A Manual On The Origin And Development Of Washington - free ebook by H. Paul (Hans Paul) Caemmerer

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A Manual On The Origin And Development Of Washington

H. Paul (Hans Paul) Caemmerer

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A MANUAL ON THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF WASHINGTON

A MANUAL ON THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF WASHINGTON

By H. PAUL CAEMMERER, Ph. D. “The City of Washington—the central star of the constellation which enlightens the whole world.” General Lafayette, as Guest of the Nation, October 12, 1824. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1939...

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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 280 Submitted by Mr. Hayden

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 280 Submitted by Mr. Hayden

In the Senate of the United States , April 20 (calendar day, May 18), 1938. Resolved , That the manuscript entitled “A Manual of the Plan of Washington,” prepared by H. P. Caemmerer, be printed in such style and manner as may be directed by the Joint Committee on Printing, as a Senate Document. Attest: Edwin A. Halsey, Secretary ....

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PREFACE

PREFACE

This Manual on the Origin and Development of Washington is published for the use of students, particularly in high schools, desiring to make a study of the National Capital a part of their course in civics. The 25 chapters composing the book are of such interest and importance that an hour a week may profitably be devoted to each, but the chapters on public buildings and monuments require each two or three periods for effective presentation. In this manner the Manual may serve as a textbook for

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Chapter I THE FEDERAL CITY STORY OF THE MOVEMENT WHICH ESTABLISHED THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT NEAR THE POTOMAC

Chapter I THE FEDERAL CITY STORY OF THE MOVEMENT WHICH ESTABLISHED THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT NEAR THE POTOMAC

The problem of establishing a permanent seat of government for the United States was most perplexing. The Continental Congress was obliged for its own protection to travel from place to place to conduct its sessions. By the treaty of Paris, in 1783, the independence of the Colonies had been recognized, but they were then united simply as a confederation, and there was lacking Federal authority through which the needs of the Government could be asserted and provided for. This was felt keenly in t

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HISTORY OF EARLY SETTLEMENTS ALONG THE POTOMAC

HISTORY OF EARLY SETTLEMENTS ALONG THE POTOMAC

Somewhat more than a century and a half before (in 1608) Capt. John Smith and his men sailed up the Patawomeck and visited the site of the future Federal City. The famous adventurer only partially explored the country, the principal item in the log book of his voyage being that they found the river full of luscious fish and its shores lined with ferocious savages. They met with opposition from Chief Powhatan and were subject to continual attacks. Nevertheless the exploration was continued up the

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SITE OF THE FEDERAL CITY

SITE OF THE FEDERAL CITY

The first mention of the upper Potomac and adjacent regions to Indianhead, about 35 miles south of Washington, is made by Capt. John Smith, who explored this region from the Jamestown settlement in Virginia in 1608. In 1634 Henry Fleet, who was taken captive by Indians, visited the falls of the Potomac. In 1635 a tract of land (400 acres) called Rome was laid out for Francis Pope, gentleman. The Capitol is said to be on this land. In 1790 the region in which the city of Washington has been built

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TERMS OF ORIGINAL AGREEMENT

TERMS OF ORIGINAL AGREEMENT

The terms of the sale of land to the Government were agreed to on March 30, 1791, under which the original owners agreed to convey to the United States Government, free of cost, such portions of their farms as were needed for streets, parks, and other public reservations; and to sell such land as was needed for Government buildings and public improvements at £25 per acre (about $67). The remaining land was to be laid out in building lots and apportioned equally between the Federal Government and

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BOUNDARY STONES OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

BOUNDARY STONES OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

A survey of an outline of the District of Columbia was made by Andrew Ellicott. From the initial point at Jones Point, on Hunting Creek, at the Potomac (just south of Alexandria), a line was run due northwest 10 miles; thence (into Maryland) due northeast 10 miles to a northern boundary point (now called Sixteenth Street Heights); thence due southeast 10 miles; thence due southwest 10 miles, or back to Jones Point. BOUNDARY STONE NEAR SIXTEENTH STREET, NORTHWEST This survey was approved by Congr

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PRELIMINARY STUDIES

PRELIMINARY STUDIES

When the city of Washington was planned under the direct and minute supervision of President Washington and Secretary of State Jefferson, the relations that should exist between the Capitol and the President’s House were closely studied. On August 7, 1791, L’Enfant sent a sketch to President Washington, with a note, “the plan altered agreeable to your suggestion.” Indeed, the whole city was planned with a view to the reciprocal relations that should be maintained among public buildings. Vistas a

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Chapter IV MAJ. PIERRE CHARLES L’ENFANT

Chapter IV MAJ. PIERRE CHARLES L’ENFANT

Maj. Pierre Charles L’Enfant was born in Paris August 2, 1754, the son of an academician, who was “Painter in ordinary to the King in his Manufacture of the Gobelins,” with a turn for landscape and especially for battles, as is shown by the collections at Versailles and Tours. Trained as a French military engineer, young L’Enfant at the age of 23 obtained a commission as a volunteer lieutenant in the French colonial troops, serving at his own expense. MAJ. PIERRE CHARLES L’ENFANT L’Enfant preced

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THE ELLICOTT PLAN—THE L’ENFANT PLAN ENLARGED

THE ELLICOTT PLAN—THE L’ENFANT PLAN ENLARGED

The executed plan of the Federal City as redrawn by Andrew Ellicott departs but little from the modified L’Enfant plan. The changes are perhaps an improvement on the layout as modified by President Washington. Discussion recently has arisen in reference to the credit Ellicott should be given for the executed plan of Washington. In 1802 a congressional committee found— that the plan of the city was originally designed by Major L’Enfant, but that in many respects it was rejected by the President,

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Chapter VI EARLY WASHINGTON

Chapter VI EARLY WASHINGTON

While Major L’Enfant drew the plan of the Federal City, it was Andrew Ellicott who afterward carried it out. The building of the city attracted many speculators, who invested heavily. Robert Morris, James Greenleaf, Thomas Law, John Nicholson, and Samuel Blodgett were among those who lost thereby. When Washington became the seat of government in 1800 there were 109 brick and 263 frame houses, sheltering a total population of about 3,000. The early years of the city’s development were difficult a

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Chapter VII WASHINGTON, 1810-1815

Chapter VII WASHINGTON, 1810-1815

An interesting account of Washington during this period is given by David Baillie Warden in his book entitled “A Description of the District of Columbia,” published in Paris in 1816, and dedicated to Mrs. George Washington Parke Custis. He states: It is scarcely possible to imagine a situation more beautiful, healthy and convenient than of Washington. The gentle undulated surface throws the water into such various directions, as affords the most agreeable assemblage. The rising hills, on each si

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Chapter VIII WASHINGTON, 1816-1839

