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F a rm 10-300 UNIT ED ST ATES DE PA R T ME N T O F TH E INTERIOR 5TATE :

(Rev. 6 -72) NATIONAL PARK S E RVI C E

COUN TY : NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY- NOMINATION F OR M FO R NPS USE O NLY ENTRY DATE

(Type a ll entries complete applicable sec t ions) ·-

p. NAME C OM 'A ON: /

Feder al Triangl e AND I OR HISTORIC :

( n t he Pennsy l vania Avenue Nationa l Histor ic Sit e) j2. LOCATION (For exact boundary s ee "Descr ij2tion" under Number 7 )

1 sT REET A Nn NUM BER: Formed by t he intersection of Penn sylvania Avenue and Con-stitut i on Avenue & 15th St., N. W. CIT Y OR T O WN: coN-:>!'< E ~ siO N A L DIST RI CT : Congre ssman Washing t on -!alter E~ Fauntrov _D_ e.G_

STAT E I CODE C O UNT Y : I CODE District of Columbia 111 Dis t rict of Colyml:!ia I oo1

j3. CLASSI FI C ATION

CATEGORY STATUS

ACCE SSI B LE OW NERSHIP

T O T H E PU B LI C ( C he c k One)

tKJ Dist r i c t 0 Build in g ~ Public Publi c A c q u isiti o n: ~ Occu p ie d Ye s:

0 Si te 0 Str uc t u re 0 P rivate O In Proce ss • 0 Unoc cup ied ~ Reslric !e d

0 Ob jecl O Both 0 Being C ons ide re d 0 Pre ser vat i on w or k O Unres t ri c ted

in pr og res s 0 No

·P R E~~-~ T u~ E (Ch t" c k On e o r f.! o r e a s Approp rifft e)

0 Agr icul!ura l [19 Gove- r nmen t 0 Po rk 0 Tr a n s por tat ion 0 C ommenls

0 Commercial 0 Ind u str ial 0 P r i va te Re si d e n ce 0 01he r ( Specify)

0 Ed ucati onal 0 Mi litary 0 Reli gious

0 Entert a in me nt 0 Mu s e um 0 Sci ent i fic

14. OWN E R OF PROPERT Y OV.NER'S NAME: "' -i

» United State s of Amer i ca and Dis tric t of Col umb i a -i 1'1 ST REET AND N U M B ER :

C IT Y O R TO WN : STAT E: . I r::oo F

l ~. LOCATIO N OF LEGAL DE SCRiP TI ON

COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS. ETC: n 0

Recorder of Deeds c z -i ST .REET A N D NUM BER : -<

6th and D Streets_._ N__._H_._ C l T V OR TOW N : S TA TE CODE

Wa shing t on District o f Columb ia 11 '

l6. R_E PR_fSfN T ATIQ N IN EXIST lNG SU RVEYs

"' TI TLE OF SUR \I EY:Proposed District of Columbia Additions t o the Nat i onal Reg i s - z -i ter o f His toric Pr OQ_ert i e~ r ecomi!_)en_de cl_by____tb__e__.l_Qinl:_Comrn i ttee on L;;_nclmArk s l :.1 --n -< 0

OAT£ OF SURVEY : ~la r ch 7, 1968 [i;l Federal 0 Stal e 0 C o un ly lJ L o ca l z ;o

c z DEPOSITO RY FOR 5Uf<VEY RECORDS: ~ -u Ill "' National Capi t a l Planning Commission "' c ll "' S Tf.I:E:ET A ND NUM BER : m

0 132 5 G Stree t , N. \{ • z "T C OD~ r

C ITY O R TOWN : STATE: 1--t- -<

lnis trir r n f Columb i a 11 0

ifashing ton , -i

I "'

.. DESCRIPTION ( C h., c l< One)

IXJ Excellenl 0 Goad 0 Fa i r 0 Deteriorated 0 Ruins 0 Unexposed

CONDITION

I (Check One)

[] Moved ~ Original Sile

(Che c k One)

0 Altered Q9 Unollered

D ES CRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (If known) PHYSICAL A P P E ARANCE

