Evening star., 1950-10-07
Fine ArtsGroup
To Be Arbiter
On Span Paving
Question Resolves
On 'Roughened' Blocks
To Reduce Skiddinq
By Nelson Shepard

oy NelSon Shepord
The role of arbiter in a months.
old dispute over the kind of paw.
ing material to use in resurfacine
Memorial Bridge as a means o1
lessening traffic hazards, has beer
thrust upon the Fine Arts Com.
mission.
What the commission must de-
termine is whether it is preferable
to replace the present Duraz
granite blocks with modern black
paving or "roughen" the blocks te
reduce skidding. Because Con-
gress authorized the Memorial
Bridge as a ceremonial span link
ing Lincoln Memorial with Airing
ton National Cemetery. it's "archi-
tectural integrity" is in the keep
ing OF the Fine Arts Commission
Harry T. Thompson, associate
superintendent of National. Capt.
tai Parks and Maj. Gen. U. S
Grant III, former chairman of
the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission urged that
the granite blocks either replaced
or restored to their original rough
ened state. The Bureau of Public
Roads wants to use asphalt, con-
tending great advances have been
made in perfecting that paving
material since the bridge was con-
structed more than 20 years ago
Issue Taken Under Study.
The issue arose yesterday after
noon at a regular session of the
commission and was taken under
advisement.
Motorists have been complain
ing about the condition of the
granite blocks, worn smooth by
the tires of automobiles after so
many years. Park officials claim
asphalt paving would be just as
slippery. a contention disputed by
Federal road officials.
Chief objection to the asphalt
from the viewpoint of park Off
Gals is the possible Disagreement
of the monumental bridge.
Congress has provided $204,000
for the resurfacing job but months
have passed and the present road
bed has not been repaired. 1t
has sunken slightly in many
places.
Park officials declare Mem
orial Bridge is no more hazardous
to traffic than Key Bridge or the
old Highway Bridge. BY roughen-
ing the present surface it was be-
lieved by some that skidding
hazards on the Memorial Bridge
would be greatly reduced. Be
sides, it was claimed, it would be
cheaper than repaving.
Designs Approved.
The commission approved the
designs for two commercial build
1ngs in downtown Washington and
also designs for works of art that
will be placed in the chamber of
the United States Court of Ap-
peals in the new Federal Courts
Building.
The Fine Arts members will meet
some time next week with the Dis
trict Commissioners to prepare the
way for procedure under Public
Law 808 to preserve the historic
buildings and houses in the old,
original sections of Georgetown.
Three architects to serve as an
advisory board remain to be Sc
lected under the law.
The law provides that plans for
any major architectural change or
new construction in the area must
be submitted to the Fine Arts
group for approval before a permit
is issued.
Disclosure was made that the
international Brotherhood of
Teamsters is planning to erect a
81 million headquarters building
in Washington at Louisiana ave-
nue. and D street NV, facing
Union Station Plaza. 1t will be
next to the Continental Hotel.
To Be Faced with Marble.
John Root of the firm of Hola-
bird and Root of Chicago pre-
sented designs for the building
and obtained approval subject to
minor changes. The building will
be monumental, the commission
said, and will be faced with mar
BILE. A large auditorium will be
on the first floor.
Approval also was given plans
for the eight-foor Benjamin
Franklin Building that will be
erected on the northeast corner
of Third and C streets NV.
Howard University obtained ap-
proval of designs for two campus
buildings authorized by Congress.
One is biology greenhouse
structure; the other a new dental
school building. They were de-
signed by Hilyard R. Robinson,
architect member OF the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission.
Models of four distinguished
men of law and two allegorical
figures depicting wisdom and JUS
tice were approved for the Court
of Appeals room in the new court
building. They are the work of
Edwin c. Rust, sculptor, of New
York.
The designs call for bronze busts
of King Alfred, William Black
stone, Chief Justice John Mar
shall and Chief Justice Joseph
Storey.
Other sculpture designs were
submitted for the National Insti-
tute of Health at Bethesda. They
are the work of Vincent Glinsky
of New York and constituted
ornamentation for the aluminium
elevator doors Of the new admin
istro fi0y, hiIiIdjp0