Chapter VIII WASHINGTON, 1816-1839

The administration of President Monroe, who served two terms (1817-1825) is known as the “era of good feeling,” but so far as developing the plan of Washington little was done. In 1820 the population of Washington was 13,247. During these years the Capitol was rebuilt and was reoccupied by Congress. In 1820 the corner stone of the city hall on Judiciary Square was laid. In 1824 General Lafayette made his memorable visit to Washington. In 1825 trees were planted on two squares of the filled lowla

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Chapter IX WASHINGTON, 1840-1859

Chapter IX WASHINGTON, 1840-1859

In 1840 Washington had a population of 23,364. The city was still in a very much undeveloped state, though the fact that it was the National Capital was not lost sight of. In 1846 the construction of the Smithsonian Institution Building was begun, and on July 4, 1848, the corner stone of the Washington Monument was laid. On July 4, 1851, the corner stone for the enlargement of the Capitol according to plans as we see it to-day, was laid. THE CAPITOL, 1840 However, so far as city development was

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Chapter X WASHINGTON 1860-1870

Chapter X WASHINGTON 1860-1870

Washington in 1860 was still a comparatively small and undeveloped city, with a population of 61,122. But the people were soon aroused to intense excitement because of the strife between the States. When the Civil War began, the eyes of the Nation were turned on Washington. The city increased in population to over 100,000 in a few months time and was the center of great war-time activities. On April 18, 1861, 500 Pennsylvania troops, the first to answer President Lincoln’s call for volunteers, e

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Chapter XI IMPROVEMENTS MADE DURING PRESIDENT GRANT’S ADMINISTRATION

Chapter XI IMPROVEMENTS MADE DURING PRESIDENT GRANT’S ADMINISTRATION

The year 1870 marked the beginning of a new and effective movement for the development of the National Capital. Washington was then a city of 109,199. Great efforts to relocate the National Capital in some other city, preferably farther to the west, were made by some who were familiar with conditions in Washington. St. Louis offered to spend several millions of dollars for the erection of public buildings. Congress settled this agitation by appropriating $500,000 as an initial sum for the constr

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Chapter XII THE INFLUENCE OF THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION AND OF THE WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION ON ART IN THE UNITED STATES

Chapter XII THE INFLUENCE OF THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION AND OF THE WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION ON ART IN THE UNITED STATES

The Centennial Exhibition of 1876 at Philadelphia marked a century of progress. It aroused the country to its opportunities, after a period of lethargy and unrest that followed the Civil War. A decade had elapsed since the end of that terrible conflict, and a new day dawned. President Grant gave the people confidence that he would guide the affairs of the Nation safely as their Chief Executive. Industries were established, commerce and trade developed, and prosperity followed. The Philadelphia C

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Chapter XIII HIGHWAY PLAN OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Chapter XIII HIGHWAY PLAN OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

The street-planning process has experienced several stages of development. 1. The narrow streets of Georgetown are typical of the first stage. 2. The wide avenues and streets of the area included in the L’Enfant plan are appropriately referred to as outstanding proof of the value of proper planning. The merit of this generous street plan was never more widely appreciated than at present, when other cities are spending millions of dollars to have their streets widened to meet traffic requirements

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McMILLAN PARK COMMISSION

McMILLAN PARK COMMISSION

The members of the McMillan Park Commission were: Daniel H. Burnham , architect, of Chicago. He became head of the firm of Burnham &amp; Root, one of the first great architectural firms of the country, and later of D. H. Burnham &amp; Co. Designer of many buildings, among them the Railway Exchange and Marshall Field’s retail store in Chicago, and the Wanamaker stores in New York and Philadelphia; in 1893 he became chief architect and director of works of the World’s Columbian Exposition.

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PLANS OF THE McMILLAN PARK COMMISSION

PLANS OF THE McMILLAN PARK COMMISSION

The plans prepared by the McMillan Park Commission and submitted, with its report, to the Senate, constituted the first and most notable proposal for grouping of public buildings ever put forward in the United States. The outlying sections of the District of Columbia were studied in relation to a system of parks, both large and small areas being indicated; the most convenient and the most picturesque connections between the various parks were mapped; the individual treatment which each important

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THE CAPITOL GROUP

THE CAPITOL GROUP

Naturally the plan of 1901 began at the Capitol. It was recommended that the chief legislative building of the Nation be surrounded by structures dependent on or supplementary to legislative work. The Library of Congress had been completed in 1897. The enjoyment and satisfaction taken in the Library by the thousands of persons from all parts of the country who visit it daily is an indication of the manner in which the American people regard the upbuilding of their Capital. Since the Library Buil

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Chapter XV NATIONAL COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS

Chapter XV NATIONAL COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS

Immediately after abolishing the Council of Fine Arts President Taft undertook to interest Congress in the establishment of a permanent Commission of Fine Arts. A bill was accordingly presented in the United States Senate by Hon. Elihu Root. In the House of Representatives the bill was sponsored by Hon. Samuel W. McCall. Various amendments were made to the measure in both the Senate and House of Representatives and it was finally adopted by the act approved May 17, 1910, as follows: Be it enacte

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ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS ABSENT

ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS ABSENT

The zoning ordinance has not attempted to regulate buildings, except as to height and size, nor set any standard of architectural fitness to the surroundings. If it had attempted any such thing, it could never have become a law. Only in recent years have citizens begun to think that attractiveness may add a cash value to houses, or that insistence on beauty is becoming in a democracy. The Shipstead-Luce Act, adopted May 16, 1930, gives the Commission of Fine Arts a limited control over private b

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HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS RESTRICTED BY THE CAPITOL DOME

HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS RESTRICTED BY THE CAPITOL DOME

The preeminence of the Dome of the Capitol has dominated the height of both public and private buildings. The 110-foot-height limit is found in a small section of the center of the downtown business district. On streets 110 feet wide in the 110-foot-height district, 130 feet is allowed under set-back provisions, and this maximum height cannot be exceeded by buildings (except spires, penthouses, or other excrescences) erected under the zoning regulations. Before 1929 but few buildings exceeded th

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EAST CAPITOL STREET—EXTENDING THE MALL AXIS EASTWARD

EAST CAPITOL STREET—EXTENDING THE MALL AXIS EASTWARD

Some one has said “the beauty of Washington is its trees.” No one who has seen the thousands of trees in Washington and in the country adjacent to the city can deny this. There is no national capital in the world that has more beautiful trees than Washington. Those seen on East Capitol Street are typical of the large massive trees throughout the city. Thousands of them were planted during the Presidency of General Grant, and it has been the policy of the District of Columbia government to plant

