“The grandeur of the Federal Triangle symbolizes the power and dignity of the United States of America.” - Marker, Federal Triangle, Cultural Tourism DC.
If showed a satellite view of the central part of Washington, DC, and asked to point out the first thing they notice, some folks might finger a cluster of ten buildings situated between Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenue. Spanning the distance of almost a mile between the Capitol and the White House, they stand out with their red-tiled roofs.
On the ground, you couldn’t ignore this set of buildings if you tried. Their imposing size form a distinct part of the central core of the nation’s capital. And yet, except maybe for a convention for architects, this is not a place visitors in Washington yearn to see.
We’re talking the Federal Triangle, a cluster of mostly Classical Revival government buildings put up in the late 1920s to mid 1930s (Two buildings were already there and one was added in 1990).
For the employees who work there, they know this place as where they earn their steady paychecks from Uncle Sam. For others, the Federal Triangle is just a set of canyon walls they hope to breeze through on their way to and from work.
Nevertheless, we noticed that Cultural Tourism DC, who has put together a dozen and a half heritage trails for the District, included the Federal Triangle in their program.
When I saw it listed, my initial thought was — ok, maybe I’ll check it out someday.
But then I realized I really don’t know much about this place, other than it's a set of bulky Federal buildings between the Mall and downtown. We have visited the National Archives a number of times, but like millions of others through the years, the Federal Triangle has merely been a place to pass by or get through.
Nevertheless, as I learned, the Federal Triangle has a fascinating history, one that can tell us something about the growth of Washington during the first half of the twentieth century. This was a pivotal time when this central part of the city began to turn the corner in terms of planning, appearance, and landscape.
Let’s take a look back. We'll roll this out in six parts.
Part One: L'Enfant's Vision to Olmsted's Terrace
I could discover no one so advantageous to Erect the Congressional building as is that on the west end of Jenkins heights which stand as a pedestal waiting for a monument... - Pierre L'Enfant to George Washington, June 22, 1791. Founders Online.
In a word cloud for the history of Washington, DC, Pierre Charles L'Enfant has a distinct place. Descriptions of him use the words -- French-American, military engineer, officer, soldier. Often left out, however, is the equally important, "artist."
As Kenneth Fletcher writes, today's Washington, DC owes much of its unique design to L'Enfant. The son of a painter, he "designed the city from scratch, envisioning a grand capital of wide avenues, public squares and inspiring buildings in what was then a district of hills, forests, marshes and plantations."
One can imagine L'Enfant standing on what we call Capitol Hill (then called Jenkins Hill) and looking westward. Perhaps still beaming from his appointment in 1791 by President Washington, he turns to his left and sees one edge of his canvass -- the Eastern Branch River (Anacostia). To his right stands a terrace of wooded hills. Ahead in the distance he sees the Potomac River and the Virginia part of the diamond shaped district. From Georgetown, a ferry road cuts a diagonal path across what will become the central part of the nation's capital.
On his parchment of paper, L’Enfant inked the words, "Congress House," on Jenkins Hill. In a letter to Washington, he had described the place as a "pedestal waiting for a monument."
About a mile to the northwest was his spot for the "President’s House." Founders Online tells us Washington had recommended the same general area, but on a ridge slightly to the west and closer to the banks of Tiber Creek.
L'Enfant also envisioned a grand boulevard connecting the two most important buildings in the young nation, as well as an avenue leading due west to the river. On a line due south of the President's House and in the middle of the avenue, L'Enfant wanted to see an equestrian memorial to George Washington.
Although no one knew it at the time, and for many years later, a triangle of large government buildings would rise up between the Capitol and the White House, and the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue. Collectively, they would solve a pressing need for the Federal workers and would become a landmark place that would portray a symbol of strength for the Federal government. Artistic embellishments, their architecture, and their massing would also make them a monument of sorts.
It’s difficult to say at what point what became the Federal Triangle was foreseen as something close to what we see today. What is certain is that momentum to try and capture some of L'Enfant's visions and intentions in this monumental core began in the latter part of the nineteenth century.
On the horizon in Washington stood its centennial as the capital. Quite the norm, politicians and civic leaders had their own ideas about how to best commemorate the milestone. Banquets, boosters and speeches would fill their desires.
Holding their own preferences, not only for the centennial commemoration, but for the future of the landscape of Washington, was a set of six men. Four were architects, one was a sculptor, and the other a Senator's aide. Well before , these too were six influential friends of architecture, art and progressive formal planning.
Only four became members of the famed McMillan Commission, but they all stood as one in their ideas about what was best for the planning needs of the nation's capital. Informed by their interpretations, right or wrong, of L'Enfant's vision; the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago; the City Beautiful Movement; and their own collective vision of what Washington should look like in the coming years, these six progressive professionals played key roles in laying the ground work for the remaking of the monumental core in the city. What we see there today owes something to them.
In some ways, this story began when Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), came to Washington in 1874. We know of his fame today, but maybe not the course of his life. He was a well-traveled man who had seen a landscape or two. After an upbringing in New England, his wanderlust took him to Europe, a tour of the South (wonderfully captured by the late author Tony Horowitz) and parts of California. His designs include Central Park, parks in other major cities, and a total of 500 commissions.
The Capitol Building in Washington had grown in size from its initial completion in 1800. L'Enfant's pedestal now looked too small. Commissioned by Congress, Olmsted went to work. His designs included a marble terrace for the west side. Perhaps we should call it the "Solemnly Swear Terrace," where every four years (weather permitting) the President-elect becomes the President.
Hard to say what L'Enfant would have thought of the city of Washington at that time, but we know Olmsted's thoughts. He wrote in a report the arrangement of federal buildings in Washington was “broken, confused and unsatisfactory.” He added, “What is wanting is a Federal bond.”
Tom Lewis (Washington: A History of our National City") tells us Olmsted wanted to extend his commission to the Mall. The lawmakers said no.
Nevertheless, the west side terrace he created can be seen as an overture to the L'Enfant remake.
In his book, "L'Enfant's Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington," Michael Bednar writes,
When completed, the west terrace anchored the magnificent structure to its hilltop site as predicted. It provided a wonderful promenade around the building and spectacular place from which to view the Mall and the surrounding city. During the first century of the Capitol the east facade was the front. After the completion of the west terrace, the west facade became the front, and the Mall became the Capitol’s front yard.
Essential in understating this story is knowing what this central part of Washington looked like as the centennial approached. It sounds crazy now, but looking westward from the Capitol, the first thing eyes cast upon was the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. Built in 1872 in the Victorian Gothic style, it stood at Sixth and B (later Constitution Avenue) where the National Gallery of Art stands now. The station certainly had some attractive architectural qualities, but to some observers, its long shed and the belching smoke of trains made it an eyesore and a blight. To some, the station was also a sad reminder of the summer day in 1881 when President James A. Garfield was shot (passed away in September).
