Evening star., 1950-01-01
Districts Planning Traced
Many individuals Have Had Hand Reshopng the Layout OF
Washington Since LEnfonts Plan Wos Submitted

washington
We owe it to the personal inter-
est and wisdom of our first Presi-
dent, George Washington, that the
site of the Nations Capital was a
favorable one and that the new
city was given a plan, designed
with art and skill.
The act of Congress moving the
seat of the Federal Government
from Philadelphia to Washington
was signed April "a. 1900. and the
move was completed during the
following summer. When the hum
dredth anniversary of this event
occurred. the development OF our
cities had already become major
problem of public interest, and
hundreds OF thousands of Ameri-
cans had been inspired by the
planned architectural beauty of
the Worlds Fair In Chicago in
1893. It was not clear to the man
in the street why our cities could
not be so planned and why we
Americans had to live in chaotic
and sordid surroundings that had
grown like Topsy in nearly every
American city.
The Centennial celebration of
the city of Washington in 1900
focused the attention of the entire
country on its capital and the
question of whether the L'Enfant
plan -" "mutilated, dismembered,
disfigured," which "still persisted
in the minds of those whose duties
called them to deal with the larger
affairs of the District of Columbia,
both in Congress and among the
citizens should be abandoned.
Many interesting and ingenious
plans were proposed for Washing
tons Identification and further
development.
Chairman Mcmillan of the Sen
ate Committee on the District of
Columbia, became deeply inter-
ested and assumed leadership. He
secured the appointment of a COM
mission of outstanding artists and
planners-Daniel Durham. Angus
tus st. Gaudens, Charles McKim
and Frederick Law Olmsted, jr.-
to study the needs of the city and
report what they considered the
proper development for its parks
and public buildings. Although the
subject of their report was thus re-
stricted to matters essentially Of
concern to the Federal Govern
ment, their studies inevitably had
to consider the city as a whole and
their recommendations outlined
the framework for development of
the regenerated National Capital.
Inspired Projects
AS Charles Moore later 50 well
said, had the Commission been
composed of small minds, doubt
less they would have started of to
create something original. AS it
was, they began with a careful
study of the L'Enfant plan as ap-
proved by Washington and Jeffer-
son. and thereby they added to
their own work the prestige of the
founders. AS a magnet placed
under . sheet Of paper covered
with q mass of unrelated iron
filings brings the particles into
symmetry and beauty. so under
these organizing minds in close
consultation, the disordered ele-
ments in the District Of Columbia
fell into their proper relations one
with another" After a short and
strenuous trip abroad to the most
beautiful cities Of Europe, which
helped check their notions with
the actual results there, the report
was prepared (Senate Document
1866. 57th Congress, 1st session. and
for a quarter of a century their
their recommendations were the
accepted guide for those working
on the city's development.
The protection of. the Mall
against new encroachments, the
Lincoln Memorial, the Grant
Monument. the adoption of the
Rock Creek-Potomac parkway and
the Arlington Memorial Bridge
projects, the new Union Station
with the removal of the railroad
from the Mall, the establishment
of a commission of fine arts-all
were inspired by that commission
and its recommendations. But
these were all Federal projects.
Practically nothing was done to
carry out its other park projects
and to coordinate the growth of
the municipality with the vision
of the greater Capital Of the now
full grown Nation. Moreover,
during that first quarter of the
Goth century. the automobile ar
rived and came into general use,
enlarging the potential area of
urban development fivefold and
initiating the traffic problems of
today.
Planning in 1924
Fortunately. the construction of
the Cairo Apartments brought
about the act Of 1910 limiting the
height Of buildings, so that WASH
inptOn was saved from thot mi,
nicipal economic incubus, very
high buildings, with the resulting
costs Of municipal services and
unbalanced real estate values.
Washington was also one Of the
first cities to adopt a zoning
in 1920.
The first World War brought
with 1t another sudden influx of
population. with a housing short
age IN its train, not only for habi-
tation but also for Government /