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THE FORT DRIVE

THE FORT DRIVE

The citizens’ movement to connect by a boulevard a considerable part of the Civil War defenses of Washington was incorporated in the plan of 1901. These old defenses, occupying strategic positions, are capable of being converted into small parks of high excellence and availability, and a connecting boulevard will have an added historic interest. Of these so-called forts a number are already in possession of the Government. Among those that have been purchased is Fort Stevens, near the Army Medic

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WASHINGTON CHANNEL AND THE WATER FRONT

WASHINGTON CHANNEL AND THE WATER FRONT

The water front of Washington is to be similar to the magnificent water fronts of large cities of Europe. The plan provides for a quay, with space for commercial piers, warehouses, steamboat offices, commercial houses, boathouses, and recreational piers. There will be a beautiful boulevard drive along “Water Street” which will connect with Anacostia Park, also adequate street-railway accommodations. Washington has 18 miles of water front, and this will be a most interesting part of it. It is pro

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GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY

GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY

The George Washington Memorial Parkway, designed by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, was authorized by the Capper-Cramton Act, approved May 29, 1930, and carrying with it an authorization of $33,500,000 for the development of a comprehensive park, parkway, and playground area in the District of Columbia and the surrounding regions of Maryland and Virginia. This parkway is designed “to include the public control of both banks of the river between Mount Vernon and Great Falls on

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THE MOUNT VERNON HIGHWAY ROUTE

THE MOUNT VERNON HIGHWAY ROUTE

The route traverses a territory full of historic associations and reminiscent of the days of Washington. About halfway between Washington and Alexandria it passes close to the site of Abingdon, the home of John Parke Custis, Mrs. Washington’s son. Here Nellie Custis, Washington’s adopted daughter, was born. A beautiful view of the river and a panorama of Washington and the north shore is seen from this point. Also here the Potomac is being dredged, making new land for Washington National Airport

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MOUNT VERNON

MOUNT VERNON

Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington the greater part of his life, is situated along the historic Potomac, 14.7 miles south of the city of Washington, which he was instrumental in founding, though referring to it as the Federal City. GEORGE WASHINGTON FROM THE HOUDON BUST, MODELED FROM LIFE AT MOUNT VERNON IN 1785 The history of Mount Vernon goes back to the time of Capt. John Smith, who explored the regions of the Potomac River in 1608. Some 40 years later Scotch and Irish emigrants sett

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WAKEFIELD, THE BIRTHPLACE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON

WAKEFIELD, THE BIRTHPLACE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON

After more than a century and a half of neglect, a group of patriotic persons have within recent years taken steps to restore Wakefield, the birthplace of George Washington, situated about 50 miles south of Mount Vernon, along the Potomac, amidst beautiful landscapes between Popes Creek and Bridges Creek. The Government erected a monument at the site in 1895 to mark the birthplace and provided a watchman to care for the grounds. Until within the past few years the little Government reservation o

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THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL

THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL

At the west end of the Mall is the Lincoln Memorial. The site was fixed by the McMillan Park Commission in 1901, which extended the Mall area of the original L’Enfant plan west three-fourths of a mile to the Potomac River. The site and surrounding area is known as Potomac Park. The reclaimed land, about 640 acres, comprises West Potomac Park and East Potomac Park (the island park). Congress provided for the construction of the memorial to Abraham Lincoln by an act approved February 9, 1911, foll

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THE STATUE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

THE STATUE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

The statue of Abraham Lincoln, in the center of the Lincoln Memorial, is by Daniel Chester French. It represents Abraham Lincoln as the great war President, with mental and physical strength and confidence in his ability to bring the Nation safely through the great conflict. President Lincoln is seated in a great armchair 12¹⁄₂ feet high, over the back of which a flag has been draped. The figure of Lincoln is 19 feet high from the top of his head to the sole of his boot. The head measures 3 feet

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THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL AND SURROUNDING AREA

THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL AND SURROUNDING AREA

The Lincoln Memorial, while it terminates the Mall composition, has a position similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, in that from it radiate drives and parkways in all directions—the Rock Creek Parkway to the north; westward across the Memorial Bridge to the Arlington National Cemetery, connecting also with the Mount Vernon Highway, the Lee Highway, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway; southward to East Potomac Park; and eastward along the Mall to the Capitol. The whole area is a remar

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THE ARLINGTON MEMORIAL BRIDGE

THE ARLINGTON MEMORIAL BRIDGE

The Arlington Memorial Bridge was built under the supervision of the Arlington Memorial Bridge Commission, of which the President is chairman. The Commission of Fine Arts was consulted and advised as to the plans. The project of building the Arlington Memorial Bridge has been before Congress since 1884. Previous to that time Daniel Webster, in an address on July 4, 1851, at the laying of the corner stone for enlarging the United States Capitol, referred to it as follows: Before us is the broad a

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LAFAYETTE PARK

LAFAYETTE PARK

The L’Enfant plan shows the ground now known as Lafayette Park, or Lafayette Square, comprising about 7 acres, to have been a part of the President’s Park, extending on the north side from H Street southward to the Monument Grounds, between Fifteenth and Seventeenth Streets. Similarly, the subsequent Ellicott plan and the Dermott plan make provision for such a spacious park to surround the President’s House. These plans show no street dividing Lafayette Park from the White House Grounds. When L’

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POTOMAC PARKS

POTOMAC PARKS

It is of interest to note from the L’Enfant plan of 1791 the absence of land in the area known to-day as West and East Potomac Parks. Seventy-five years ago the area had developed into a marshy region, which became so malarial as to affect seriously the health of residents of the city. In 1901 the McMillan Park Commission decided to extend the axis of the Mall westward three-fourths of a mile, and as a result one of the greatest and most remarkable developments in city planning has been accompli

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MERIDIAN HILL PARK

MERIDIAN HILL PARK

Meridian Hill Park is located between Fifteenth and Sixteenth and W and Euclid Streets NW. It comprises about 12 acres. The design for improving the park has been completed and approved and a large-scale model of the southern portion prepared for special study in carrying out the details. In design Meridian Hill Park is similar to an Italian garden, containing an upper and a lower garden, and as a formal garden of its kind there is no other like it in the United States. The upper garden extends

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ROCK CREEK PARK

ROCK CREEK PARK

One of the largest and most beautiful natural parks in the world is Rock Creek Park, extending from the William Howard Taft Bridge northward to the boundary line of the District of Columbia, and comprising 1,632 acres. Congress authorized the creation of the park in 1890, with an appropriation of $10,000. Adjacent to the park is the National Zoological Park. JOAQUIN MILLER CABIN IN ROCK CREEK PARK PLAN OF ANACOSTIA PARK...

