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WASHINGTON 
 THE NATION^S CAPITAL 
 
WASHINGTON 
 
 THE NATION'S CAPITAL 
 
 rWENTT-FIVE DRAWINGS 
 BY 
 
 HERBERT PULLINGER 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 BRENTANO^S 
 
 PUBLISHERS 
 

 COPYRIGHT, 192 I, BY 
 HERBERT PULLINGER 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 THE PLIMPTON PRESS 
 NORWOOD-MASS-U'S'A 
 
 APRiG'Z 
 
 0)CI,A6i4216 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 I. The Union Station. 
 
 II. The Treasury Building. 
 
 III. North on Fifteenth Street. 
 
 IV. The American Red Cross Building. 
 V. The Monument. 
 
 VI. The Capitol from the Southwest. 
 
 VII. The Avenue. 
 
 VIII. Across Lafayette Square. 
 
 IX. The White House — South Front. 
 
 X. The West Front of the Capitol. 
 
 XI. The Patent Office. 
 
 XII. The Pan American Union Building. 
 
 XIII. Mount Vernon. 
 
 XIV. Night. 
 
 XV. The Lincoln Memorial. 
 
 XVI. The North Wing of the Capitol. 
 
 XVII. The Old and the New. 
 
 XVIII. The Scottish Rite Temple. 
 
 XIX. The Capitol from the East. 
 
 XX. Christ Church — Alexandria^ Va. 
 
 XXI. The Heart of the City. 
 
 XXII. Hotels. 
 
 XXIII. The Library of Congress. 
 
 XXIV. Fifteenth Street and New York Avenue. 
 XXV. The Capitol at Night. 
 
WASHINGTON 
 THE NATION^S CAPITAL 
 
I 
 
 THE UNION STATION 
 
 THIS great terminus, ample in portion and 
 dignity, with its beautiful facade, the largeness 
 of its approach with its great bronze flagstaffs standing 
 guard and all sweeping gracefully into the wide tree- 
 lined avenue, with the dome of the Capitol dominating 
 the distance, gives the visitor not only a feeling of 
 generous welcome, but that feeling of pleasure one 
 usually experiences upon seeing a thing function 
 properly. 
 
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II 
 
 THE TREASURY BUILDING 
 
 PERHAPS one gets the best view of the Treasury- 
 Building from the south on the edge of the 
 Mall, where the great sweep of the wide roadway, 
 flanked on either side with wonderful trees, for which 
 Washington is famous, leads one gracefully toward it. 
 On the west are the White House grounds, while on 
 the east one gets a glimpse of the taller buildings of 
 the city. Architecturally it is an imposing building, 
 with its great flight of broad steps, leading up to the 
 columned portico. 
 
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 NORTH ON FIFTEENTH STREET 
 
 ONE never thinks of Washington as a city of 
 skyscrapers, and indeed it is not, but here and 
 there groups of tall buildings may be found which 
 give it an aspect much like any other American city, 
 except that always a certain feeling of calm dignity 
 pervades the atmosphere. Perhaps it is the wide,, 
 unobstructed streets, always lined with well-kept, 
 healthy trees or perhaps it is just Washington. 
 
 Along about five o'clock in the evening the great 
 government buildings pour forth a stream of humanity, 
 a sober, well-dressed kind of a crowd, a crowd which 
 doesn't seem to act like any other crowd on its way 
 home. Perhaps this, too, is just Washington. 
 
 1:143 
 
IV 
 THE AMERICAN RED CROSS BUILDING 
 
 ERECTED as a Memorial to the Heroic Women 
 of the American Civil War, the Red Cross Build- 
 ing is one of the group of handsome buildings flanking 
 the western side of the Mall, and which is, perhaps, 
 the most notable group in the Capitol, the unity of 
 which goes far toward a unified design for the whole 
 city. Its gleaming white front, seen through the trees, 
 is indeed a shining memorial to the patriotism of the 
 nation's womanhood. 
 
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THE MONUMENT 
 
 ALWAYS one sees the great Monument looming 
 majestically sk)rward as if to proclaim to the 
 world the simple dignity and lofty principles of him 
 for whom it stands, — in the early morning a golden 
 shaft rising out of the misty earth ; in the evening more 
 like a flaming sword raised by the hand of justice. 
 The slanting rain drives furiously past its huge bulk 
 standing so solidly. I have never seen it in the snow, 
 but can easily imagine it towering into the mysterious 
 and whirling white. One feels no great effort in its 
 creation: it just seems to have grown there, easily 
 and naturally, like a great rock, and one gets the im- 
 pression of its always having been there. 
 