Along the Mall, the 2,000 foot expanse looked little like today. Its western terminus was the Washington Monument where government fish ponds had seen better days. Trees were arranged in small groves. Some liked it that way, but that group of six men saw it as clutter and unfinished business in terms of the grand avenue L'Enfant had in mind.
In between Pennsylvania Avenue and the Mall stood the area that would become the Federal Triangle. Through the years, this part of Washington had earned scorn and ridicule. Its southern border had contained the sight of the filthy Washington Canal (filled in during the 1880s to create B Street, later Constitution Avenue).
Maps show part of this area as Division. It wasn't the only place in the city to be avoided, but this one had been dubbed, “Murder Bay."
Life for those living in the alleys was a day to day struggle. Anti-Saloon Leaguers no doubt shook their heads when walking past certain parts of the neighborhood. An article in The Washington Post (“Story of Murder Bay, 1888”), described it as a ”dreaded spot where for many years disorder and crime flourished.”
Despite all this, the city of Washington had come a long way since its "Empire of Mud." But there was still much work to do. We pick up the story in Part Two.
Part Two: The McMillan Men Rescue L'Enfant
Between the Spanish American War and World War I, the thrill of America's new international role in the world held the nation's capital in rapture. Visionaries gravitated to Washington and sought to make it the glorious equal to the great European capitals of the day. Remains of the period define Washington today--the monuments and great civic buildings on the Mall as well as the private mansions built on the avenues that now serve as embassies. -- William Seale, "The Imperial Season."
History has recorded the key role the McMillan Commission played in shaping the growth of Washington, and, in particular, the monumental core. Created in the spring of 1901, its official name was the Senate Park Commission. Its "McMillan Plan" was officially titled "Report of the Senate for Improvements in Washington DC." Author Jon A. Peterson calls it "the first comprehensive plan for an American city," as well as "a scheme so spectacular that it inspired many local beautification organizations to urge schemes of comparable boldness."
Senator (Michigan) James McMillan chaired the commission, and it's his name we remember. Rightfully so in many ways. Holding the power and position, McMillan collared the powerful chairmen in the marble halls, secured the needed funding, and wielded the high-level influence needed to implement the plan.
Forgotten are the key roles played by the group of six men discussed earlier. They all held strong beliefs about the resurrection of L'Enfant's plan and the need for formal planning in Washington. Art, history, the coming age of the City Beautiful Movement, and their classical training and experience informed their progressive ideas.
The group (minus Moore) had formed a bond in 1895 as members of the "Public Art League," an offshoot of the Washington Chapter of the AIA. The Public Art League saved what became the southern parts of Rock Creek Park. The Corps of Engineers had wanted to fill the land in to make a level plain between Georgetown and Washington.
Glenn Brown led the way for the architects. In his memoir, he discusses why such an organization was needed. Building designs coming out of the offices of the Treasury, the Quarter Master General's Office and the Engineer Corps left much to be desired, and selection of architects had been through friendships and mere competency.
As Lewis tells us, an alliance was formed with this group and McMillan in 1901. Charles Moore, McMillan's aide, had used the occasion of the AIA's national convention in Washington to bring them together. The AIA's headquarters was the Octagon House, a beacon still today of architecture and history, and the long time home of the AIA.
Let's take a look at these key players.
Charles Moore (1855-1942)
Moore earned his PhD in history at Columbian College (now GWU). He served as a close aide to Senator McMillan and became a founder and 30 year member of the influential Commission of Fine Arts in Washington. Moore authored a number of publications, including “Washington, Past and Present”, and “Wakefield, Birthplace of George Washington.” His journalistic skills and political savvy did the Commission many favors. Andrew Mellon is credit with the building of the Federal Triangle, but Moore's guiding hand was indispensable.
Daniel Burnham (1846-1912)
Commission Member
Played a major role in the creation of the City Beautiful Movement, Burnham earned his early architectural fame in Chicago. He served as Director of Works for the landmark 1893 Columbian Exposition in the Windy City and worked with McKim and Saint-Gaudens on the "White City" project. Burnham is credited with the quote, “Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir men’s blood…”
Burnham’s designs include the Flatiron Building in Manhattan and Union Station in Washington.
Charles McKim (1847-1909)
Commission Member
McKim was a proponent of the Beaux Arts Style and has been described as “one of the foremost American architects.” He attended Harvard and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His body of work includes restoration of the White House. Richard Guy Wilson (American Renaissance, tells us McKim took primary responsibility for the design of the Mall. He also had public speaking, supervisory and organizational skills that greatly aided the McMillan Commission.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907)
Commission Member
Adding star power to the team of architects was sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, whose resume included the Standing Lincoln and Seated Lincoln in Chicago, the unforgettable Memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, and the shrouded Adams Memorial in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington. Coin collectors cherish his works including his $20 Double Eagle gold piece.
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. (1870-1957)
Commission Member
Olmsted's son, Frederick Law Jr, was the youngest of the group. He would go on to become an original member of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission (1926 to 1932) and earn accolades for his designs. Law Jr’s philosophy of landscape had been nurtured by his father.
Olmsted, Jr. gave a pivotal speech to the AIA in 1900, titled, "Landscape in Connection with Public Buildings in Washington, DC. In it he said:
The purpose of the Mall was and ought to be to emphasize support and extend the effect of the Capitol as the dominant feature of the City and the most important building in the whole United States.
The National Park Service ("The Mall, National Mall & Memorial Parks") called his address, "one of the first attempts by an American designer to define the role of landscape architecture in the planning and improvements of cities."
Glenn Brown (1854-1932)
Alexandrians and some folks in North Carolina will be pleased to know our final key player was Glenn Brown. As such, we will spend more time on him.
It’s our observation that Brown is the one mentioned less in look backs at the McMillan Commission. For example, the esteemed Benjamin Forgey left him out in his terrific article, while mentioning the others (“How 1902’s City of Tomorrow Became the Capital of Today,” January 4, 1999, The Washington Post). The reason for this seems to be that Brown was not on the McMillan Commission.
There are three terrific sources for Brown, including his memoir, “Memories;” an absolute splendid primer titled, "Glen Brown, AIA, An Alexandria Architect's Monumental Vision" (Exhibition, Northern Virginia Chapter AIA) and William Brian Bushsong's bio, which was updated by North Carolina Architects and Builders.
Brown came into the world in Fauquier County in 1854. Warrenton, its seat, lies about 30 miles west of Alexandria. A year later, his father, Dr. Bedford Brown, moved the family to Rose Hill, North Carolina, a small coastal plain town 40 miles north of Wilmington.