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ANACOSTIA PARK

ANACOSTIA PARK

The plan for the development of this project provides for the reclamation of what are known as the Anacostia Flats, along the Anacostia River, on the east side of the District of Columbia, into Anacostia Park, of 1,100 acres. The distance from the point near the War College to the District line is about 6 miles. The park will be one of the largest and most beautiful waterside parks in this country. The breaking of ground for the park took place August 2, 1923. As has been related, more than thre

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NATIONAL ARBORETUM

NATIONAL ARBORETUM

The movement to establish a National Arboretum was first definitely proposed by Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture, in his report for the fiscal year 1899— One in which can be brought together for study all the trees that will grow in Washington, D. C., * * * furnishing complete material for the investigations of the Department of Agriculture, and so managed as to be a perennial means of botanical education. In 1918 the Commission of Fine Arts, at the request of the House Committee on t

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THE CAPITOL

THE CAPITOL

DESIGN OF THE CAPITOL, BY THORNTON, 1800 When the seat of government was moved from Philadelphia to Washington in the year 1800 there had been erected for the purposes of the Government a small rectangular building, familiarly known to-day as the Supreme Court section of the Capitol, and in this building were housed the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, the courts of the District of Columbia, and the library, now known as the Library of Congress. South of this building was

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THE WHITE HOUSE

THE WHITE HOUSE

The most definite description of the White House as it existed during its earlier days is to be found in American Scenery, published in London in 1840 and edited by Nathaniel Parker Willis, who writes as follows: The residence of the Chief Magistrate of the United States resembles the country seat of an English nobleman in its architecture and size; but it is to be regretted that the parallel ceases when we come to the grounds. By itself it is a commodious and creditable building, serving its pu

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OCTAGON HOUSE

OCTAGON HOUSE

Octagon House is a beautiful example of early American architecture. It is situated at the corner of Eighteenth Street and New York Avenue NW., two blocks west of the White House, and was built in the year 1800 by Col. John Tayloe from designs by the Architect of the United States Capitol, Dr. William Thornton. It is said President Washington himself selected the site for his friend. The building is a fine, octagonal brick structure, Georgian in design, with a central circular hall and a notewor

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DOLLY MADISON HOUSE

DOLLY MADISON HOUSE

The Dolly Madison House, at the corner of H Street and Madison Place NW., adjacent to Lafayette Square, was built by Dolly Madison’s brother-in-law in 1818. DOLLY MADISON HOUSE After the death of President Madison in 1833 Mrs. Madison returned to Washington and resided in the house until her death in 1849. In her day it was a little gray residence, but a place where she presided as a charming hostess for many years. The purchase by Congress of the Madison Papers for $30,000 made it possible for

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DECATUR HOUSE

DECATUR HOUSE

The Decatur House, located at the corner of H Street and Jackson Place NW., was designed by Benjamin Latrobe and built about 1819 by Commodore Stephen Decatur, it is said, from Barbary pirates’ prize money. DECATUR HOUSE Scarcely had the house been completed and through the trophies of the naval hero made a place of great interest when, on March 22, 1820, Decatur was mortally wounded in a duel with Commodore James Barron which took place at Bladensburg, Md. Decatur died in his home that night an

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OTHER HISTORICAL HOUSES

OTHER HISTORICAL HOUSES

Other houses adjacent to Lafayette Square and the White House grounds which became historically important were: The Cameron House, adjacent to the Dolly Madison House, was built in 1828 by Benjamin Ogle Tayloe. Later it was altered somewhat to suit the fine taste of Mrs. Cameron, wife of James Donald Cameron, who served as a Senator from the State of Pennsylvania from 1877 to 1897. The Cameron House to-day is occupied by the Cosmos Club, which, as has been stated, also occupies the Dolly Madison

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GEORGETOWN

GEORGETOWN

Georgetown was laid out pursuant to an act of the Province of Maryland dated June 8, 1751, passed in response to a petition of a number of inhabitants, who stated that “there was a convenient place for a town on the Potomac River above the mouth of Rock Creek,” and recommended that 60 acres be there laid out for a town. The town was never incorporated as a city, but was commonly called the city of Georgetown as a consequence of the casual reference to it by that title in numerous acts of Congres

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FRANCIS SCOTT KEY MANSION

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY MANSION

The Francis Scott Key Mansion, at Georgetown, stands remodeled as a store building on old Bridge Street, now M Street, one-half block from the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Originally it was a 3-story “colonial” brick building, which stood there as such until about the year 1917, when the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built to replace the old Aqueduct Bridge. Entering the front door at the left of the building, there was a spacious hall extending through the entire house. At the right of the hall wer

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TUDOR PLACE

TUDOR PLACE

TUDOR PLACE, THIRTY-FIRST AND Q STREETS Tudor Place, located at Thirty-first and Q Streets NW., is one of the fine examples of the architecture of the early days of the Republic in Washington. It was designed by Dr. William Thornton, Architect of the Capitol, and built about 1805 by Thomas Peter, who was one of the original landowners of the District of Columbia. Mr. Peter married Martha Parke Custis, Mrs. Washington’s granddaughter. Tudor Place is still the residence of lineal descendants of Ma

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ROCK CREEK CHURCH (ST. PAUL’S) IN ROCK CREEK CEMETERY

ROCK CREEK CHURCH (ST. PAUL’S) IN ROCK CREEK CEMETERY

Rock Creek Church is to the north of the Soldiers’ Home. The original building was erected by the people of the Eastern Branch and Rock Creek in 1719 in what was then St. Paul’s Parish, and was for many years the oldest parish church in the District of Columbia. It was rebuilt in 1775 and remodeled in 1868. It burned on April 6, 1921, but was again rebuilt. In 1726 the separation of this parish from St. John’s (Georgetown) marked a religious era in the future National Capital. Of the seven men a

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CHRIST CHURCH

CHRIST CHURCH

Although Washington had been planned as a city in 1791, it did not become the actual seat of government until 1800. It was necessary, therefore, for those desiring a Protestant Episcopal Church in Washington to apply to the Maryland Assembly. This application was made and an act passed to form a new parish to be known as Washington Parish. On May 25, 1795, a meeting was held, and the parish of Christ Church, Washington Parish, was incorporated and vestrymen elected. At this meeting Rev. George R

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ST. JOHN’S CHURCH

ST. JOHN’S CHURCH

St. John’s Church, sometimes called the President’s Church, while not the oldest in the city, has a history which is unique. Probably no other church of any denomination in the United States has had throughout its history such a distinguished roster of communicants as has St. John’s, located at Sixteenth and H Streets NW. The title, the “President’s Church,” was derived in this way: In 1816, before the church was consecrated or any pews sold, a committee from the vestry was instructed to make th

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THE COURTS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

