Evening star., 1940-06-09
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The following news story concerning
the placement of the Lafayette and
, Jackson statues ap-
pears in The Star of
ono Jockson June 6, 1890:
Stotues The Senate Commit
tee on the Library has decided that the
Lafayette Statue shall be erected just
where the pedestal now stands-on the
southern edge of Lafayette Square. Dur
ing the past month Senator Bate, who
lives near Jackson's old Tennessee home,
introduced a resolution asking by what
authority the statue had been located
in this square. The resolution was re-
felred to the Committee on the Library.
Late yesterday afternoon Senator EvartS
presented a report, which says the action
is in conformity with the authority con-
ferred by law upon the Secretary of War.
The report states that Lafayette Square
has front of 725 feet upon Pennsylvania
avenue opposite an equal front on the
Executive grounds and also an equal
front of 725 feet upon H street This
square also has an east and west front
of 425 feet on the streets upon which the
sides of Lafayette Square face. The
statue Of Jackson is at a point 200 feet
distant from the line of Pennsylvania
avenue and H street and $50 feet from
the line of the streets east and west Of
the square. The width Of the space occu-
pied by the Lafayette Statue, fronting
the Executive Mansion will be about IS
Fco Io fu- viii
200 feet in line distant from each other
The statue of Jackson is so much en-
powered by the trees of the square that
it can hardly be observed from the streets
east and west of the square and is so far
distant from Pennsylvania avenue and
H street that it is necessary for any OBJ
server to enter the square in order to
examine or appreciate the statue, either
in its general effect or in its merits as
work of art. 1t is not very easy to
measure exactly how much the observa-
ton of this statue from PENNSYLVANIA
avenue will be interrupted by the Lafay-
cite Statue, as the opening, as it now
exists for that purpose, is much wider
than the front of the Lafayette Statue;
but this interruption of view must, to
certain extent, result from the statue
being in line and looked at in that direct
perspective.
THE committee disclaims all respon-
as its chairman is associated in the
sanction given by act of Congress to
those having that subject in charge, they
deemed it right to present the aspects
and consideration which determined the
selection made for Lafayette Statue.
No interior public reservation would an
swer. The nature and associations of
this monument seemed to indicate that
site should be preferred having some
relation to the Capitol and it's grounds
or to the Executive Mansion and public
buildings about it. None around the
Capitol seemed adequate in dignity and
popular esteem for the Lafayette Statue.
The one selected seemed entirely appro-
pirate. Full consideration was given to
certain advantages which might attend
the selection of one of the small reserva-
tions on Pennsylvania avenue between
the Capitol and the line of Fifteenth
street, but the advantages were not equal
to those which would attend the site
selected.
THE committee believes that at no
distant day sites might be selected along
the open esplanade on which the Lafay-
cite Statue was to stand. Already bill
has been introduced for statue in honor
of Secretary of War Stanton in front of
the War Department Building. The
same might naturally be expected on
the Pennsylvania avenue front of the
Treasury Department, while the two cor
ners of Lafayette Square might well be
designated for monuments of illustrious
soldiers and statesmen.
"In contemplation of this prospect the
selecting of site for the Lafayette Sta
tue was thought eminently fit. In selec-
ton it did not escape attention that in
the original plan of the City of WASH
ington the only personal name assigned
by Gen. Washington to any public reser-