Of the six McMillan men, Brown was the only one with a Southern accent. His grandfather was a planter and politician, his father a surgeon for the Confederates during the war.
The family packed up again in 1867 and headed back to Virginia. Dr. Brown set up a practice in Alexandria. The Brown family lived at 113-115 S. Fairfax Street (partially demolished in 1970). His father practiced medicine there.
In 1880, Brown established his architectural practice in Washington (lived at 607 Louisiana Avenue). In his memoir, he recalls feeling the need for a "more intimate relationship with my fellow architects." His designs in Washington include the Beale House on Massachusetts Avenue. In Winston Salem, he left his architectural mark in several places, and found time to help the North Carolina chapter of the AIA.
In 1891, Brown completed a Colonial Revival restoration of the interior of Christ Church. John Milner's, "The Restoration of Christ Church, Glenn Brown," details his work which included the entire interior and the pulpit.
An organizer at heart, Brown helped found the Washington chapter of the AIA. As its Executive Secretary, he planned the 1900 convention around the centennial. The theme was "The Grouping of Government Buildings, Landscape and Statuary."
Brown's book (“History of the United States Capitol”) caught the eye of Senator McMillan and Charles Moore, his assistant.
Moore would later write:
That book was the inspiration of the members of the so-called McMillan Commission of 1901. It led them to the realization of the potentialities and possibilities of the L’Enfant Plan. During the years of doubt, hesitation and uncertainty which followed the publication of the McMillan Commission plans, Glenn Brown organized the Committee of One Hundred, which kept steadily before the public both the merits of the new plans and the possibilities of accomplishing a conception which at the time seemed too fine, too superb, too ideal.
Kurt Helfrich ("Designing the Nation's Capital: The 1901 Plan for Washington, D.C.) also shined a light on Brown:
It was at the 1900 Washington convention that the Institute's secretary, Glenn Brown, had skillfully orchestrated a program of lectures and discussions that set the stage for appointment in 1901 of the Senate Park Commission by the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia. The recommendations of the Senate Park Commission formed the basis for planning and design changes to the Mall and its environs that continue to shape the monumental core of Washington today.
This group was on a mission. They read histories of Washington and prepared papers on landscape and civic art. They visited Annapolis and Williamsburg, and toured Europe to look for ideas and inspiration. The group's visit to Paris is detailed in "Paris on the Potomac." Their plan owes something to the designs of Andre Le Notre, including his famed beauties at Versailles, Tuileries, and Vaux le Victomte.
Back in the capital, they walked along the hills circling the city. In their book, "Designing the Nation's Capital: The 1901 Plan for Washington, DC," authors Sue A. Kohler and Pamela Scott provide the words of McKim who later wrote, "If half of what is talked about can be carried through, it will make the Capitol City one of the most beautiful centers in the world."
As mentioned, these six men also held a turning-point convention in Washington in 1900. The paper prepared by the Northern Virginia Chapter of the AIA (Glenn Brown, AIA: An Alexandria Architect's Monumental Vision) tells us Brown "organized a successful campaign to realize L'Enfant's original plans and revitalize the monumental core utilizing the principles of the classical style."
Armed and ready, the group's big moment arrived in January 1902. On the heels of the Senate receiving their report, McMillan and his team gathered at the Corcoran Gallery (then installed at Pennsylvania and 17th, today's Renwick Gallery). They laid out for public viewing a model for their plan for the Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue. They also displayed, “The Future Washington, Bird’s Eye View, Washington, DC" by Francis Hoppin.
As pointed out by the White House Historical Association, Hoppin's painting depicts the commission's proposed redesign of the city's future monumental core.
Once again, we must realize what this central part of Washington looked like at the time. The McMillan Plan more than doubled the size of the Mall, and extended it to the Potomac River. The Washington Monument had been its western edge, not the center as it is today.
Getting the first look was President Roosevelt and his entourage of Cabinet members. Across the span of three days, 25,000 or so poured into the gallery to view the model.
Pennsylvania Avenue was a key element in the plan. Brown had described it as a "hideous contrariety of buildings of all sorts - high and low - not one block with a symmetrical silhouette against the sky."
The McMillan Plan, although it failed to pass in the House, became a guiding light for planning in Washington. The Urban Planning website points out it:
Of all the major plans for American cities the Senate Park Commission design for Washington was by far the most successful if judged by the number of recommendations that have been carried out. It is not too much to say that the central part of Washington today is almost entirely the result of the plan published and exhibited in 1902.
None other than James Goode adds:
The McMillan Commission’s plan for the development of Washington inspired a civic beautification and national planning movement.
Not everything the commission recommended turned out as planned. For executive buildings, they recommended Lafayette Square, the area north of the White House. Perhaps the majority of us can agree it's a good thing that did not happen.
One part of the report was titled, "The Area South of Pennsylvania Avenue." It suggested it was a proper location for municipal buildings for the District.
The report also said:
"This individuality (the District buildings) would be still further enhanced by grouping within the same general area other buildings municipal or semi-municipal in character. The entire space should be occupied, transformed from its present unworthy conditions into a section having a distinct character and also being closely related to its environment."
It needs to be emphasized that while the McMillan plan looked to L'Enfant's plan, its proponents did not always follow it. Kirk Savage, ("Monument Wars: Washington, D.C., the National Mall, and the Transformation of the Memorial Landscape."), details this part of the story in what is perhaps the best such book on L'Enfant and the Mall.
Scott Berg echoes this saying, "The report may have honored L'Enfant, but it also sometimes by necessity and sometime by choice, ignored much of his plan.
"Where L'Enfant had envisioned the Mall as a national boulevard, the commission, perhaps a bit starstruck, recommended a duplication of the Tapis Vert at Versailles in the form of a greensward containing a shallow reflecting pool..."
He adds, however, that the core of L'Enfant's plan remains visible.
In 1902, Senator McMillan passed away. Eight years later, the Commission of Fine Arts picked up the ball. We tell its story in Part Three.
Part Three: Moore and the Role of the CFA
"Art as expression, not as market campaigns, will still capture our imagination." -- Neil Peart, Rush.
In 1902, Senator McMillan passed away. That same year, the plan with his name on it had died in the Senate. After they returned to their practices, Moore, Burnham, McKim and Olmsted came back to Washington to testify on behalf of a bill that kept any building 400 feet away from the Mall.
In her book, "A Quest for Grandeur," Sally Kress Tompkins picks up the story. Reunited with Moore, and galvanized once again, the group teamed up with the AIA and President Teddy Roosevelt, who supported the tenants of the McMillan Plan. They agreed about the need for a watchdog group in terms of future development along the Mall.
Senator (New York) Elihu Root, who had served as Roosevelt's Secretary of State and McKinley's Secretary of War, hammered out a bill that established the Commission of Fine Arts. President Taft inked it. The body's reach was limited, but all building plans in Washington needed their sign off signature.