THE COURTS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

The District of Columbia Courthouse is situated in Judiciary Square, along Indiana Avenue, facing south, with John Marshall Place immediately in front of it, leading down a slope of 30 feet to Pennsylvania Avenue. It is the old city hall, now used for the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, and is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Designed by the English architect, George Hadfield, the corner stone was laid August 22, 1820. The building is 250 feet long, 47 feet high, and 166 feet

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OLD LAND OFFICE BUILDING

OLD LAND OFFICE BUILDING

One of the interesting historic landmarks in the National Capital is the old Land Office Building at Seventh and Eighth and E and F Streets NW., where it occupies an entire square. It was designed by Robert Mills in 1830 and constructed of marble from New York and Maryland under the supervision of Thomas U. Walter, Architect of the Capitol, at a cost exceeding $2,000,000. It was built during that decade when the Patent Office and the Department of the Treasury Buildings, similar in their classic

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OLD PATENT OFFICE BUILDING

OLD PATENT OFFICE BUILDING

The original two buildings burned, whereupon Congress authorized the erection of a new Patent Office Building according to the designs of Robert Mills, architect. The present building was begun in 1837 and completed in 1867. Doctor Thornton was the first Commissioner. It occupies two squares, at Seventh and Ninth and F and G Streets NW., at the site where L’Enfant had indicated in his plan there should be a great national church. It is a monumental marble building, Doric in its style of architec

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THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT

THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT

On August 7, 1783, the year that witnessed the treaty of peace at Paris, Congress ordered— That an equestrian statue of General Washington be erected at the place where Congress shall be established, * * * in honor of George Washington, the illustrious Commander in Chief of the Armies of the United States of America during the War which vindicated and secured their liberty, sovereignty, and independence. OLD PATENT OFFICE BUILDING, NOW CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION BUILDING But no action was taken to

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SOLDIERS’ HOME

SOLDIERS’ HOME

In the United States the founding of a soldiers’ home dates from March 3, 1851, when an act of Congress was passed and approved “to found a military asylum for the relief and support of invalid and disabled soldiers of the Army of the United States.” For years before this, however, the principal officers of the Army, particularly Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, had given the subject attention and had made special efforts to procure the needed legislation. In February, 1848, General Scott transmitted t

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CABIN JOHN BRIDGE

CABIN JOHN BRIDGE

Erected about 1860 by Gen. Montgomery G. Meigs, this bridge spans Cabin John Run, about 7 miles northwest of Washington. It is a part of the aqueduct system, and the arch spanning the stream is 220 feet across at the base and 105 feet in height. The entire length of the bridge is 584 feet. The thickness of the bridge above the arch is 14¹⁄₂ feet, and it is 20 feet in width. Until a few years ago it was the largest stone arch in the world....

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FORD’S THEATER

FORD’S THEATER

Ford’s Theater Building, in which President Lincoln was assassinated while attending a performance on the night of April 14, 1865, is on the east side of Tenth Street between E and F Streets NW. The building was originally a Baptist Church and used as such for more than 15 years. It was used as a theater less than three years—from 1862 to 1865—and never as such after the night of the assassination. Taken over immediately by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, it was made over into a 3-story build

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LINCOLN MUSEUM AND THE OLDROYD COLLECTION OF LINCOLNIANA

LINCOLN MUSEUM AND THE OLDROYD COLLECTION OF LINCOLNIANA

Across the street from Ford’s Theater stands a red brick house (No. 516 Tenth Street NW.) to which President Lincoln, after being shot about 10.30 o’clock on the night of April 14, 1865, was carried and where, after an interval of 9 hours, he died at 22 minutes after 7 o’clock the following morning without regaining consciousness. The room to which the martyred President was brought is a little front one on the main floor. In size and simplicity it was a room like that of the log cabin in Kentuc

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THE CAPITOL

THE CAPITOL

The site for the Capitol, or the Federal House, as selected by L’Enfant, is on what was then known as Jenkin’s Hill, 88 feet above the level of the Potomac River. The northwest cornerstone of the main building was laid on September 18, 1793, by President Washington with Masonic ceremonies. The building is of Virginia sandstone from quarries on Aquia Creek. The north wing was finished in 1800 and the south wing in 1811. A wooden passageway connected them. Congress convened there for the first tim

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THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

Congress is one of the three coordinate branches of the United States Government. It is the legislative branch and consists of a Senate, to which the Members, two from each State, are elected for a term of six years; and the House of Representatives, to which the Members are elected for a term of two years. The membership is based on the population of the United States, and in January, 1939, numbered 435 Members. The apportionment is made among the several States in the ratio that the whole numb

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SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OFFICE BUILDINGS

SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OFFICE BUILDINGS

The Senate and House Office Buildings, the former flanking the Capitol to the north and the latter to the south, were designed by Carrere &amp; Hastings, architects, and are in the classical style of architecture. A new House Office Building, designed by the Allied Architects, Inc., of Washington, has recently been completed, and also the East Wing of the Senate Office Building, designed by Wyeth &amp; Sullivan, architects of Washington. Each Senator is provided with offices of from two

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UNION STATION

UNION STATION

In the design of the station much thought was given to the architectural features. Since Greece and Rome have furnished architectural inspiration for so many of the public buildings of Washington, a freely interpreted classic may be considered as the recognized architecture of these structures; and as the new station was to be the monumental gateway to the National Capital, it seemed fitting that the architectural motives should be drawn from the triumphal arches of Rome. They inspired Mr. Burnh

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WASHINGTON CITY POST OFFICE

WASHINGTON CITY POST OFFICE

The Washington City Post Office moved into its present quarters on September 5, 1914. The building faces on Massachusetts Avenue and extends from North Capitol Street to First Street NE. At the time of occupancy it was considered the model post office for the rest of the country, being provided with the most modern mail-handling equipment that human ingenuity could devise. There are conveyor belts through a tunnel under the streets for bringing the enormous amount of Government mail from the Gov

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

The Library of Congress, the world’s largest and most elaborate building devoted wholly to library uses, occupies two city squares east of and facing the Capitol Grounds, also an addition recently completed. The architecture is of the Italian Renaissance order, from plans made by J. J. Smithmeyer and Paul Pelz, and modified by Edward P. Casey. The exterior walls are of New Hampshire granite. Fifty masters of painting and sculpture worked together to make it a treasure house of the best contempor

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FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY

FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY

When Henry C. Folger, of New York City, decided to build the library his first thought was to have this monument to the glory of Shakespeare designed in harmony with the architecture of Shakespeare’s time. However, the library being in Washington, very near the Capitol, the House of Representatives and Senate Office Buildings, and the Library of Congress (to which group was added the Supreme Court Building), made it appear somewhat dangerous to introduce Elizabethan architecture in such a classi

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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