The Federal Triangle is a 75 acre complex of government office buildings located in dmmtmm Washing ton bet:'\.;reen the Hhite House and the Capitol. The buildings fo rm an almost perfect right angle triangle,except for the northwestern tip at Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street and the southeastern tip at Pennsy lvania and Cons titution Avenues,which are filled by small , triangular landscaped parks. The western l eg of the Triangle, formed by 15th Street, is about 1,500 feet long ; the base of the Triangle, formed by Constitution Avenue, is more than three-quarters of a mi le long (abou t 47100 f eet); and the Triangle's hypotenu s e, formed by Pennsylvania Avenue, extends fo r more than three-quarters of a mile (about 4,400 feet) . The block long s ize and ornate Neo-Classical design of the se buildings provide a monumental fac ade for Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues , as well as the Ellipse, which is west of 15th Street.

General Des cription of the Mellon Board Buildings

Excep t for the Old Post Of fice and the District Building, the Neo-Classical complex was constructed between 1928 and 1938 unde r a plan provided .by the Treasury Department under Secretary of the Treasury Me llon, with the assis­tance of a board of architectural consultants. The individual buildings were designed by dif fe rent architectural firms; however, partners in each of the firms were members of the architectural consu l tant board. Consequently, t he building designs were integrated to form a cohesive whole.

Excep t f or the National Archives, all of the buildings are constructed around Jarge , open, interior court s , some of whi ch ar e land s caped and othemwhich are used as service are as. The weste rn hal f of the compl ex is built around a grand plaza and a partially built circular plaza . ~.;roof the city's north­s outh streets and almost all of its east-.vest streets are interrupted at the Tri angle' s periphery, thus he i ghtening the complex 's cloistered and massive

jcharacter .

I The Triangle buil dings are set back f rom the street and simply landscaped. Excep t for the National Archives, the buil dings sit paral lel to the streets upon wh ich they f ront. Th ey are s tee l framed, dressed masonry buildings, c ons truct ed of limestone (sometimes with a gr anite base), and have mansard,

Ired tile roofs. The buildings have a uniform cornice line of between 125 and 130 fee t, which, combined with their block long l eng ths and geometrically

jregular shapes, cause them to appear lm.;rer than their seven- story height.

lr he buildings ' designs are furth e r unified by a usual three part division-­la t••o- story base, a four- s tory central portion , and a top story set back behind a balustrade. I n mo s t of the buildings the s ixth floor is hidden by a f r ieze, and only has windm.;s facing an inner court.

The most striking and unifying element in the building s ' de s i gns is the re peated use of colossal order colonnad es and porticos . Thes e colunms,which s tretch acros s the ••hole central section of the buildings , rise from the ·h ird thr ough the fi f th stories . Th ey complement the enormous scale of the ndividual buildings and t he over a ll Triangle proj ect. Additional visual

(Continued on Form 10-JOOa)

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Fo-;.,. 10-300o Uuly 1969)

(N1.11r1b•r •II •ntrl••)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY· HOMINATIOt_. FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

7. Description - Federal Triangle

STATE

COUNTY

FOR NPS USE ONLY I:N TRY N U ... 8 E R -,..--0-A_T_E---il

I

interest is provided by sculptured pediments, friezes with bas-reliefs and decorative sculpture.

The interiors of the Triangle buildings are generally divided into traditional office space with marble or terrazzo floors and plaster walls. However, some of the spaces, especially in the entrance and lobby areas, have rich decorative features such as rusti cated wall9, arches, classical columns and coffered ceilings. The Post Office and Just ice Departments contain numerous murals depicting the history of the United States in relation to the work of their department s . The National Aquar ium is located in the basement of the Conunerce Department. The Aquarium usually displays over 2,000 specimens which are con­tained in 67 aquariums ranging from 20 to 2,500 gallons.

The most significant of the Triangle display areas is the Exhibition Hall at the Const i tution Avenue entrance of the Nati onal Archives. The room has a 75 foot high coffered, half-domed ceiling and two walls murals by Barry Faulkner depicting the submission of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitu­tion. Air conditioned, bronze exhibition cases contain the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other documents relating to the founding the United States.