For those who wanted to see the McMillan Plan succeed, they must have been pleased to see Burnham selected as the CFA's first chairman (1910-1912), and Moore and Olmsted Jr. sitting beside their trusted colleague and friend. Better yet for the group and progressive thinkers, Moore served as CFA Chairman from 1915 to 1937.
A good number of people were involved in what became the Federal Triangle, but more than anyone else, Moore guided the process along. During his tenure, the CFA scored a number of achievements in their pursuit of bringing about the major tenants of the McMillan plan. A big one was the Lincoln Memorial. Today its site seems perfectly situated. But in the late 1910s, that part of what became the Mall was reclaimed land known as the "Potomac Flats." The land holding the future memorials for Lincoln and Jefferson did not exist.
Mallhistory.org tells us contractors had moved 12 million cubic yards or material from the river to remove silt and deepen the ship channel. Senator Joseph Cannon, who seemed to oppose everything the CFA desired, stood firmly against the proposed site of a memorial for Lincoln.
Another CFA victory was the Memorial Bridge. The Army Corps of Engineers had proposed to make it an extension of New York Avenue. The CFA convinced Congress to build it as an extension of the Lincoln Memorial.
The Lincoln Memorial was christened in 1922. Two years earlier the Grant Memorial was unveiled at the foot of the Capitol. The new National Museum (National Museum of Natural History) had opened in 1901. The monumental core was beginning to take on some of its current look and feel.
After distinguished careers, Saint-Gaudens and McKim died in 1909. Their passing occurred in the same year that the remains of L'Enfant were reinterred from Digges Farm in Prince George's County, Maryland to Arlington Cemetery. Anyone standing in front of the Arlington House, which holds, arguably, the best view of Washington, can see L'Enfant's grave site, his eternal pedestal overlooking the monumental core.
Burnham passed away in 1912. Brown, who moved into the Corcoran Apartments (site is the State Department), would live to see some of the Federal Triangle built. Olmsted Jr., and especially Moore, continued to play influential roles.
Brown's memoir is an important resource for learning about some of the lesser known players. For example, he praises Cass Gilbert for his leadership as the president of the AIA. Gilbert's designs include the Woolworth Building in Manhattan, at the time, the world's tallest building, and the Supreme Court building. Like Brown and Moore, he worried a government-appointed Public Buildings Commission would not have the needed "vision, scholarship and training."
Meanwhile, the population in Washington swelled. The District is known for its rapid growth during the New Deal, World War II and afterwards. Forgotten is the leap in the 1910s and during World War I. In 1917 and 1918, temporary buildings sprouted up on the Mall. Lewis points out this was in effect, the largest office space on the world.
In the early 1920s, another government report indicated the need for more office space for Federal workers in the Executive Departments. A significant number of employees went to work in rented buildings or temporary structures. Some were unsanitary and awaited the wrecking ball. The Department of Commerce reported its workers were housed in seventeen separate buildings.
James Goode tallies the figures for us. There were 30,000 working for Uncle Sam in the city in 1916. Ten years later, the figure was 60,000.
The ingredients for what would become the Federal Triangle were now coming together. The growing Federal Government needed new, fire-proof and large buildings. Although the District Building and the Post Office had been built, the less-than-desirable area between Pennsylvania Avenue and B Street remained an easy sell to Congress as a place for new buildings.
As Tompkins points out, Moore and the CFA continued to press the case for a buildings program that would adhere to the McMillan plan. They wanted to see private architects, expert planners, and a systematic approach.
Throughout this time, the term Federal Triangle had not yet been coined but "the triangle" did emerge. An initial top priority was an Archives building. Lt. Colonel Clarence O. Sherrill, in charge of Public Buildings and Grounds, briefed on the need for fireproof structures, and ones big enough to carry out the business of the government. He also said the government had run out of space in Washington.
Just how much of a role Glenn Moore played in all this can be seen in some of the language used by Senators and officials in the build up to the passage of the Public Buildings Act of 1926.
Senator Smoot wrote,
"As one proceeds down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol, on the south side will be a succession of beautiful and harmonious buildings, all of a design in keeping with the semi-classical tradition so well established in Washington."
Senator William Bruce said,
"The amendment I have offered contemplates noting less than a return to the original plan designed by L'Enfant."
Herbert Hoover is known as the 31st President, serving (1929-1933) between Calvin Coolidge and FDR. Lost is his role in the building of the Federal Triangle. Hoover served as the Secretary of Commerce from 1921 to 1928 and supported Moore's ideas for public buildings and formal planning. Like Roosevelt, Taft, Harding and Coolidge before him, President Hoover supported the McMillan plan and its ideas.
Over on the Hill the lawmakers were making the sausage for the bill that would become the Public Buildings Act of 1926. Its whopping $50M price tag ($701M in today's dollars) included other buildings in Washington and across the country. It took two years to hammer out the details.
Finally, in 1926, the Public Buildings Act was passed. Some observers would later say it betrayed L'Enfant's vision, but Tompkins tells us Moore was pleased the new law "conformed to the 1901-1902 McMillan Plan." Senator William B. Bruce (Maryland) inserted an amendment that mandated new Federal buildings in Washington be located within the Triangle and south of Pennsylvania (Bruce found time to write "Benjamin Franklin, Self-Revealed," which won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1918).
Andrew Mellon is remembered as a wealthy banker and businessman with roots in the steel town of Pittsburgh, as well as an art collector, a philanthropist and Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932. In one of the greatest gifts to the nation, he donated his collection of art to the National Gallery of Art. Somewhat lost and forgotten is his leadership in the making of the Federal Triangle. We pick the story in the next installment.
Part Four
Mellon and the Architects
"The overall stylistic character of the buildings was to be an adaptation of the eighteenth century classic," but within this framework emerged a mixing of elements, heavy from Paris and Rome. The buildings would also meet the modern demands of office space and reflected a "civic center ideal." -- James Goode
Andrew Mellon is remembered as a wealthy banker and businessman with roots in the steel town of Pittsburgh, as well as an art collector, a philanthropist and Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932. In one of the greatest gifts to the nation, he donated his collection of art to the National Gallery of Art. Somewhat lost and forgotten is his leadership in the making of the Federal Triangle.
As mandated by the Act's legislation, Mellon took charge of the public buildings program in 1926. As his biographer, David Cannadine, points out, "it was rather ironic the self-proclaimed champion of small government and fiscal restraint was presiding with such zeal and interest over this unprecedented monument to administrative bureaucracy."
Mellon was the leader and Edward H. Bennett served as chair of the Board of Architectural Consultants. Moore was active as ever in his role with the CFA. Bennett had worked with Burnham as a planning assistant on plans for San Francisco and Chicago, and Mellon was obviously someone who appreciated the arts.