The Smithsonian Institution was established by act of Congress in 1846, under the terms of the will of James Smithson, an Englishman, who in 1826 bequeathed his fortune to the United States to found, at Washington, under the name of the “Smithsonian Institution,” an establishment for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” The Institution is legally an establishment, having as its members the President of the United States, the Vice President, the Chief Justice, and the President’s

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GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

The Government Printing Office, in which the printing and bookbinding for the various branches of the National Government is executed, is located on North Capitol Street between G and H Streets NW. Covering almost a city block with its eight-story, red-brick building, this plant is the best-equipped and is reputed to be the largest printing office of its kind in the world. Printing for the Government of the United States was first mentioned during the initial session of Congress, in 1789, in the

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THE WHITE HOUSE

THE WHITE HOUSE

The site of the White House, or the President’s House, was selected by President Washington. It was part of the David Burnes farm, and at the time it was chosen a cornfield extended one-half mile south to the Potomac. The cornerstone of the President’s House was laid on October 13, 1792, but not by George Washington, as the records show that he and his family were in Philadelphia at the time. The design was made by James Hoban, an architect of Dublin, Ireland, who won a $500 prize and a lot for

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DEPARTMENT OF STATE BUILDING, 1801 In 1788 the Department of Foreign Affairs moved from Fraunce’s Tavern to a house owned by Philip Livingston, on the west side of Broadway, near the Battery, in New York City. Later it moved to another house on the same street on the opposite side. The Capital having been again located at Philadelphia, the department took up its abode first on Market Street, then on the southeast corner of Arch and Sixth Streets, then in North Alley, and finally at the northeast

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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

The Department of the Treasury was created by act of Congress September 2, 1789. Robert Morris, of Pennsylvania, financier and statesman, one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, was the first financial officer of the Government and was Superintendent of Finance from 1781 to 1784. Upon the resignation of Morris the powers conferred upon him by the Continental Congress were transferred to the Board of the Treasury. This board served until Alexander Hamilton, of New York, the first S

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OTHER IMPORTANT BUILDINGS

OTHER IMPORTANT BUILDINGS

Lack of space in this book makes it necessary merely to mention the more important of the other monumental buildings in the National Capital. Detailed information concerning them may be found in the author’s Washington the National Capital and in other books on Washington. They should be studied in connection with the buildings described in this chapter. Attention is called first to the group of monumental semipublic buildings, classical in design, on Seventeenth Street north of Constitution Ave

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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

The National Geographic Society, organized in 1888, “for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge,” is the largest educational and scientific body in the world. In its 50 years the society has sponsored a series of notable explorations, discoveries, and research activities of our times, and it has developed its unique and beautifully illustrated National Geographic Magazine as a means of disseminating geographic information among its world-wide membership. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY C

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IMPORTANT BRIDGES OF WASHINGTON

IMPORTANT BRIDGES OF WASHINGTON

Arlington Memorial Bridge, McKim, Mead &amp; White, architects; Calvert Street Bridge, Paul P. Cret, architect; Francis Scott Key Bridge, Nathan Wyeth, architect; Connecticut Avenue (Taft) Bridge, Edward P. Casey, architect, lions by R. Hinton Perry; Q Street Bridge, Glenn Brown and Bedford Brown, architects, A. Phimister Proctor, sculptor; Klingle Ford Bridge, Connecticut Avenue, Paul P. Cret, architect; New Chain Bridge, designed under supervision of Brig. Gen. Dan I. Sultan, former Engine

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CATHEDRAL OF ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL (WASHINGTON CATHEDRAL)

CATHEDRAL OF ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL (WASHINGTON CATHEDRAL)

The cathedral is situated on Mount St. Alban, in the northwestern part of the city, on a hill 400 feet in height, said to be the highest point in the District of Columbia, giving a superb view over the National Capital. The cathedral, also known as the National Cathedral, was designed by George F. Bodley, of London, and Henry Vaughn, of Boston. It is a typical fourteenth century Gothic edifice. The cornerstone was laid in 1907, and since then a large part of the cathedral has been completed. Its

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NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

This cathedral has been designed in the Roman-Byzantine style of architecture. It is located on Michigan Avenue, Brookland, in the Catholic University grounds. The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1920. It is estimated that the total cost will be $50,000,000. The architects are Maginnis &amp; Walsh, of Boston, and Professor Frederick V. Murphy, architect, of Washington. The building as designed is cruciform in plan, with a triple apse, at the focus of which is placed the central altar

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NATIONAL CHURCHES IN WASHINGTON

NATIONAL CHURCHES IN WASHINGTON

There is no city in the country that has so many representative churches as the city of Washington, which is undoubtedly due to the fact that this is the National Capital. The leading denominations of the country, recognizing the importance of religion in the life of the Nation, have erected or are raising funds for the erection of great edifices, including memorial churches, fittingly to represent them at the seat of government. In chapter XX attention has already been directed to the earliest

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EMBASSIES AND LEGATIONS

EMBASSIES AND LEGATIONS

Among the notable buildings in the National Capital that have had a distinguished place since the early days of the Republic are the residences, embassies, and legations of the representatives from foreign countries. At the present time there are 53, representing the leading countries of the world. The legation and embassy buildings are held territory of the respective countries to which they belong, and fly the flag of their respective nations, excepting on state occasions, when they fly both t

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NEW BUILDINGS NECESSARY

NEW BUILDINGS NECESSARY

As a result of the World War, Government departments in Washington became overcrowded, and from 30,000 to 40,000 employees were housed in temporary buildings. This congested situation made a public-building program one of urgent need. For 40 years no real department building had been erected in Washington. The Department of Agriculture was in 47 rented buildings. The Department of War and the Department of the Navy were housed in many temporary war buildings. PLAN OF 1910 FOR DEVELOPING SOUTH SI

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PLANS AS DEVELOPED

PLANS AS DEVELOPED

In 1910 plans were authorized for three department buildings—Justice, Commerce and Labor, and State—to be built along Fifteenth Street, between Pennsylvania Avenue and B Street NW., now Constitution Avenue, and the land in this locality was bought by the Government, but the building project was deferred. Again, in 1913, Congress took up the question of a public-building program, and in 1917 a comprehensive survey was made by the Public Buildings Commission of the needs of the Government for addi

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PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE

Pennsylvania Avenue is the great historic avenue of the Nation, particularly that portion between the legislative and executive branches of the Government—the Capitol and the White House—extending a distance of 1 mile. It was named by Congress at the time the plan of Washington was under consideration, in compliment to the State of Pennsylvania. In the time of Thomas Jefferson it was a dusty highway, and to add beauty to it he planted quick-growing poplar trees. Being about at sea level in eleva

