Evening star., 1953-12-28
Higgins Death Sfirs
Debate Over Credit
For Building Designs

TOT Dullulng DeSlgnS
Confusion over architectural
credit for design Of the Capitals
monumental National Gallery of
Art and Jefferson Memorial has
developed following the death Of
Daniel Paul Higgins, noted New
York architect.
Mr.. Higgins, who died Friday,
had been q partner in the firm
Of Eggers q Higgins since 1887.
He and Otto r. Eggers were as
sociated with the architectural
firm Of John Russell Pope until
the death of Mr.. Pope in 1897.
Newspaper accounts of Mr..
Higgins career noted that he
had been partner in the Pope
firm from 1922 until 1897. The
Star said Mr.. Higgins had played
"a major role" in designing the
National Gallery, the Jefferson
Memorial and numerous other
monumental structures here.
Called legal Associate"
In a telegram to The Star, Mr..
Pope's widow said her late hus-
band had designed the National
Gallery. the Jefferson Memorial
and a number of other structures
which had been attributed as
works of Mr.. Higgins.
In addition, Mrs. Pope and her
attorney, Anthony B. Akers of
New York City, said Mr.. Higgins
never had been a partner of Mr..
Pope. Mr.. Akers said Mr.. Hig-
gins had been legal associate"
in the Pope firm for several
years previous to Mr.. Pope's
death.
The firm of Eggers g. Higgins,
in a press release Saturday,
listed the National Gallery and
the Jefferson Memorial as among
Mr.. Higgins most notable ac-
complishments."
A spokesman for the firm to-
day refused any comment on
Mrs. Pope's telegram. Mr.. Eg-
gers was not available for COM
ment.
Research Fails.
A search of reference books
and newspaper stories of the
last two decades failed to clear
up differences as to the relation
ship between Mr.. Eggers and Mr..
Higgins to the old Pope firm.
They do indicate, however,
that:
l. Mr.. Pope was responsible for
the early designs of both the Ma
tional Gallery and the Jefferson
Memorial, and was working on
them actively up to the time of
his death.
2. The advance design and
architectural follow-up work for
the memorial structures were
carried through by Mr.. Eggers
and Mr.. Higgins.
Tablets at both the National
Gallery and the Jefferson Me-
mortal give credit to all three
men. The gallery inscription
lists as architects" Mr.. Pope,
Mr.. Higgins and Mr.. Eggers. with
the word associates" over the
names of Mr.. Higgins and Mr..
Eggers. The one at the Jeffer-
son structure lists Mr.. Pope as
architect" and the other two
as Associates"
Pamphlets Give Credit.
In addition, pamphlets avail
able at the Jefferson contain this
sentence:
"In the preparation of the plan
for the memorial the architects,
John Russell Pope and the sur
vivors of his firm, Otto r. Eggers
and Daniel P. Higgins, were
clearly influenced by Jefferson's
own taste as expressed in his
writings. :"
On the opening of the National
Gallery in March, 1941, The Star
reported:
preliminary sketches for the
gallery were made by John Rus
sell Pope, a famous architect
personally acquainted with Mr..
(Andrew W. Mellon. Mr.. Pope
died within "a hours of his
patron, leaving his task to be
finished by his associates, Otto
r. Eggers and Daniel Paul Hig-
gins. Under their direction and
in some cases on their own draft
ing boards were made more than
1900 drawings"
Design Stirred Controversy.
Mr.. Pope had been selected as
architect for the gallery in Feb
ruary, 1896, by trustees of the
A. w. Mellon Educational and
Charitable Trust.
Similarly, news stories note
that as early as March 20, 1887,
Mr.. Pope attended a Fine Arts
Commission meeting at which
Mr. Pope's early design for the
Jefferson Memorial was con-
Sidered.
The design, calling for a large
'panetheon type of memorial,
stirred a bitter controversy. In
September, 1887, at a later meet
ing. Mr.. Higgins and Mr.. Eggers
presented alternate designs for
the structure. Stories of that
IIna,nl1n1uu,,rs