The Evening Star gave a lot of coverage to the story of the Federal Triangle. Their May 3, 1927 edition covered a series of conferences held in Washington to hash out some of the details. Bennett was acknowledged as a key speaker, as well as members of the CFA and the National Park and Planning Commission.
In December, a measure passed that paved the way to demolish most of the triangle area. A few months later real estate geeks got a bounty of coverage in the March 31, 1928 issue. "District Enters Great Era of Buildings Construction."
Frederick Gutheim and Antoinette Lee, authors of "Worthy of the Nation: Washington, DC, from L'Enfant to the National Capital" pick up the story. In 1929, a conference was held in Washington, with the title "The Development of the United States Capital." The authors write, "although the Federal Triangle was to be built of twentieth century building elements, steel frame with limestone facing, Bennett stated modern, blunt architecture was not acceptable for the Department Buildings."
Goode tells us the "overall stylistic character of the buildings was to be an adaptation of the eighteenth century classic," but within this framework emerged a mixing of elements, heavy from Paris and Rome. The buildings would also meet the modern demands of office space and reflected a "civic center ideal."
In 1929, the Treasury Department established a Board of Architectural Consultants. Bennett was officially in charge, but Moore had strong advisory status and inside influence. In fact, as Tompkins tells us, a rift developed between the two.
Mellon sided with Moore, who oversaw the selection of the architects. Gutheim and Lee tell us, "Had Bennett been given a free rein, he might have dictated a more uniform Roman style, less eclectic, and less Renaissance."
The Board of Architectural Consultants consisted of a Who's Who of American architects.
Louis Ayres (1874-1947), Commerce
Ayres served on the CFA and designed the Commerce Department. His other designs include the United States Memorial Chapel at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial
Milton Medary (1874-1929), Justice
Medary, favorite son of Philadelphia, was also a Moore man. Along with his partners, Zantzinger and Borie, he designed the Department of Justice.
John Russell Pope (1874-1937), National Archives
Pope turned out to be the most famous of these architects. His designs before the National Archives include the House of the Temple and Constitution Hall in Washington, Richmond's Union Station (now Science Museum), and the Baltimore Museum of Art. After the National Archives, he designed the National Gallery of Art and the Jefferson Memorial.
William A. Delano, (1874-1960) New Post Office
A beloved son of New York, Delano served on the National Commission of Fine Arts (1924-1928), the Board of Architectural Consultants (1927-1946), and the National Capital Park and Planning Commission (1929-1946). Along with Moore, he was a key advisor on the Federal Triangle project.
Arthur Brown (1874-1957), Labor, EPA/Departmental Auditorium (originally for ICC and Labor)
Brown's diplomas include Berkeley and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. With his partner G. Albert Lansburgh, his commissions include San Francisco City Hall and the War Memorial Opera House. For the Federal Triangle, Brown designed Labor, the ICC and the Mellon Auditorium.
Edward H. Bennett (1874-1954), Apex (Federal Trade Commission)
Born in Bristol, England, Bennett immigrated to San Francisco. He, too, studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts school in Paris. He worked with Burnham in Chicago, where the two sketched out a plan for San Francisco and Chicago. Mellon hired Bennett as the Chairman of the Board of Architects. He designed the Apex Building, the final one at the eastern tip.
Louis Simon, (1867-1958), IRS
Born in Baltimore, Simon served as the Chief Architect in the Office of the Supervising Architect from 1896 to 1914, followed by almost twenty years as Chief of Engineering and Drafting Division. In 1934, he was tabbed as Supervising Architect of the Treasury.
Goode tells us the architects based their designs on a variety of classical orders including the architecture of Rome, the Italian Renaissance, and eighteenth century France. More than 100 outdoor sculpted pediments, relief panels and bronze doors are a distinct part of the Federal Triangle. The Post Office Department, DOJ and the National Archives feature murals and sculptures inside.
Adding to our knowledge of what inspired the architects is "Paris on the Potomac: The French Influence on the Architecture and Art of Washington, D.C." In the chapter titled, "Interpreting the Influence of Paris on the Planning of Washington, DC, 1870-1930, Cynthia R. Field provides examples, including these two.
The distinctive ovoid form of the Place des Victoires was chosen for the Federal Triangle, an unmistakable reference to Paris.
The articulation of the facades framing the entrance to the Grand Plaza strongly recalls the buildings of the Place de Concorde.
In The Washington Post and the Evening Star, the term “Federal Triangle” began to catch on in 1929. That summer, President Hoover, flanked by a good number of Cabinet officials and members of Congress, laid the cornerstone for the first building, the new home of the Department of Commerce. The construction for the Federal Triangle was about to begin. We pick up the story in Part Five.
Part Five: Construction and Later Years
"Evening on the Mall. I walk on the grass, on axis. Flocks of swift starlings sweep toward the Federal Triangle and the city. Soon the lights will come on at the Capitol. I turn to look at the soaring Washington Monument and the back at the dome of the Capitol. Here is the Mall, surely tonight the most beautiful place man has yet made in America." - Elbert Peet. "Washington." 1937. On the Art of Designing Cities. Selected Essays.
In The Washington Post and the Evening Star, the term “Federal Triangle” began to catch on in 1929. That summer, President Hoover, flanked by a good number of Cabinet officials and members of Congress, laid the cornerstone for the first building, the new home of the Department of Commerce. His speech was broadcast by the National Broadcasting Company. It’s hard to know how many listened, but the number of stations in the US would leap from 30 in 1922 to 618 in 1930.
Politicians love bragging points and Hoover got in on the action. It had been said the Commerce Building would become the largest office structure in the world. The President described it as “the most important structure in the new program for better accommodation of our Government and the beautification of our National Capital.”
Basking in the glow, he added:
This is more than merely the making of a beautiful city. Washington is not only the Nation’s Capital, it is the symbol of America. Our Government in Washington has grown to a working force of nearly 70,000 employees.
The Post noted it would be of stone, five stories with a sixth back of the roof balustrade. Their report also noted the architecture of the rest of the buildings would follow that of the Commerce and IRS, referred to as “unified architectural composition.” Goode writes it was designed to house 25,000 civil servants.
We should remind here again that while the majority of the Federal Triangle buildings were built between 1929 and 1938, two were already there. The highest and oldest building is the Romanesque Post Office, built in 1898. The District Building went up in 1910.
The IRS was up next. One of the markers shows a photograph of the construction in 1929. One can see two diagonal streets. The one with the market buildings is Louisiana Avenue. The other, bottom left, is Ohio Avenue. They went away as part of the construction.
