Evening Star Newspaper, January 12, 1930, Page 79

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JANUAR 12 1930. — State, War, Navy BY MYRTA ETHEL CAWOOD. vy HE grand old State, War and Navy Building is celebrating its fifty-fifth anniversary by housing the Executive Offices of the President cf the United States. The marble hall of the second floor of this aristocratic cld edifice is now the most dis- tinguished thoroughfare in Washington. On the east are Precident Hoover’s temporary of- fices: on the west are the rooms of the Secre- tary of War—Patrick J. Hurley—and Gen. John J. Pershing on the south we find the Secretary ot State, Henry T. Stimson. When the President was driven from his offices by the fire on Christmas eve it seemed the most natural thing in the world to turn to his White House neighbor for shelter. The State, War and Navy Building has long pro- vided heat, light and ice for the White House, but never before has it sheltered the Chief Executive. The most convenient, and suitable quarters for the President seemed to be the room built for, and until the World War, occu- pied by, the Secretary of the Navy, and since then occupied by Gen. John J. Pershing, who is in charge of the Battle Monuments Commis- sion. So the g2neral surrendered this sumptu- cus suite to his Commander-in-chief. The outside entrance is only a few yards from the charred walls of the White House office. THE long, beautiful room which the President now occupies has an open fireplace at each end, but it has recently been partitioned into two rooms. The parquetry floor and the highly ornamented ceiling are entirely in keeping with the spirit of the architectural exterior of the building. When Gen. Pershing occupied the room it contained his private library, and an oil painting of each of the American gen- erals—Washington, Sherman, Grant, Sheridan and Pershing. It contained also many scuve- nirs and gifts of honor bestowed upon the dis- tinguished World War general. One of Gen. Pershing’s young admirers was allowed to peep into this room. He said: “Gee, its just like fairyland, filled with medals and books, pic- tures of generals and great men, and a base ball autcgraphed by Babe Ruth.” Just 55 years ago the State Department moved into the south wing of the State, War and Navy Building—13 years before it was com- pleted. Hamilton Fish, who was at that time the Secretary of State, moved his office equip- ment and his clerks from the old orphan asylum into their permanent home on July 1, 1875. Mr. Fish took great pride in the fact that he was the very first person to move in this amazing building, which was at that time the largest office building in the world. It is said that he was greatly excited over the event. Among the articles which he brought with him from his old quarters was a marble clock, called the “old clock on the stairs.” He personally carried this lovely old clock to the new building and hung it in the hall in front of his new office room. This curious old marble clock still hangs in that exact spot. It is still ticking away and keeping perfect time for the present Secretary. The histcry of the State, War and Navy Building reminds one of Topsy—it “grew.” It grew in sections, or wings. The south wing was built first. It was started June 21, 1871, and completed July 1, 1875. The Secretary of State was in charge of construction until May 3, 1875. On this date the work was turned over to the Secretary of War. who remained in charge until the entire edifice was completed. The east wing was started Jjuly 14, 1872, and completed seven years later. On April 16, 1879, the War and Navy Departments moved into the east wing. The Navy occupied the southern half and the War the northern half. Then on May 22, 1879, the old War Depart- ment House was demolished and on that spot work was begun on the north wing. This sec- tion of the building was completed in about three years. Then the War Department moved into its own wing on December 23, 1882, The west and center wings were the last to be constructed. They were erected simultane- ously on the site of the old Navy Department Building. The work on these wings started March 31, 1883, and was completed January 31, 1883, approximately 17 year: after the building was commenced. But' for a long time after that each wing was separated by a solid wall. At length, however, the obstructing par- titions were knocked out and the grand old structure became as it appears today—a uni- ficd whole, The architect was Alfred B, Mullett, the supervising architect of the Treasury Building. He was a Government employe and received only a stipulated salary for designing these two buildirgs. It is said that the vast amount of detail and work on the State, War and Navy Building so harassed and worried Mr. Mullett that his life was shortened. It was originally planned to make this a sister building to the Treasury. But in the end only the interior conformed to the original plans, and the ex- terior, under the influence of the French re- naissance, became a compisite of all the differ- ent types of architecture known to man. But