 At night it looms dark and foreboding against the 
 sky. 
 
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VI 
 
 THE CAPITOL FROM THE SOUTHWEST 
 
 IT was originally intended, I think, that the Western 
 Front of the Capitol should be the Main Front, 
 but things worked out the other way. The Eastern 
 Front is fine and dignified, but the Western Front, 
 while equally fine, is perhaps a little less dignified. 
 The great sweep of the steps leading up to the terraces 
 and fountains and thence up to the main platform, 
 the gentle slope of the well-cropped lawns, the trees 
 and shrubbery, and the squirrels all go to make it a 
 little more intimate. One stands a bit in awe of the 
 Main Front, but not so from the west. 
 
 C20] 
 
VII 
 THE AVENUE 
 
 LOOKING down Pennsylvania Avenue from the 
 White House grounds at Sixteenth Street, across 
 the steps of the Treasury Building, the scene sparkles 
 and vibrates with activity. The broad expanse of 
 street teems with scurrying motors, moving cars and 
 little black spots of people hustling to and fro. The 
 great dome of the Capitol in the distance seems to be 
 the end of things and one has a feeling that here, 
 between the White House and the Capitol, is indeed 
 the Hub of the Nation. It is here, too, that the great 
 inaugural parades march while great throngs of on- 
 lookers pack the short distance. 
 
 1:223 
 
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VIII 
 ACROSS LAFAYETTE SQUARE 
 
 LOOMING over the tops of the beautiful trees of 
 Lafayette Square, opposite the White House, 
 one gets a gUmpse of the tall buildings to the north. 
 The old square, with its statues of Jackson, Lafayette, 
 Rochambeau and others, is dear to the hearts of Wash- 
 ingtonians and teems with historical associations. 
 
 Grouped around the square are many interesting 
 old buildings. The diminutive St. John's Church, 
 where many of the Presidents of the United States 
 have worshipped, nestles under the lee of the newer 
 tall buildings. The Cosmos Club, formerly the home 
 of Dolly Madison, and numerous other buildings of 
 historic interest surround this lovely old square. 
 
 The view across the square seems to embody a 
 great deal of that which is Washington, perhaps dig- 
 nity and breadth. 
 
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IX 
 THE WHITE HOUSE — SOUTH FRONT 
 
 PERHAPS there is nothing in Washington quite 
 so lovely as the South Front of the Executive 
 Mansion, especially with the sun on it in the late 
 afternoon. Originally planned as the Main Front it 
 stands out brilliantly against its beautiful setting of 
 varied greens. Sheep graze peacefully on its well- 
 cropped lawns. 
 
 The White House was the first building erected 
 by the United States at the new Capitol, its site 
 being selected and its corner-stone having been laid 
 by Washington himself. 
 
 It is a beautiful example of Georgian architecture 
 and was first occupied in 1800 by John Adams. It is 
 on the gentle slopes below the portico of the South 
 front, amid the dignified setting of old trees, that the 
 thousands of children gather on Easter Monday for 
 the traditional egg rolling. 
 
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X 
 
 THE WEST FRONT OF THE CAPITOL 
 
 UP the long inclined walk and rising by low steps 
 and easy stages one approaches the Capitol 
 from the West through a leafy archway of trees. 
 Very friendly little gray squirrels scamper to and fro 
 across the path and along the coping. The wide steps 
 leading up to the terrace stretch away into the green. 
 The sun, glistening through the trees on the white 
 front of the building, likens it to some fairy castle with 
 little black figures forever climbing. One hastens to 
 see what is in store for one. 
 
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XI 
 THE PATENT OFFICE 
 
 TUCKED away down in a busy old section of the 
 town is located what Washington knows as 
 the Patent Office, though it really is the Interior De- 
 partment, of which the Patent Office is one of its many 
 branches. 
 
 The fine old portico, with its Doric Columns, can be 
 seen from Pennsylvania Avenue at what seems to be 
 the northern end of one of the streets near the Capitol, 
 and suggests something interesting, but few climb the 
 hill to inspect it. 
 
 It is here that the great inventions, for which the 
 United States are famous, are recorded. Seen at night, 
 with the lights shining on the row of great pillars, 
 clustered about the entrance, it is picturesque indeed. 
 
 n3o] 
 

XII 
 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION 
 
 THE Pan American Union Building is one of 
 the most beautiful buildings in the Capitol. 
 Designed by Albert Kelsey and Paul Cret, it is a 
 wonderful example of simplicity and dignity. 
 
 Flanking the monumental bronze doors is, to the 
 north, the sculptured group representing North 
 America, by Gutzon Borglum, and to the south, the 
 group representing South America, by Isidore Konti. 
 