A Post report noted the construction workers and their families (25,000) would live and spend some of their paychecks in the District. Jobs included the executives, architects, draftsmen, foremen, stonemasons, bricklayers, structural steel workers, carpenters, laborers, cement workers, marble fitters, electricians, plumbers, and steamfitters.
In late October 1929, Wall Street shook like never before when the stock market crashed. $3B was wiped out in a frenzy of dumping. However, as a Cultural Tourism DC brochure explains, the economic blow did not slow things down at the Federal Triangle construction site.
On the other hand, veterans of World War I were effected by the Stock Crash. In the summer of 1932, some 40,000 of the "Bonus Marchers" demanded they be given their hard-earned and law-granted compensation. The majority set up a shanty town south of the Anacostia River, but some set up camps in the Federal Triangle area at Camp Glassford (modern day National Gallery of Art).
In his book, “Rhetorics Haunting the National Mall,” the authors tell us about an early plan for the Federal Triangle Heritage Trail. It proposed a historical marker that would touch on the story of the Bonus Army. The GSA decided against it. The authors write that the markers on and near the Mall “are addressed obliquely.”
Throughout the design process for the Federal Triangle buildings, Moore and the CFA continued their work. As the buildings went up, the remaking of the Mall took place. Tree lovers must have cried some bad tears when the elms went down by the National Botanical Garden. But the Victorian approach of the Mall was anathema to the need for the open space and vistas along the axis.
The Wescott Nursery of Fairfax County got the call to bring down the trees. Their bill to Uncle Sam showed 66 cut, and 25 moved or transplanted, including a huge magnolia. The NPS report says they were all evaluated, with 50 transplanted. Some of the elms had died from Dutch Elm Disease.
The re-make of the Mall was mostly finished by 1936. Anyone watching could also see the Federal Triangle nearing its completion, too. Following IRS and Commerce were the completion of the remaining buildings -- Department of Justice, Department of Labor, the Departmental (Mellon) Auditorium, the new Post Office, Archives, the Apex Building (Interstate Commerce Commission) and the Federal Trade Commission.
As noted by the nomination form, all the buildings, except for National Archives, are steel framed, dressed masonry, constructed of limestone, have red roof tiles and were constructed around large, open, interior courts.
The interiors are "generally divided into traditional office space with marble or terrazzo floors and plaster walls. Some of the spaces have rich decorative features such as rusticated walls, arches, classical columns and coffered ceilings. The Post Office and Department of Justice contain numerous murals."
Some of the courts became makeshift parking lots. The CFA was aware of the need for parking, but turned down garages over worries they would have been unsightly. Underground parking was discussed, but the price tag would have added to the already high cost of construction.
Of the six members of the group that had formed back in 1900, only Moore and Olmsted, Jr. were still around to see the completion of the Triangle. Moore, in particular, must have felt a sense of satisfaction. He had carried the McMillan flag for all those years.
Moore passed away in September, 1942. His obituary in The Evening Star pointed out he gave more than 50 years of his life to development and beautification of the National Capital. The Washington Post wrote, "he had a long and distinguished life the major part of which was devoted unstintingly to public service in Washington."
Of course, war was on the minds of Americans in 1942, having heard FDR utter the words that December 7, 1941, would be a day that would go down in infamy.
In the ensuing years, there were a number of changes that took place at the Federal Triangle. One was with the Department of Labor. Its employees moved out and the EPA moved in. For many years, where the Ronald Reagan Building stands today stood a large parking lot (Image from 1949 and used with permission from Historic Aerials).
In the 1960s, President Kennedy’s temporary Commission on Pennsylvania Avenue formed. They proposed the “Great Circle be completed.” But it would have demolished or partially demolished the Old Post Office. A marker at Pennsylvania and 12th discusses the Great Circle and the Great Plaza and shows their would-have-been location. In 1970, a group of citizens calling themselves "Don't Tear It Down," successfully campaigned against the call to demolish the building.
During the Bicentennial in 1976, thousands poured into the National Archives to see the original copy of the Declaration of Independence. During the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, some onlookers used parts of the Federal Triangle to gain a better view.
In the summer of 1977, the Federal Triangle Metro station opened with much fanfare. It currently serves the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines and has one of the more remarkable entrances. First time users approaching the entrance under the massive colonnade (12th Street) have probably wondered if they were in the right place.
In 1982, the GSA released an EIS report with a threefold purpose - to complete the Federal Triangle in a historically and architecturally appropriate manner, to increase the amount of office space and better relate the Triangle to key areas to its north and south.
The report said the eleven buildings housed about 18,000 employees in almost three million square feet of office space. It pointed out the Great Plaza had been intended to be a formal space. It had been used as a parking lot (1700-1800). Other spaces, building courtyards and underground garages were used for car pools, giving a total of 3,350 parking spaces. The Federal Triangle was "extremely well served by Washington's two mass transit modes, Metrorail and Metrobus. Surveys indicated 55% of the employees used transit. At that point, the Yellow and Green lines were yet to be opened.
In 1998, the Ronald Reagan Building/International Trade Center opened. This was the last open space and completed the Triangle. As a marker points out, the structure’s 3.1 million square feet of space make it the second-largest federal office building. Only the Pentagon is larger. Its massive curved shape resembles the hemicycle by the Metro entrance. The Woodrow Wilson Plaza features two works of art, both by Washington-born artists.
In 2013, the Commerce Building underwent a renovation. This brought an end to National Aquarium's long run there since 1932. Its collection included over 1.500 specimens and had been free to the public. The aquarium's fish and collections moved to the aquarium in Baltimore.
The Federal Triangle is used from time to time as a metaphor for the Federal Government. The opening credits for the HBO mini-series House of Cards include Pennsylvania Avenue showing the Department of Justice and the National Archives, individual shots of the Old Post Office Tower, the Ronald Reagan Building, Postal Service, and if you look real hard, the Mellon Fountain.
Artist Mike Osborne picks up on the more sinister side in his new book, “Federal Triangle.” The Lora Reynolds Gallery in Austin exhibited some of his black and white photos this summer. Reynolds recounts that he was inspired while living in Washington for several years. He writes that his project "depicts DC as a kind of bureaucratic Bermuda Triangle—an impenetrable place of mystery, danger, and disorientation."
In the sixth and final part, we will look at the significance and criticisms of the Federal Triangle, what was demolished, and close with our own observations.
Part Six: Significance, Criticisms, Demolished Buildings, and Observations
"The Federal Triangle is the most ambitious architectural undertaking in the history of the Washington, and represents the culmination of the City Beautiful Movement." -- Author G. Martin Moeller, Jr. ("AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, DC")
As far as the significance of the Federal Triangle, a good number of people have chimed in.