Commerce Department Building . The bu ilding housing the Department of Commerce is the larges t of the Triangle buildings. It is a rectangular shaped structur~ wh ich measures about 320 feet (east-west) by 1 , 020 feet (north-south) , and forms almost the entire west side of the Triangle from Constitution Avenue to E Street bebveen 14th and 15th Streets. The bu i lding has a rus ticated, granite bas e; a Dori c colonnade on three side~ nnd f our, tetrastyle, Doric , pedimented porticos on its west side. The building was designed by the architectural fi rm of York and Sawyer and \va s compl eted in 1932.

The Gr and Plaza and the District Building . East of the central section of the Commerce Department (across 14th Street) is a large open area about 600 feet (north -s outh ) by 750 feet (east- west) . It was intended as the Triangle's Grand Pl aza, but is now used a s a parking lot. The large, circul ar, Oscar Straus Memorial Fountain on it s western border is a forl orn r eminder of t his s quare 's orig inal purpose. The \ves t end of the north side of t he Grand Plaza is bordered by the District Building , whose frontage extends along E Street f r om 14th to 13-1 / 2 Stree ts. TI1is National Re gi s ter landmark was designed by Cope and Ste"'ardson and erec ted in 1904-08. It s Ne o-Classical Beaux Arts de­sign and smaller scale distinguish i t f rom the other, less ornate , Triangle buildings, and the Mellon Board pl ans propose d its removal. The eas t end of the north s ide of t he Grand Plaza is bordered by a vacant s pac e , which i s now us ed as a parking lot. This lot was f orme rly t he site of the Coas t Guard building \vhich was demolished several years ago .

The southern s ide of the Grand Plaza (between 12th and 14th Streets) is fo rmed by a single arch itectu ral group wh ich hou s es the Labor Department, a massive

(Con tinu ed on Form 10-300a, page 2 )

. Form 10-300• (Jwly 1969)

Page 2 (Number •II •nltle•)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

I.,.VEHTORY · HOMIHATIOH FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

7. Description (continued) -Federal Triangle

STAT£

COUNTY

FOR NPS USE ONL;r-y---~ ENTRY NUMBER I OATE I

T

government auditorium, and the Interstate Commerce Commission. This building group, which measures about 930 feet (east-west) by 240 feet (north-south), appears to be a single 5 part edifice from its principal frontage on Constitu­tion Avenue. The hexastyle, Doric, pedimented portico of the Auditorium provides the central accent on the Constitution Avenue facade, and it is flanked on the east and west by short hyphens and the rectangular shaped Interstate Commerce Commission and the Department of Labor, which have smaller, tetrastyle, Doric, pedimented corner pavilions. These three buildings, de­signed by Arthur Brown, were completed in 1935.

Post Office Department Building. The Post Office Department, which forms the eastern side of the Grand Plaza and the western side of the Great Circle, is a tri-unit bui l ding, located between 12th and 13th Streets. It was designed by the firm of De lano and Aldrich and completed in 1934. The central section is comprised of two huge, back to back, semi-circul ar units which are tangent to each other at the center. These units are located within the interior of the Triangle and front neither on Constitution Avenue nor on Pennsyl~nia Avenue. The t h ird unit , trapezoid in shape, is attached to the north end of the semi­circular unit s , and fronts on Pennsylvania Avenue• (The Post Office Department is bordered on the south by the Interstate Commerce Commission Building . )

The ~vestern facade of the building 1 s main section is a semi-circular Doric colonnade with corner, pedimented tetrastyle pavilions. The east facade is designed with a central pedimented portico with four pairs of Ionic columns, corner Ionic pavilions and a sidewalk arcade.

