Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-27
Sentiment and Reckless Talk Cloud Debate on East Front
But Closer Study Yields Answers to Many Objections
continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
President George Washington
as the Capitol pattern in the
1790s had a small dome. a
modest eight-columned portico
and flush. ground-level porti-
CO entrance.
By 1900 second picture). the
north hall. of the Capitol was
occupied and the House side
was rising. Under the direction
of Benjamin Latrobe (Archi-
tect of the Capitol 1800-l8lD,
a number of minor changes
were made in the Thornton de-
sign, but for the most part it
was a faithful reproduction
After the British burned the
Capitol in 1914 third picture),
reconstruction also largely fol-
lowed the old pattern.
When Latrobe, turned to the
design of central portico, how
ever, he deviated sharply from
Thornton. BY 1910 Fourth pic
ture), the result was a con-
siderably- modified Capitol, as
designed by Latrobe and super
vised by Charles Bulfinch
t1815-l829).
POrtico Doubled
The portico, for example. was
doubled in size and given Is
columns. The dome was
changed somewhat, and small
domes were added on each side.
Steps. implanted by Thornton.
added to the monumental
beauty.
The real change. however,
was made by Architect Thomas
U. Walter between 1851 and
1865. when the demands for
space required construction of
the House and Senate wings.
But the wings. Mr.. Walters
noted. completely overpowered
the tiny dome of Thornton (as
modified by Latrobe and Bull
finch, and he replaced it with
the massive cast iron dome
which gives the Capitol it's
present appearance bottom
picture).
Just as Mr.. Walter saw that
the old dome was architecture
ally wrong, however. he saw
that the big new dome violated
architectural principles of bal
ance by appearing TO overhang
the front. While the dome it
self rests solidly on the main
building, the dome's lower COL
umns and painted iron skirt"
actually extend out over the
portico roof and the skirt" is
supported by the roof. The
Capitols west front, mean
while. extends far beyond the
dome on the other side, in
creasing the appearance of i'm
balance. While he never argued
that there was danger the dome
might fall, it looks as if it
might. And that, Mr.. Walter
said, IS wrong.
Extension Proposed
To correct the "error." Mr..
Walter proposed extending the
east front. and every Capitol
architect since has followed
suit. Except for economy meas
ures during the Civil War. the
extension may well have been
carried out in the 1905. But
it wasn't. And by the turn of
the century. it was stepped in
controversy.
AS late as 1915, however, the
east fronts, massive sandstone
steps were removed and re-
placed with granite steps.
The architects who favor the
extension today say that the
east front change is far less
drastic than the major Capitol
changes of the past. In fact,
they say. the new front is hard
ly a change at all, but would
reproduce the old in every de-
tail.
They say it is their profess
sional judgment as architects
some other architects disagree
that the change would be evil
dent to no one but experts.
The proponents recognize
that these arguments are not a
total answer to those who want
to preserve" the old front.
These people, largely for rea-
sons of sentiment. want to be
able to see, with their own eyes,
the very stones that were laid
under the direction of Latrobe
and Bulfinch.
Answers Given
What are the answers to this
desire? The Capitol's associate
architects cite these:
Deterioration already is eat
ing away details of the work
of the early architects. If Moth
ing is done to the front. this
will continue. And If the front
is refaced at its present loca-
Arrest With.
-