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TRIANGLE DEVELOPMENT

TRIANGLE DEVELOPMENT

Upon the adoption of the public buildings act of May 25, 1926, Hon. Andrew W. Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury, took up with the Public Buildings Commission, and the executive departments that were in immediate need of new buildings, the project to place the building program under way. Secretary Mellon authorized the preparation of a tentative study for new public buildings, and after an interval of a few months sketches were submitted to him for a series of buildings monumental in character an

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ENLARGEMENT OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS AND UNION STATION PLAZA DEVELOPMENT

ENLARGEMENT OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS AND UNION STATION PLAZA DEVELOPMENT

An important feature of the McMillan Park Commission plan of 1901 was the creation of a series of “Congress Gardens” on the north side of the Capitol. For many years this project was held in abeyance pending the completion of the purchase of lands. The development necessitated the purchase of 12 squares and laying out a plan for this long-neglected area at the entrance to the city. The plan also provided for a new avenue to extend from Union Station to Pennsylvania Avenue, and street cars are ro

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UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT BUILDING

UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT BUILDING

The United States Supreme Court Building is in classic style, in harmony with the architecture of the Capitol and adjacent buildings, and is located in the square east of the Capitol, north of the Library of Congress, and facing the United States Senate Chamber. The building, 385 feet from east to west and 305 feet from north to south, has four open courtyards 64 feet square. The portico is of the Corinthian order, and there is a low pilaster treatment around the building. Photograph by Commerci

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HOMES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

HOMES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

The Supreme Court of the United States is the major tribunal of one of three coordinate branches of the Government—the judicial. During the 148 years of its existence the Supreme Court has sat in eight different places, always in or near the Capitol or place of meeting of the legislative body. Thus it met, first, in New York; second, in Independence Hall, Philadelphia; third, in the basement of the Capitol, where it was when the British burned the Capitol in 1814; fourth, while the Capitol was b

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Chapter XXIII THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Chapter XXIII THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

The first Government of the District of Columbia consisted of three Commissioners appointed by the President of the United States. Then 21 mayors served from 1802 to 1871. A Territorial form of government, consisting of a governor, a board of public works, and a legislative assembly, was provided for by an act of Congress of February 21, 1871. The legislative assembly consisted of 11 members, called a council, and 22 other members, called a house of delegates. The District also had a Delegate in

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HISTORY OF ARLINGTON

HISTORY OF ARLINGTON

The land comprising the Arlington estate, 1,100 acres, was sold by Gerard Alexander to John Parke Custis in December, 1778, for a consideration of £11,000 Virginia currency. John Parke Custis never lived at Arlington, and on his death in 1781 his son, George Washington Parke Custis, inherited the Arlington estate. Mr. Custis lived at Mount Vernon, however, until after the death of Martha Washington, which occurred on May 22, 1802. He then took possession of the tract, changed the name to Arlingt

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ARLINGTON AS A NATIONAL CEMETERY

ARLINGTON AS A NATIONAL CEMETERY

Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, Quartermaster Corps, United States Army, was the first to suggest to President Lincoln that the estate be converted into a military cemetery, and in 1864, by order of Secretary of War Stanton, 200 acres were set apart and dedicated as a national cemetery for the burial of Union soldiers and sailors. However, the first man to be buried there was a Confederate soldier who died in the hospital May 13, 1864. There are buried in Arlington a small number of those who fought i

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STATUE OF GEN. GEORGE WASHINGTON

STATUE OF GEN. GEORGE WASHINGTON

The most precious work of art in the United States is the life mask of George Washington by the noted French sculptor, Jean Antoine Houdon, who in 1785 was commissioned by the State of Virginia to execute a marble statue of George Washington. Houdon crossed the ocean, setting sail from Paris, France, on July 22 of that year for this purpose, in company with Benjamin Franklin. For 10 days he was a guest of General Washington at Mount Vernon, making studies and a cast. Having made his models, Houd

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TRIPOLI COLUMN

TRIPOLI COLUMN

This was the first and only monument that stood in Washington for a period of 26 years. It was erected in memory of the heroes that fell before Tripoli in 1804. It had been made at the expense of officers of the Navy and was brought from Italy in the U. S. S. Constitution to the navy yard, where it was erected in 1808 under the direction of Benjamin H. Latrobe, Architect of the Capitol. Afterwards, when in 1814 the navy yard was burned by the British, it was placed at the west side of the Capito

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STATUE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON

STATUE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON

This statue is by Horatio Greenough, who, born in Boston in 1805, was a noted American sculptor of the early days of the Republic. He was the first American deliberately to choose sculpture as a profession and to go abroad for serious study. He became absorbed with art as he saw it in Italy, and those who have seen the massive Roman statuary of the Farnese collection at Naples, in addition to the priceless collections of statuary of classical times at Rome and Florence, can make due allowance fo

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STATUE OF GEN. ANDREW JACKSON

STATUE OF GEN. ANDREW JACKSON

This statue in Lafayette Square, north of the White House, is the first equestrian statue cast in the United States. It is the work of Clark Mills, sculptor, who, while he was in the South preparing to go abroad, was persuaded to come to Washington and submit to Members of Congress sketches of an equestrian statue. They were so highly pleased with them that Mills was commissioned to produce the statue, and to do this he built a foundry in northeast Washington at a place now called Mills Avenue.

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ADAMS MEMORIAL

ADAMS MEMORIAL

The Adams Memorial, a veiled female figure in bronze, by Saint-Gaudens, in Rock Creek Cemetery, was erected in 1891. Under the carpet of pine needles the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Adams are buried. There is no inscription; not even a date on the architectural features, designed by Stanford White. Thick planting of pines and shrubs completely secludes the monument. Friends of the sculptor deplore the fact that this, his masterpiece, has come to be known as the Statue of Grief, as such a title

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STATUE OF GENERAL LAFAYETTE

STATUE OF GENERAL LAFAYETTE

The statue of General Lafayette is situated on the southeast corner of Lafayette Square. It is a heroic bronze statue by Alexander Falguiere and Antoine Mercie, noted French sculptors. The statue stands on a marble pedestal, on the north side of which are two cherubs holding up the inscription: BY THE CONGRESS IN COMMEMORATION OF THE SERVICES RENDERED BY GENERAL LAFAYETTE AND HIS COMPATRIOTS DURING THE STRUGGLE FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF AMERICA Congress appropriated $50,000 for the statue and pede

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STATUE OF ALEXANDER R. SHEPHERD

STATUE OF ALEXANDER R. SHEPHERD

The statue standing in front of the District Building, at Fourteenth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW., was unveiled May 3, 1909. The cost of its erection, $10,192.67, was defrayed by public subscription in the city of Washington. The statue is the work of U. S. J. Dunbar, sculptor. It perpetuates the memory of a man who in the face of great opposition accomplished wonders for the National Capital. Mr. Shepherd, for the years 1873 and 1874, was Governor of the District of Columbia, and previous

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STATUE OF HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