Catesby Leigh ("Why America Needs Classical Architecture," City Journal, Summer 2019) called it "the last great expression to date of the urban ideal that emerged at the Chicago fair."
The summary review for the book, "Sculpture and the Federal Triangle" writes it is, "the last major construction project for neoclassical architecture and for architectural sculpture in America," as well as "an important chapter in our cultural history."
The National Building Museum, writing of the CFA, point out: "The Commission’s guidance helped insure that this complex would provide a monumental yet varied architectural border for the northern edge of the Mall."
The NCPC tells us, "Several of the buildings contain significant cultural resources such as murals, sculptures, and interior architectural elements not found in any other building in the nation. For instance, the lobbies, hallways and library in the Department of Justice headquarters showcase over fifty murals painted by prominent American artists."
In her review of "A Quest for Grandeur: Charles Moore and the Federal Triangle," historian Susan Klaus describes it as "a unified composition of buildings, grounds, and public art."
Author G. Martin Moeller, Jr. ("AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, DC"), writes the Federal Triangle is "the most ambitious architectural undertaking in the history of the Washington, and represents the culmination of the City Beautiful Movement."
Of the paintings, murals and sculptures, Goode writes they constitute the most important collection of public art ever executed for any single building complex in the country. He adds the Federal Triangle remains one of the most important design and construction projects in the history of the country.
Criticisms of the Federal Triangle run the gamut (see Moeller, "AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, DC" for individual building critiques). Perhaps writing the most balanced, John H. Scarff ("Washington Triangle Reflects Government," March 15, 1936) said, “In spite of the general lack of interest, the entire group has the impressiveness of size, and shows most careful thought and workmanship.” On the other hand he added, “Although they escape the pomposity of the new Supreme Court, they are dull.” Ultimately leaving it up to the observer, he wrote, “These buildings are a mirror held upon us.”
In his Images of America book, "Pennsylvania Avenue," Christopher P. Cavas writes "much of that life began to be sucked out of the street with the erection of the Federal Triangle... full of federal workers by day but empty at night."
What the residents of Washington thought of the Federal Triangle and the remaking of the Mall is hard to say. Safe to say African Americans were saddened and frightened when the KKK had been allowed to march down Pennsylvania Avenue in 1926. On the other hand, pride swelled in 1939 when the glorious voice of Marion Anderson poured forth from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
In his terrific book, “Between Justice and Beauty: Race, Planning, and the Failure of Urban Policy in Washington, DC"), Howard Gillette Jr. adds an important perspective. He writes that Federal officials “achieved dramatic success in beautifying Washington, most particularly in carving out a distinctive federal enclave at the city’s core.” Sadly, however, they did not “adequately address issues such as housing.”
This leads to J.D. Dickey's poignant history of Washington, "Empire of Mud." He tell us about the "Red Summer" riots of 1919, where military servicemen attacked blacks in the streets. Health reports on the Division neighborhood showed the deleterious effects of infectious disease and poor housing conditions on African-Americans.
Dickey writes:
In the face of such unfair treatment, blacks had no recourse to the ballot box to demand change. They, like their white counterparts, couldn't vote in the capital or do anything to change the policies of those in power. This became most evident when, instead of improving the Division, the Federal Government decided to tear it down.
As far as what was demolished to make way for the Federal Triangle, there were a number of landmark places. In terms of size, architectural appeal and history, the greatest loss was City Market, replaced by the National Archives.
J.B. McDonnell (The Washington Post, “Ancient Landmarks Disappear in Plans of Greater Capital”) lamented the loss of Poli’s Theater, Hancock’s (Bar) Harvey’s Restaurant, Made’s Restaurant, the City Market, and the Southern Railway Building.
Paul Dickson (“On This Spot”) digs even further and mentions the Ford Opera House and a Burlesque Hall.
Goode ("Capitol Losses") includes the Southern Railway Building, Central Market, the Capital Bicycle Club, and Harvey’s Restaurant.
Dickey adds the Bijou and President theaters and Albaugh's Opera House.
Of all these, perhaps the most tears fell for Harvey’s. The Post’s obituary for it pointed out Lincoln and Grant had dined there, as well as politicians, statesmen, writers, artist and scientists. Brothers Thomas W. Harvey and George W. Harvey started it all in a “white-washed blacksmith shop.” Famous were there steamed oysters.
The Federal Triangle certainly renewed this part of Washington and brought jobs. It also brought traffic. In 1941, a Post piece (“Federal Triangle Blamed for Traffic Snarl”) said a city planning report “condemns the Federal Triangle as the greatest cause of traffic tie-ups and criticizes the crowding of Federal buildings into a small downtown area.” A Grand Plaza had been planned for, but the large space became a parking lot (now the Reagan Building).
Bennett had known parking was going to be a big problem, but was advised that parking garages would be unsightly and that some workers would take public transportation.
Observations
We took two different walks through the Federal Triangle to record these thoughts and observations. Let’s do this by starting with the eastern most tip of the triangle and working our way to 15th Street.
Andrew Mellon Memorial Fountain
The eastern end point of the Federal Triangle?
The answer sure seems to be the FTC building, which is the most eastward building at Sixth Street. It even has an apex shape. But the actual tip is one block over, where Penn and Constitution meet, a small spit of land that holds the Andrew Mellon Memorial Fountain.
Dedicated in 1952, the fountain lies across the street from the National Gallery of Art. As their website points out, Mellon donated his collection of art for the new museum (opened 1939) and gave funds for its construction.
Perhaps forgotten is Mellon's role in building the Federal Triangle and the Auditorium named after him in the middle of the Interstate Commerce Commission building.
Philip Kennicott ("One of DC's great fountains comes back to life") called this memorial one of Washington's treasures and "having a strong claim to being the most beautiful water feature in the city." Closed in 2008 for repairs, the fountain's cascading waters returned in 2016. Restoration gave the bronze a "rich, brownish luster."
Federal Trade Commission
Actually, this building, located east of the National Archives and east of busy Seventh Street, may not seem to be part of the Federal Triangle either. Moeller describes it as "the plainest structure of the complex." Nevertheless, its curved tip, the apex and capstone, hints at something special. The architecture is “stripped classicism.” Catching eyes is the sculpture “Man Controlling Trade,” designed by New Yorker Michael Lantz.
National Archives
Here we go again. To some, the National Archives may not seem to be part of the Federal Triangle. Its temple-like design and grassy apron is different from the rest.
More than one million people visit here each year or come to conduct research. Many an anniversary has drawn large crowds. Archives.org points out it wasn't until 1952 that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were transferred from the Library of Congress to the awe-inspiring Rotunda, joining the Bill of Rights.
A grand staircase faces Constitution and has been the scene of crowd gathering for parades and such. Author events are held here and crowds swell during certain events. One of the sculptures is Guardianship, symboled by a sword and lion and created by James Earle Fraser.
