Evening star., 1954-10-17
IS Million Plan
Ito Modernize
Zoo Proposed
Mann Seeks New
Antelope House
And Monkey Island
BY WiIIiom A. MiIIen

By WiIIiom A. MiIIen
"A building program. tenta-
lively estimated to cost around
So million. is being planned for
the zoo by DR.. William M. Mann,
its director.
Improvements which DR.. Mann
would like to obtain in the near
future include:
1. A new antelope house. near
the Connecticut avenue entrance
to the zoo where the animals are
now found.
2. A new central headquarters,
just south Of the Connecticut
avenue entrance and across from
the proposed new antelope house,
near where the deer are now
located.
8. A monkey island, in which
these animals could be dis
played more advantageously.
This would be located near
where the monkeys now live and
not far from where the antelope
are housed.
4. An aquarium. near the Har-
ward street entrance to the Zoo
where large buses are now
parked.
Wants MOdernized Zoo.
Details of the cost of these
projects are not Immediately
available. DR.. Mann will work
out this program in conjunction
with engineers and architects of
the General Services Admins
tration.
Completion of these projects
would give us a very modern
zoo," said DR.. Mann. "Other
ZOOS are going ahead much
faster than we are"
Planned for construction this
fiscal year and slated for COM
pletion by July is new central
public comfort house and police
station. This will be located be-
tween the restaurant building
and the small cats house. This
project already is on the draw
ing boards, DR.. Mann said.
Congress has made available
about $4,000 for this project.
At present, police headquarters
is located upstairs in the lion
house.
Priority for Antelope House.
The antelope house is on DR..
Mann's priority list. In setting
forth its need, DR.. Mann said:
"The principal function of o
zoo-any Zoo-should be the ex-
hibition of a collection of ami
mails. Our present antelope house
is more than so years old and
was originally built as tempor-
ary frame building. 1t is so I'M
satisfactory for the animals and
for the public that we can no
longer maintain an antelope
group--animals that are espe-
cially interesting to the public.
"In spite of constant patch
ing, the building today is poorly
lighted, unsanitary and without
adequate ventilation.
"The new building would also
house wild cattle, Of which we
have a nice collection; wild swine
and the larger kangaroos. Con-
struction of this building would
enable us to destroy the present
unsightly structure"
Ernest P. Walker, assistant di-
rector of the zoo, cited the case
for a new headquarters building
to replace the present 149-year-
old former private residence,
near Adams Mill road.
CriticizeS Location.
"Our present headquarters"
he said, lis lovely historical
building, which has had a mini
mum of rehabilitation through
the years. 1t is very expensive
to repair and maintain. 1t is not
we'll located for its purpose be-
cause it is very difficult for people
to find. It's distance from the
exhibition area tends to make
more difficult close personal
supervision needed for the zoo.
It is apnut half mile from the
exhibition area, up very steep
hill"
Mr.. Walker noted that ter
mites have eaten into the build
ing, with its sagging lower floors,
so that it was necessary to REIN
force the downstairs ceiling to
} make it safe for use. The ter
mites have even bored through
some of the books, he said.
DR.. Mann said the present old
headquarters building is ineffi-
cient for its purpose. But he
confessed having particular
liking for the historic structure.
He said the building should be
preserved, in any event, because
of its historical worth.
DR.. Mann said the building
was part Of the Holt Estate,
which was ''in remote Rock
Greek Valley" when the Smith
sonian Institution acquired it as
part of the Zoo in 1890.
Zoo Director 20 Years.
The Zoo has used the historic
building, constructed in 1804-5,
as headquarters ever since, DR..
Mann said. He has been director
of the Zoo for the past 90 years.
During that span, he has seen
many improvements at the Zoo.
In 1926, Congress decided the
Zoo needed a new bird house.
Appropriations for the reptile
house followed. Ponds for water,
fowl were constructed during
the depression years when labor
was plentiful, and other i'm
provements were made.
In 1885, the Public Works Ad-
ministIation allotted $3.50, 900
and followed this the next year