with all its gingerbready idicsyncrasies the old building is dearly beloved by those who know it best. As an engineer once put it; “She’s plumb, and she’s square, and, boys, she’s purty.” "HE State, War and Navy Building was con- structed with the idea that it would house for all time the three great executive depart- ments for which it was named. Built, as it was, during the longest period of peace the United States has ever known—between the Civil War and the War with Spain—it seemed for a score of years that this might be true. But less than 30 years after the structure was Building’s Fifty-Fifth = == nniversary General Pershing’s office in the State, War and Navy Building, now being used as a temporary office by President Hoover. Old Home of the State Department, Which Has Long Furnished Heat, Light and Ice to the White House and Several Other Government Buildings, Now Houses the Temporary Executive Offices for President of the United States. completed the world was hurled into the Great War. After the declaration of hostilities by the United States the building became pitifully inadequate. The entire Navy Department moved out, and the War Department scattered all over Washington. Only the State Depart- ment remained intact in the building. It is an interesting fact that Congress doled out its appropriations at the rate of little more than $500,000 2 year over a period of 17 years to build an edifice that would forever solve the housing problem of these three departments at a tctal cost of $10,124,500. Then during the World War appropriations were hastily made for numerous temporary war structures that could last only a few years. Fifteen such build- ings were erected for the War and Navy De- partments at the approximate cost of $20,000,000, Entrance of the office of the Secretary of War, in the State, War and Navy Building. . or twice the cost of the State, War and Navy Building. The State, War and Navy Building is ssid to be the only house in the World whcse entire exterior is made of granite. Its walls, columns and all outside stonework are of this lovely hand-hewn gray stone. The granite of all the front walls above the basement story cams from the Green Quarry on the right bank of the James River, about 7 miles above Rich- mond, Va. All the exterior walls and stone- work came from Maine, This granite edifice covers a rectangular plot of ground 342 feet wide and 565 feet long. The two courtyards and the surrounding pave- ments cover two acres of ground. The entire ground space is almost 6 acres and the floor space is' more than 10 acres. It has seven stories, counting the basement and sub-base- ment. Each of the four outer wings is sur- mounted by a pavilion, which flies the Stars and Stripes. The flag pole on the south pa- vilion has been struck by lightning four times. On the east pavilion is a steel time- ball, which is raised just before noon on a 21- foot pole. At exactly 12 o'clock the ball drops. It is regulated by an electrical connection with the Naval Observatory. This ball has beem in operation since the east wing was completed, and even to this day it is an object of great interest to visitors. The foundations, which are made of Ameriean natural hydraulic cement, are firm and solid. The outer walls are almost 4 feet thick, and the Virginia granite is backed up with brick masonry. The roof, trimmings and chimneys are entirely of iron. The roof covering is of copper. This copper roof, which covers an area of one-third of an acre, requires the constans care of one workman to keep the copper tight. In the year 1898, 66 leaks were patched and soldered. The mansards are slated on irom purlins and filled between the beams with con- crete and brick. All the door and window frames, trimmings and baseboards are of cas§ iron. At the time the building was designed it wa@ customary to have large windows. Mr. Mullett, however, thought it was much better to have many small windows, which would distribute the light rays more evenly over the clerks’ desks. So he put in 1,572 small windows, While the majority of the windows are of the same size, each floor has its distinctive outer design. The masonry above the windows of the first floor have the appearance of a gabled roof, those of the sccond floor are arched, and the third ficor windows are topped with horizontal slabs. Admiral G. W. Baird, who was super- intendent of the building during the gay nine= ties, was very proud of these windows. He ine sisted that all window shades be of the same color, and each day at the close of the office, these shades must be placed at exactly half- height to insure uniformity of outward appear- ance. This ruling is still enforced. TH.I: condition of the interior of the building is a good indication of the solidity of the structure. There has never been a crack in the walls, nor any sagging nor warping any place. Floors made of brick arching on iron beams and leveled with concrete cannot sag, and neither can sound creep through them. All the woodwork in the building is in the window sashes, doors and the floor covering of .C(mtr'nued on Seventh Page