1ne Grea t Circle and the Old Post Office Building . The semi-circular units of the Pos t Office Department are pierced at the center by three monumental arches ~hich lead through an arcade to the Grand Plaza to the west, and a half com­pleted circul ar plaza (now used as a parking area) to the east. The circular !Plaza, knmm as the Great Circle, has not been completed due to the presence of th e Old Post Off ice on the proposed circle's northeastern side . The Old Post

effic e , nmv a separately listed National Register landmark, wa s des igned in the ffice of the Supervis ing Architect of the Treasury, W.J. Edbrooke, and was ompleted in 1899. The building 's Romanesque Revival design, 315' high tower,

~nd aged gray color provide a dramatic break in the Neo-Classical design, and ~sua l 129 foot h e i gh t and buff color of tlte other Triangle buildings.

Int er na l Revenue Service Bui l ding . South of the Old Post Office and Interstate Comme rce Commission Buil ding between l Oth and 12th Street s is the Internal ~evenue Building . The main section of the building , completed in 1930, is bu il t around four interior court s , and is almost square shaped, meas uring about ~50 feet (east-west ) by 395 feet (north-south) . Its main facade on Constitu­tion Avenue has a Doric col onnade and three bronze entranceways wh ich are flanked by scul ptured urns. This section's northwes t corner is curved, as it .; as to form part of the eastern side of t he Great Circle . In 1935 an L-shaped ving whi ch front s on Pennsylvania Avenue between lO th and 11th Streets was

(continued on For m 10- 3003 , page 3) -.. ."" ...

Form 10-300a (July 1969)

Page No. 3 (Numb., •II enlri••J

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVIC E

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

7. Description (continued) - Federal Triangle

STATE

COUNTY

FOR NPS USE ONL::.,Y.:._ __ --1 lEN TRY NUMBER I OA TE I

r

added. Both the main section and wing were designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury, Louis Simon.

Justice Department Building . East of the Department of Internal Revenue is the trapezoid-sh aped h eadquarters of the Department of Justice, which takes up the ~hole square bounded by Consti t ution Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, lOth Street, and 9th Street. The building , designed by the architectural firm of Zantzinger ,! Borie and Hedary, was completed in 1934. The building's design is marked by three-st ory high Ionic colonnades and corner pavilions, and the innovative use of aluminum, rather than bronze, for the central entrance doors on Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues. The central section of . the building is constructed around the largest of the Triangle buildings' interior courts, which is adorned with a large aluminum fountain bowl on a terraced platform.

National Archives Building. The most singular and dramatic of the Triangle buildings is the National Archives. 1~e building is the sole occupant of the square to the east of the Justice Department, but,instead of covering the ~hole area, it has a considerable setback from Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, thus heightening its monumental effect.

The building, which measures about 330 feet (east-west) by 206 feet (north­south), was designed by John Russel Pope and built in two stages. Between 1931 and 1935 the colonnaded, rectangular shaped outer core was construc t ed. Between 1935 and 1937 the Archives' interior court was filled with an extension •hose flat roof rises to a height of 168 fe e t, 76 feet above the building's cornice line.

~e building is distinguished from the other Neo-Classical structures by its somewhat greater height of 168 feet, i t s greater setback and cross axis position to 8th Street (which g ive s it a more freestanding appearance), and its temple like quality. Its Roman t emple appearance is a result of its deep Corinthian portico on the Constitution Avenue side which is approached by a ~onumental fli ght of steps, and 53 foot h igh Corinthian colonnades which pro­ject from each of its exterior wall s and hid e the building's windows. Con s e­quently, the Archives' exterior has a cloistered look, and an even horizontal rhythm resulting from the alternating col onnades and plain wall surfaces.

[ederal Tr ade Commission Bui lding . At th e apex of the Triangle is the Federa l Trade Con~ission Building ,the smalle s t of the Triangle buildings proposed by the ~~llon Board. Bordered by Pennsylvani a and Cons titution Avenues and 6th ~nd 7th Street s , this triangular- sh aped bu i ld ing measures about 200 feet (nor th - s outh ) by 315 feet (e ast-wes t ) by 345 fe et (nor th\vest- s outhv7est). Th e ~ain focu s of the building is at the apex for med by the mee ting of Pennsyl van ia ~nd Constitution Avenues at 6th Street. At this po in t a semi-circular coloss a l

