Evening star., 1950-01-03
Looking Back $50 Years
Capitol Dome Steady Sentry
Over a GROWING City Below
by Robert ]. Lewis

BY Robert J. Lewis
For most of the $50 years since
Washington became the seatSof
the National Government in 1900,
the Capitol dome has not only
dominated the city's skyline, but,
like a strict and crotchety school
marm. has controlled and dis
ciplined it.
The infinite variety of Wash
ington buildings have been shaped
and shuf1ed by many men and
many regulations since Congress
first met here. George Washing
ton himself issued the first build
ing regulations. Many boards,
commissions and bureaus have
had a hand in regulating and
controlling construction since
then.
But the single most significant
fact having a bearing on what
the city has become was the
height of that million-d dollar,
cast-iron dome rising 287k feet
above what used to be called
Jenkins Hill. e
AS history unfolded in New
York, Philadelphia, Chicago, San
francisco or Houston, builders
and architects could send their
skyscrapers soaring into the skies,
much /. as they pleased. But In
Washington they had to reckon
with the height of the dome on
Capitol Hill. For the Nation de-
manded that nothing overshadow
the symbol OF what was to be-
comeN the most powerful demo-
cratic hope Of peoples all over the
world.
First Rules in 1871.
Long before construction Of the
Capitol was started, however,
George Washington and Thomas
Jefferson got their heads together
to develop a set of building regula-
tions for the Federal City.
Those first regulations were is
sued on October II, 1791,, while
Congress was still in session in
Philadelphia. Today they remain
partially in force.
These regulations promulgated
by George Washington constituted
the first milestone in long series
Of legislative and administrative
steps over the years which have
aimed at producing safe buildings
OF good design in clean and
beautiful city.
The building regulations issued
by the Nations first President
were applied only to the Federal
City, which covered relatively
small part of the Territory of
Columbia, as the District was then
called.
They provided. among other
things:
l. That the outer and party
walls OF all houses within the
said city shall be built of brick
or stone.
2. The wall of no house to be
higher than 40 feet to the roof
In any part of the city; nor
shall any be lower than 35 feet
on any Of the avenues.
8. No vaults shall be permitted
under the streets nor any en-
croachmentS on the footway
above by steps, stoops, porches,
cellar doors. windows. bitches or,
leaning walls; nor shall there
be any projection over the
street, other than the ewes of
the house, without the consent
OF the commissioners.
The regulations also provided
for a division of the cost of party
walls, and this regulation is the
foundation and source of the right
claimed by Washingtonians even
today to locate their party walls
one-half on their neGhbor's land.
Thus the regulations issued by
George Washington still have
partial force today in the city
which bears his name.
But the original building reeu-
lations underwent change even
before the Nations Capital was
established here. On June 25,
1796, President Washington him
self suspended the rule that all
walls of buildings should be of
brick or stone.
Height Rule Suspended.
And % years later, President
Monroe suspended the rule gov
, erning the height of buildings.
Subsequently. at different times,
changes were made in the regula-
tions covering construction until
1871. when an act was passed pro-
viding that the Board of Public
Works should make all necessary
regulations respecting the con-
struction Of private buildings in
the District Of Columbia, subject
to the supervision of the Legisla-
tive Assembly. !"
But, apparently. little was done,
for the Legislative Assembly's acts
contain no legislation dealing with
building regulations. nor is there
any printed record to show that
the Board Of Public Works issued
any.
The Districts present building
code is based on an act of Con-
gress in 1878, providing that the
District Commissioners Shall
make and enforce such building
regulations as they may deem ad-a
vtsable, and that the regulations
so made shall have the same
force and effect within the Dis
TERMS AND CONDITIONS deel
srAr.s, this kyenseenth dayof G
one, 70. regulating DE Maier;als