 The interior is beautiful indeed; the patio, in the 
 centre of which is a fountain by Gertrude Vanderbilt 
 Whitney, is filled with plants and flora and birds from 
 tropical America. Its roof of glass is thrown open in 
 summer. It is here that the representatives of the 
 twenty-one Republics, which constitute such a large 
 part of the Western Hemisphere, meet to transact 
 their affairs. 
 
 C32D 
 
XIII 
 MOUNT VERNON 
 
 THE spell of Mt. Vernon comes first, perhaps, 
 from its wonderful location high on the banks 
 of the Potomac, with that beautiful river spreading 
 out below. Then again, the simplicity of the place, 
 the orderly and efficient arrangement of the building 
 and the quiet dignity which permeates the atmosphere, 
 all affects one. One is not particularly attracted by 
 the architecture, but the impressive thing is a certain 
 feeling of Washington himself, as though the spirit 
 of the great man pervaded the place — one feels this 
 great presence everywhere. 
 
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XIV 
 NIGHT 
 
 NIGHT in the city to many of us usually means 
 the glare of many electric signs and the hustle 
 of many people, and an oppressive feeling overhead, 
 with never a thought of trees. Night in Washington, 
 however, is a little different. Here the street lights are 
 low and not too bright, and one gets a clear view of the 
 tops of the trees against the sky and a feeling of great 
 space. 
 
 Washington streets have the effect of not being 
 too well lighted, due to their width, but one does feel, 
 however, that one is at least out in the night. 
 
 There are, however, numerous places here where 
 the bright lights shine and one forgets the night. 
 
 1:363 
 
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XV 
 THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL 
 
 DESIGNED by Henry Bacon, the Lincoln Memo- 
 rial, overlooking the Potomac River, is situated 
 at the western end of the great parkway which runs 
 past the White House and stretches eastward to the 
 Capitol with the Washington Monument near the 
 centre, and it is a part of the great central scheme of 
 design for the city. 
 
 Inside are three large halls separated by tall columns, 
 the central one being open to the out of doors. In 
 the Central Hall, with his back to the river, sits the 
 huge sculptured figure of Lincoln, by Daniel Chester 
 French, looking, as it were, past the monument towards 
 the Capitol. 
 
 On the walls of the two smaller halls are the stun- 
 ning murals by Jules Guerin and beneath these cut 
 in the walls is the great emancipator's second inaugural 
 address and his Gettysburg speech. The Lincoln 
 Memorial is indeed an inspiring monument to the 
 great martyred President. 
 
 1:383 
 
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XVI 
 
 THE NORTH WING OF THE CAPITOL 
 
 FROM the terrace below, the north wing of the 
 Capitol, especially toward evening, takes on the 
 look of some Classic Greek Temple, its marked outline 
 standing out against the sky. The wings were added 
 to the building somewhat later, they having been 
 finished along about 1867, and are now occupied by 
 the Congress, the Senate sitting in the northern wing. 
 
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XVII 
 THE OLD AND THE NEW 
 
 HERE and there in this wonderful city one 
 finds, as in other cities, old houses nestling 
 close to the more modern tall ones. Quaint iron- 
 balconied places with high brick walls enclose charm- 
 ing old gardens. The difference, however, between 
 these and those of other cities is that here they seem 
 to have been treated more kindly. Perhaps someone 
 of importance in the history of the country may once 
 have lived here or perhaps some distinguished foreigners 
 may have lived here temporarily. One has a feeling 
 that many carriages must have stopped here. 
 
 These old places seem strangely to belong to the 
 town, so carefully they seem to be interwoven, and so 
 well, with the more modern buildings which surround 
 them. 
 
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XVIII 
 THE SCOTTISH RITE TEMPLE 
 
 DESIGNED by John Alvin Pope, the Scottish 
 Rite Temple is said to have ' been modelled 
 after the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, located on the 
 shores of Asia Minor, and which was considered by 
 the ancients to be one of the seven wonders of the 
 world. This beautiful building is the home of the 
 Southern jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite of America. 
 
 1:443 
 
XIX 
 THE CAPITOL FROM THE EAST 
 
 THE guards will tell you that it took so many 
 years to build and that it cost so much 
 money. They will tell you the number of cubic yards 
 of stone and marble used in its construction, the weight 
 of the dome and numerous other important things: 
 but what is all this? — The fact remains, and it does 
 mean something, that one comes back to the East 
 Front again and again with satisfaction, that its dignity 
 is inspiring and that the great building seems symboli- 
 cal of the nation's strength. 
 