(Continued on Form 10-300a , p~ge 4)

• • ·- •f'-c r:Ja._.Q_ _ ~ 1 ..1 l, ? 4 .... r-... - ..... "T!'·~

Fo"" 10-300o Uuly 1969)

Page No. 4 (Number all enlrlee)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

HATIOHAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC P LACES

INVENTORY· HOMIHATIOH FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

7. Description (continued) - Federal Triangle

STAT£

COUNTY

FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY N UM 8 E R .. ,--0-A_T_E---il

T

Ionic colonnade extends from the th ird through the fifth stories. The building is approached from the apex by a low, granite stairway which leads to a raised plat form adorned with heroic sculptured figures, symbolizing Man Controlling Trade. These fi gures were sculptured in limes tone by Michael Lantz . The pla tform extends around the eastern end of the building to the main entrances on Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues . All four of the building's entrance doors (two on both the Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenue sides) are made of aluminum and decorated with panels illustrating the development of trade and communication.

Federal Triangle boundary: Beg inning at the northeast corner of the inter­section of Constitution Avenue and 15th Street, N.W.; then proceeding northerly along the east side of 15th Street, N.W., to the southeast corner of the intersection of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue , N.W.; then proceeding southeasterly al ong the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., to its intersection with the north side of Constitution Avenue , N.W.; then proceeding easterly a long the north side of Constitution Avenue, N.W., to the point of beginn ing .

GP 0 921·7 24

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fB. SIGNIFICANCE

PER I OD (Check One or Moro tHJ Appropr l•t e)

0 Pre -Col umbia n : 0 16th Cen tu ry

0 15th Centu ry 0 17th Century

0 18th Cen t ury

Z"J 19 th C en t ury

SPECIFIC OATE I S I ( I f .A pp l /c 101>/e t!lnd Known) 1891. 1904 , 1928 -1 938 AR EAS. OF S IG N IFICA NCE ( Check On e o r Mor e 4 6 Appropri•te )

Aboriginal 0 Education gg Political . 0 P rehis tori c 0 Engineering 0 Rel igion/ P hi .

0 H i s tori c 0 Ind ust ry los oph y

0 Ag r iculture 0 Invention 0 S c ie nce

ag Architecture 0 La n ds cope 0 Scu lpture

0 Ar t A rchi tecture Cl Soci a 1/ Humon·

0 Commerce 0 lite ra ture itorion

0 C ommunica tions 0 Mili ta ry 0 T heate r

0 Conserv a ti on 0 Music 0 Transporta tion

~ 20th Ce n tury

[&J Urban P lanni ng

0 Othe r ( Specify)

S T ATEM ENT OF SIGNI FI C ANCE l ~e Joint Commi ttee on Landmarks has designated the Federal Triangle a Cate -~ory I I Landmark of importance which contributes significantly to the cu l - I tur a l her it age and visual beauty of the District of Co l umb i a.

e fi r st of the Triangle build ings, the Romanes que-Revival Old Post Office, as const ruc te d in 1891 -1899 , foll owed by the Neo- Cl assical Beaux Arts istrict Bui l ding i n . l 904 -1 908 . However the bulk of t h e area' s bui ld i ngs nd its overall design were developed between 1928 and 1938 under the di­ection of a consultant boar d of arch itects to Secr e t ary of t he Treasury ndr ew Mellon , popul arly known as the Mellon Board. Des igned by the leading , r ch itects of t he period , the Mel lon Board' s handsome Neo- Cl as s ical ensemble I onsist s of n ine enormous fede r a l build ings constructed around a series of I

~utdoor plazas and inner courts. It is this count ry's most imposing exampl e f the monumental civic center concept, a planning ideal in the early decades· f the t tventieth century . The Triangle's massiveness symbol i zes the t remen­ous growth of the Federal government in this century.

