known in downtown
precincts. There are old, worn
leather chairs and dim lights. Great
long windows let in the breezes in
the spring and summer months
Fine flreplaces exude glowing
warmth in the winter.