 It is something, too, to know that Washington 
 himself laid the corner-stone and that out here before 
 the East Front, surrounded by a representative as- 
 semblage of the Government, the people and repre- 
 sentatives of the other Governments of the Earth, 
 many of the Nation's Presidents have taken the 
 solemn oath of their office. 
 
 It is something, too, just to stand and look at it, 
 something more than listening to the guard. 
 
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XX 
 
 CHRIST CHURCH — ALEXANDRIA, VA. 
 
 IN the sunny little town of Alexandria, not far 
 from Washington, and surrounded by a quiet 
 burial ground and big shade trees, stands the old 
 historic Christ Church. 
 
 Broa-; " ^ streets, lined with quaint old colonial 
 houses lie around it and a tranquil air pervades the 
 place. 
 
 The Church is said to have been finished about 
 
 1773. 
 
 George Washington bought one of the first ten 
 pews offered for sale, and number Five is still known 
 as the Washington Pew. Many other prominent 
 names are said to have been connected with the Church. 
 
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XXI 
 THE HEART OF THE CITY 
 
 TO the visitor the aspect of Washington is more 
 Hke that of a foreign city than an American 
 one, despite the fact that here and there one does 
 get a gHmpse of a few tall buildings clustered together 
 in a businesslike way. 
 
 One is impressed with the breadth of its streets, all 
 so beautifully lined with various species of well-cared- 
 for trees. It is odd, indeed, to walk along these streets 
 of a windy night late in the Fall and have literally 
 to wade through fallen and whirling leaves. 
 
 Nor is there a forest of ugly poles and wires and 
 glaring electric lights to obstruct one's view of the 
 sky, and the absence of bill boards is astonishing. 
 Short slender iron posts crowned by a single ground 
 glass globe containing a mellow light run for miles 
 along the Avenues. Everywhere the streets open 
 vistas; everywhere there seems to be breadth and 
 dignity; a wonderful setting for the low massive 
 buildings. 
 
 Rightly the Nation's Capitol should set the pace 
 and truly Washington is a city to be proud of. 
 
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XXII 
 HOTELS 
 
 IN the early days of Washington most of the popular 
 hotels were located along the Avenue, down near 
 the Capitol and the Railway Station. These great 
 unlovely places, many of them still standing, were 
 the centre of the life of the Capitol. Here many 
 representatives of the Government and other promi- 
 nent people stayed. 
 
 Perhaps the old Arlington, on Lafayette Square, 
 now torn down, was the most famous. It was here 
 that King George of England and many other notable 
 visitors were entertained. To-day, however, many 
 beautiful modern hostelries are to be found all over 
 the town. 
 
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XXIII 
 THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 TO the stranger, the Congressional Library is 
 perhaps the most interesting building in Wash- 
 ington, and one of the first to be visited. Its beautiful 
 facade, in the Italian Renaissance, the bronze fountain 
 and doors give but little hint of the wealth of color 
 and beauty inside. The marbles and tilings, the 
 paintings, sculpture and carvings, and that riot of 
 color contrasted against the cool marble, amply re- 
 pay the visitor. Here some of the best names in 
 American Art are to be found. And not only is the 
 physical interior interesting, but its wonderful col- 
 lection of books and prints. 
 
 It is here that the publisher, author and the artist 
 must send examples of their work to be copyrighted, 
 which fact in itself would insure for the library a 
 wonderful collection of American works. 
 
 1:543 
 

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XXIV 
 
 FIFTEENTH STREET AND NEW YORK 
 AVENUE 
 
 HERE is perhaps the busiest corner in Washing- 
 ton. All day long the people pass to and fro, 
 machines slip quietly by and the trolley cars seem 
 to be forever turning, but never with that degree of 
 hurry which characterizes other American cities Al- 
 ways the wide streets and low massive buildings, 
 the trees and the sky, and always that feeling of 
 repose, of quiet dignity and good breeding. 
 
 There being no industry here the immigrant is not 
 attracted, thus the people seem to be more distinctly 
 American. 
 
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XXV 
 
 THE CAPITOL AT NIGHT 
 
 AGAINST the lighter sky the huge dome looms 
 mysteriously in the night, its dark mass seem- 
 ing to signify the strength of its foundations — this 
 great nation's capitol building. 
 
 Now, at the turning of a switch, the great dome is 
 flooded with a warm, mellow light, its architectural 
 detail standing out prominently against the black 
 sky, — one laughs aloud at the joy of it. 
 
 The people on the plaza below become dwarfed 
 into mere black spots against the brilliant spectacle. 
 In fact, one feels a bit insignificant otherwise before 
 this wondrous column of towering light. 
 
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