STATUE OF HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

This bronze statue is situated at the intersection of Eighteenth Street and Connecticut Avenue, at M Street NW., in one of the many triangular reservations that are so numerous in Washington and which, in addition to furnishing sites for monuments, help to make the city so attractive. It was presented to the National Capital by the Longfellow Memorial Association and unveiled May 15, 1909. Congress appropriated $4,000 for the pedestal and furnished the site. The pedestal is of Milford pink grani

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STATUE OF JOHN WITHERSPOON

STATUE OF JOHN WITHERSPOON

This statue stands in front of the Church of the Covenant, on Connecticut Avenue, near that of Longfellow. Congress provided the site and pedestal at a cost of $4,000. It is the work of William Couper, sculptor. It was presented to the United States by the Witherspoon Memorial Association, and unveiled May 20, 1909. John Witherspoon was a Presbyterian clergyman, at one time president of what is now Princeton University, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the only clergyma

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MEMORIAL OF THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC TO DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN STEPHENSON

MEMORIAL OF THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC TO DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN STEPHENSON

This memorial was presented to the United States by the Grand Army of the Republic, in commemoration of Dr. Benjamin Franklin Stephenson, organizer and founder of the Grand Army of the Republic, and stands near Pennsylvania Avenue at Seventh Street NW. The monument is a solid granite shaft, in form a triangular pyramid. The bronze figures represent three great principles. Fraternity, symbolized by a soldier and a sailor, is on the west side. Over the group is the inscription: 1861-1865 Underneat

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STATUE OF GEN. CASIMIR PULASKI

STATUE OF GEN. CASIMIR PULASKI

The Pulaski monument, completed in 1910, and dedicated May 11, 1910, the same day as was the Kosciuszko monument, is an equestrian by Kasimiriez Chodzinski, sculptor, and stands on Pennsylvania Avenue, at Thirteenth Street NW. It cost $55,000, which was appropriated by Congress. STATUE OF GENERAL CASIMIR PULASKI The monument represents General Pulaski in his military uniform seated on his horse “in action.” The pedestal, which is 9 feet high, is by Albert R. Ross, architect. It rests on a large

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ZERO MILESTONE

ZERO MILESTONE

The Zero Milestone takes the place of the itinerary column planned by L’Enfant for a place 1 mile east of the Capitol, “from which all distances of places through the continent were to be calculated.” That column never was built. The Zero Milestone is immediately south of the White House grounds. It is a block of granite 4 feet high with a bronze compass design on top, and stands on the meridian of the District of Columbia. The monument shows on the street side the designation Zero Milestone, wi

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DUPONT MEMORIAL

DUPONT MEMORIAL

The Dupont Memorial Fountain, at Dupont Circle, was designed by Daniel Chester French, sculptor, and Henry Bacon, architect. The fountain was dedicated on May 17, 1921, and cost $100,000. It replaces a portrait statue of Admiral Dupont. The top bowl, in one piece, is 13 feet in diameter. There are three figures on the supporting column of the fountain, representing The Sea, The Wind, and The Stars. The picture used in this book shows the figure typifying The Sea. The fountain is of Georgia marbl

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STATUE OF JEANNE D’ARC

STATUE OF JEANNE D’ARC

This statue, a copy of the celebrated Paul Dubois statue, one of the masterpieces of modern art standing in front of Rheims Cathedral, is situated on the grand terrace of Meridian Hill Park. The statue is not large, measuring in length 10 feet and in height 9 feet. The pedestal is about 6 feet high. The casting was done under the direction of the Ministère des Beaux Arts, in Paris. The pedestal was designed by McKim, Mead &amp; White, architects, of New York City. STATUE OF JEANNE D’ARC DUPO

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STATUE OF DANTE

STATUE OF DANTE

The statue of Dante, standing in Meridian Hill Park, was given to the National Capital by Chevalier Carlo Barsotti, editor of Il Progresso Italo-Americano, in behalf of the Italians of the United States in commemoration of the six hundredth anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri, and unveiled on December 1, 1921. It is in bronze, 12 feet high, and is the work of Commendatore Ettore Ximenes, sculptor, of Rome. The artist has represented Dante in the gown of a scholar and crowned with a laure

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GEN. U. S. GRANT MEMORIAL

GEN. U. S. GRANT MEMORIAL

The Grant Memorial, situated at the head of the Mall, in Union Square, near the Capitol, was authorized by Congress in 1901, at a cost of $250,000, the largest expenditure for statuary ever made by this Government. It is said to be the second largest equestrian statue in the world, being exceeded only by the Victor Emmanuel in Rome, which is less than one-half foot higher. The monument consists of a marble platform 252 feet in length and 69 feet at its greatest width, with steps on each side. In

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STATUE OF EDMUND BURKE

STATUE OF EDMUND BURKE

The statue of the eloquent defender of the rights of the American Colonies in the British Parliament is situated in a triangle at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Eleventh Street NW. It is a copy of the statue at Bristol, England, which city Burke represented in Parliament. It was designed by the late Havard Thomas, and is an excellent example of the work of one of the celebrated English sculptors of recent times. The statue was given by Sir Charles Cheers Wakefield, Bart., through t

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STATUE OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON

STATUE OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON

This statue in bronze, about 9 feet in height, is on the south steps of the Treasury Department Building. James E. Fraser is the sculptor. The pedestal is of pink Milford granite and was designed by Henry Bacon, architect. If Alexander Hamilton, who was the first Secretary of the Treasury, waited for more than a century to obtain representation in a capital in part located through his sagacity and for the building of the department his genius created, at least the result was well worth the delay

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QUOTATIONS FROM GREAT AMERICANS ON WASHINGTON, THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

QUOTATIONS FROM GREAT AMERICANS ON WASHINGTON, THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

“I most earnestly hope that in the National Capital a better beginning will be made than anywhere else; and that can be made only by utilizing to the fullest degree the thought and the disinterested efforts of the architects, the artists, the men of art, who stand foremost in their professions here in the United States and who ask no other reward save the reward of feeling that they have done their full part to make as beautiful as it should be the Capital City of the Great Republic.” Theodore R

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TRANSCRIPTIONS OF CHARTS AND MAPS

TRANSCRIPTIONS OF CHARTS AND MAPS

Page 14 : SKETCH OF WASHINGTON IN EMBRYO, Previous to its Survey by Major L’ENFANT. Compiled from the rare historical researches —of— D r . JOSEPH M. TONER, who by special favor has permitted the use of his labor and materials for the publication of a grand historical map of this District Compilers E.F.M. FAEHTZ &amp; F.W. PRATT. 1874. This sketch establishes the exact location of Hamburgh and Carrollsburg and approximated metes and bounds of every estate then embraced within the precincts g

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