Evening star., 1954-08-08
Capitol Architect Ends 53-Yeu CoreerID

AAVSA S0Ay Va mA. Lynn ApQO1ub-
ment as Architect. the seventh
to hold that position. MIR. Lynn
is retiring at the end Of Sep
tember. the White House an
nounced yesterday.
In his office in the basement
Of the great building, with win
dows looking south toward the
Mall, Mr.. Lynn recalled yester-
day some Of the things he had
wanted to do which are still un-
done. and the pleasure in some Of
the things accomplished.
The chief item on the m-
finished business list is the ex-
tension Of the east front Of the
center section Of the Capitol. At
present the base of the huge
dome extends over the center
portico, an architectural defect.
For about 100 years Architects
Of the Capitol have ilnportuned
Congress to provide money for
the project. It would not only
correct the defect, but it would
provide additional space for Con-
greSs. Mr.. Lynn's requests have
been reiterated, but not accepted.
New Senate ONCE Building.
He would have liked also to
see through to completion the
new Senate ONCE Building, for
which money has been appropri-
ated. Also an additional House
Office Building. And then, to
make everything tidy and sound.
to rebuild the roadways through
the Capitol grounds and the 30
year-old sewer system.
Lean and erect despite his long
service, Mr.. Lynn recalled how
Government and the Capitol
Architects job have grown In the
last half century. The first House
Office Building was completed
in 1908.
Before it was built" Mr.. Lynn
said, members wrote their let
ters at their desks in the House.
They had desks then, as Sena-
tors still do.'
The major part of the Senate
Office Building was completed in
1909. After Mr.. Lynn became
head Of the Office there was the
construction Of the New House
Office Building, erection of the
First street side of the Senate
Office Building, construction of
the Supreme Court and the Lii
brary of Congress Annex, and
various service buildings.
In the early days, designers Of
the Capitol or additions to it
were generally also the super
vlsing architects. Nowadays the
Office of Architect is not big
enough to do all, so outside ar
chitects are called in when new
buildings are to be put up. The
office now exercises architectural
supervision and is in charge of
the structural and mechanical
care OF the buildings.
ZOning Commission Member.
The Office formerly had charge
OF all court buildings in the Dis
trict. Another Of Mr.. Lynn's re-
sponsibilities comes from his
membership in the District Zon-
ing Commission. He has been a
member since the commission
was set up in 1898.
One of the achievements which
Mr.. Lynn recalls with most
pleasure is the acquisition of the
81 acres of land lying between
Constitution avenue and the
Union Station and its develop
ment as park. AS a result the
visitor arriving in Washington
steps from the station and faces
a clear sweep to the Capitol Be-
fore this development which Mr..
Lynn supervised, a conglomera-
ton of buildings stood in the
way.
Another important work car
ried out under his supervision
was the reconstruction of the 90
year-old roofs over the House
and Senate and the remodeling
Of the chambers. This was in
1949-5O.
Current work involves the re-
construction Of the Capitol ter
races. which had been closed for
is years. Also in the last four
years Mr.. Lynn has been engaged
in a SIG million development
program in connection with the
Capitol power plant and it's dis
tribution system.
Mr.. Lynn was born Che does
not give the date in Wheeling,
w. Va, where his father had a
stove foundry. He grew up at
Rose Hill. the house at Cumber-
land, Md, which his great
grandfather, Capt. David Lynn,
put up in 1901.
Has Grandfather's Holsters.
This Can't. LYNN served in the
4th Maryland Regiment in the
Revolution. Mr.. Lynn has at
his Office the leather pistol hol-
sters which the captain carried
across the pommel of his saddle
at the British surrender at York
town.
Capt. Lynn was the son of
another David Lynn who served
several terms in the Maryland
General Assembly. This David
Lynn was one of the commits
sioners appointed by the colony
to lay out Georgetown in 1851.
The future architect attended
Cumberland schools and the Al
legany County Academy AS for
engineering and architecture.
Mr.. Lynn explained, Il grew up
In the work."
When he entered the archi-
tect's Office at the Capitol. Ed
ward Clark was architect. He
held the position from 1865 to