Evening star., 1958-09-28

The portico, with its hug
roof. is the main tourist entl
It also is the key feature oi
cause the most drastic change
in the Capitol's appearance
at least temporarily-in the
last 100 years.
During the next two years,
a 3212-foot marble extension
Of the entire front will be
built between the House and
Senate wings, reproducing the
old sandstone front in such
detail that architects say it
will be virtually indistinguish-
able from the present.
A new construction plan calls
for exterior work to be finished
by October /, 1960-in time for
the 1861 Presidential Inaugural
ton. And by next January. Of
f1cials expect that almost half
the SOL million job will be
under contract.
Capitol Architect ]. George
Stewart said bids will be re-
ceived Wednesday for removal
Of the portico and other parts
Of the front-the first real step
in construction. A contract for
the work win be awarded Oc-
tober is.
Immediately after, an eight
foot-high wall will be built
around the front, extending
into the East road and parking
plaza to provide a permanent
work area.
This will block most of the
work from public view. 1t also
will seal of central entrances
to the Capitol, so that visitors
will have to enter through the
House or Senate wings for the
next two years.
simultaneously, another high
fence will be built on the Cap
itol grounds Just beyond the
East plaza, to enclose a huge
storage yard for the columns
and hundreds Of stones and
ornaments of the East front
to be removed.
Will Save Pieces
j Each of the pieces, officials
said, will be individually Grated
numbered and recorded so il
would be possible = theoreti-
cally, anyway-to reconstruct
the portico elsewhere if that
! were ever desired.
What will happen to the
pieces?
Mr.. Stewart said no decision
has been made, but that this
would be in the hands OF the
! Joint commission. headed by
j House Speaker Rayburn, in
. charge of the extension.
Smithsonian Institution Off
cials, it was learned, already
have asked about possibilities
of getting some of the old front
/ for preservation and display
probably in the new Museum oi
, History and Technology being
built at Twelfth and Constitu-
ton avenue NV. -
But DR.. Leonard Carmichael
Smithsonian director. said he
J did mot see how we could ac-
! commodate any major portion
. of the building"
Steps To Be Reused
. Very little of the original
portico materials will be used
in the new extension, since
; most are made Of deteriorating
sandstone, officials said.
They said the only parts to
; be reused, in fact, are the huge
granite steps leading to the
. lportico, two groups of statuary
at either side of the top Of the
steps and statues which rest in
inches within the portico.
This is the schedule for re-
moval:
BY November Removal OF
the top northeast corner of the
portico, including one of the
elaborate, curved ornaments
, atop the columns and a section
. of the overhanging cornice,
These will be used as models for
: reproduction in marble.
By January 2, 1959--Removal
. of the portico down to the top
of the outside steps, including
, the Corinthian "a columns, the
pediment (portico roof and a
I section Of the cast iron skirt
: of the Capitol dome which
. rests on the portico. The
skirt" will be replaced after
J the extension is finished.
} BY February 2, 1959-Re-
/ moval of the steps and the rest
} of the portico. The steps and
statues will be stored within
the walled work area.
5 Most of the fiat east wall be-
+ hind the portico will remain
1t will be largely covered by a