DOJ
Ok, so we are finally into the heart of the Federal Triangle, overwhelmed by the behemoths. Before my visit, I would not have known which building was which, save the Reagan building and Commerce. I also did not know the DOJ was the fourth established, after State, Treasury and War. From 1789 to 1870, it was known as the Office of Attorney General. The FBI was located here until they relocated across the street in 1975. 1930’s murals can be seen inside. The building was renamed in honor of RFK in 2001.
Old Post Office Building
Hard to believe, but this historic landmark, third tallest in the District and completed in 1899, was the target of demolition a number of times. In the late 1920s, its Romanesque Revival architecture was seen as out of place with the planned Beaux Arts/neoclassical style for the new Federal Triangle.
Later on it stood in the way of the plans for a wing of the IRS Building and the completion of the Great Circle.
In 1971, a group of people led by some heavyweight supporters and calling themselves — “Don’t Tear It Down” — protested plans for its demolition. This coalition led to the creation of the DC Preservation League, as well as the creation of the DC Historic Landmark and Historic District Preservation Act of 1978. According to one of the markers, this act is one of the nation’s stronger local preservation laws.
The Post Office Building became the Trump International Hotel in 2016. Public access to the tower is still available.
William Jefferson Clinton Building
If there is ever a book written on weird building shapes in Washington DC, this one, originally called the New Post Office Building, could be on the cover. I can't begin to describe its shape, other than to say from above it looks like some sort of steampunk keyhole design.
The nomination form does explain its shape, but it was written when this building was the New Post Office Department Building.
It is now the William Jefferson Clinton Building and holds the EPA. After the Post Office Department left in 1971, it housed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Congress named it the Ariel Rios Building in 1985. In the early 1990s, they moved it and EPA moved in. They also moved in to the ICC building and the DOL building. In 2013, the building was named for President Clinton. The Metro station is located here.
Benjamin Franklin Statue
The marker points out this statue originally faced The Washington Post building at Tenth and D Streets (FBI Building). It was donated by the paper's founder Stilson Hutchins, unveiled in 1889 and moved to this corner spot in 1982. Seems like an odd place for it.
EPA
One of the problems with the Federal Triangle is one of identity. Through the years, it’s quite obvious many have asked - what department is located here? Even long time residents don’t know.
From a walker’s perspective, it’s less of a problem, but challenging nevertheless. In the case of this building, it is two blocks long. So I was pleased to see a pair of interpretive markers for the EPA in the middle of the block. In this case, the small garden softens the blow of the visual impact projected by the building.
This building first held the Department of Labor. The first Secretary of Labor was Frances Perkins, the nation’s first woman cabinet member. EPA was a late comer, created in 1970.
IRS
As part of this look at the Federal Triangle, we should have tried to get inside one of the buildings. We did for Archives (no photos) and the Reagan Building (cavernous but not classical). We did find "Reagan's Mandate: Anecdotes from Inside Washington's Iron Triangle" by Barbara N. McLennan. She describes her interview experience.
The building contained a main lobby that was so ornate with marble, chandeliers and gilt paint that it could have housed an inaugural ball.
Mellon Auditorium
First known as the Departmental Auditorium and designed by San Francisco Beaux Arts architect Arthur Brown Jr., the Mellon Auditorium sits in the middle of the EPA building. One website calls its front "the most dramatic example of Greek Revival architecture in the Federal Triangle."
The building, used for concerts, balls and conferences, was named for him in 1987.
District Building
The District Building can be seen as a mirror for the District of Columbia. Renamed the John A. Wilson Building, it holds the offices of the Mayor, the City Council and other city departments.
In their essential history, “The Guide to Black Washington," Sandra Fitzpatrick and Maria R. Goodwin tell us it wasn't until 1973 that the Home Rule Act of 1973 was passed. District residents could finally vote on the Mayor and City Council but Congress retained veto power and budget control.
District pride was felt in 1974 when Walter E. Washington became one of the first black mayor's in a major city in the US.
The neon "DC Tax Money" sign outside the building looks cheesy, but oh how important it is to remind folks that District residents have "Taxation Without Representation."
The Boss Shepard Statue is also here, which I would agree seems incongruous. But Shepard deserves credit for leading the effort to improve the look of the city after the Civil War.
Reagan Building
Some architectural critics shake their head at this one. I have to agree with Leigh who writes the building is a "meretricious (I confess I had to look up that word) rendition of the classical forms that define the Triangle." I also agree the courtyard is a travesty of the originally envisioned Great Plaza.
Having said that, there is appeal with the public access. The International Trade Center is located here, as well as some modern public art and "Moynihan Place." The marker here points out this is the only FT building to house both private and government offices.
Commerce Building
It would not surprise us if the employees working here are the most fit. This massive building extends three blocks long from Constitution (previously B) to E Street. Five football fields could fit on the footprint.
This building was one of the first constructed (1926-1932) for what became known as the Federal Triangle, and was the largest governmental building in the country when opened, as well as the largest office building in the world.
A series of artistic pieces adorn the side facing 15th Street and represent the agencies the Commerce Department took in - Census Bureau (established in 1790), Bureau of Navigation (1789), Lighthouse Service (1789), Patent Office (1802), Coast and Geodetic Survey (1807), and Bureaus for Steamboat Inspection (1838), Fisheries (1871), Mines, Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Aeronautics, and the Radio Division.
Conclusion
This was a very rewarding look at a part of Washington that most folks don’t make as a destination.
We are grateful to the folks who put together the trail markers and the document on line. We can't help but be concerned, however, about the great paradox that Charles Moore's name is nowhere to be found. Fingers crossed for a forthcoming remedy, perhaps for the 125th anniversary of the McMillan Plan.
We enjoyed seeing the interpretive panel for the EPA, but it is the only one of its kind. More panels like it would break up the long walk and inform passers by.
In closing, it should be noted that the National Children’s Museum is scheduled to open in November with its entrance near Penn and 14th. Hoping you won’t mind, we can’t help but say that reminds us of the French artist who envisioned something grand for the new capital city. Thank goodness, too, for that group of six McMillan men.
Sources
Alexandria Gazette
Washington Post
Washington Evening Star
Markers, Federal Triangle, Cultural Tourism DC.
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Brown, Glenn. Memories.
Craig, Lois. The Federal Presence.
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Fitzpatrick, Sandra Fitzpatrick and Maria R. Goodwin. The Guide to Black Washington.
Gillette, Jr. Howard. Between Justice and Beauty: Race, Planning, and the Failure of Urban
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Goode, James, Capital Views.
Gutheim, Frederick and Antoinette J. Lee. Worthy of the Nation: Washington, DC, from L'Enfant to the National Capital Planning Commission
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