~e Federa l Triangle has a rich urban design heritage . I nspired by the ~agnif icence of the Chicago \-l orld~ Fair of 18 93 , cities t h roughout the

1 ountry hired consultant planners to de s i gn local civic centers. These c i vi c enter plans usual ly consisted of a grand open plaza around which were lo- I

F-ated various government and institutional building s des i gned in t he Neo- I ~lass ical style wi tl1 uniform cornice lines. The monumen t al ity and unity of hese proposed building schemes gr ea tly i mpressed turn of t he century I ~ericans who were accustomed to t he irregularity of Victorian arch itectu r e pnd small scale builders . These civic center pl ans symbol i zed t he nineteenth! entury grm.,r th of these cities f rom fr ontier outposts to i ndustrial and com- I

jnercia l centers, prepared to challenge t he s upremacy of Europe. Such pro­ec t s were a l so often vie\ved as a means o f eliminati11g deter iorated c orrnner ­

.i al and tenement areas.

~he scale of most of the se pl ans , hmvever , fa r exceeded the financi al re­s ource s or needs of the aspiring cit ies, and c onstruction was usual l y ~ imited t o a new ci ty hall and pl aza . In Hashington, however, grand p l ans 1

orresponded to t he cri tical need fo r more government office s pace . Federal 1

~mployment in the Distric t increased from 28,044 in 1901 to 64,722 in 1926 , I s t he governmen t shed it s narrm.; n ineteen th cen t ury role and undertook , ajor respons ib i li ties in domes t ic affair s with the initiation of a feder al J'

ncome tax and the establi shment of various r egulatory agencies and nume rous ndustry supportive programs. The Federal Triang le re f l e cted the ma jor, new I

(Continued on Form 10- JOOa, page 5) '

Fcrrm 10-JOOa (July 1969)

Page 5 (Number all antrl••)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY · NOMINATION FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

B. Significance - Federal Triangle

STATil

COUNTY

FOR NPS USE ONL=,Yr----~ ENTRY NUMBER I OATE I

T

role that the national government was assuming in the twentieth century. It was a part of a massive government building program in the 192Q's and 1930's which also included the construction of the Library of Congress Annex, a second House Office Building, and the Supreme Court.

The earliest proposal for concentrating federal buildings in the Triangle . area ~ordered by Pennsylvania Avenue , Constitution Avenue, and 15th Stree~was made in 1896 by William Aiken, Supervising Architect to the Secretary of the Trea­sury. At this time the building now known as the Old Post Office, the fir s t of the Triangle bu i ldings,was being constructed at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue under the direction of the Treasury Department.

Six years later, the McMillan Commission recommended that the Triangle area be­come the center for the adminis trative and service functions of the District of Columbia and that the existing sprawling and unsightly animal and produce mar­kets in the area be r eplaced by a new, more concentrat ed series of market buildings. The classical revival government buildings which the Commission proposed are similar in overall design to the buildings which were eventually constructed.

In 1908, the District Building, designed by Cope and Stewardson, was completed on the south side of E Street between 13-1/2 and 14th Streets. In 1910 the government purchased the land at the western end of the present day Triangle between 14th and 15th Streets , f or the site of three n ew executive departmen t buildings--Justice, Commerce and Labor, and State. Construction of these buildings , hmvever, was not undertaken.

The great potential f or the Triangle area as a center for government buildings was aga in stressed i n a 1917 report by a subcommittee of the Public Buildings Commission on t he need for per manent office space for government functions. The subcommi tt e e r ecommended the purchase of the nongovernment owned land in the Triangle, and the location of a ne\v market and government buildings in the area, as_an alternative to the growing practice of renting office space. In a letter included in the subcommittee report, the Commission of Fine Arts em­phasized the i mpor tance of thi s project a s a means of revitalizing the deterio­rating older dmvntmvn area, in opposition to the government's growing tendency to locate their offices west of 17th Street.

No further progress was made on the Triangle project until a new Public Build­ings Ac t was passed in 1926. The law gave Secretary of the Treasury Mellon the responsibility for constructing ne\v federal office buildings, and limited the purchase of District land for this purpose to the area south of Pennsylvania Avenue and west of Haryland Avenue , except for the sites for the Supreme Court and the extension of the Government Printing Office .

~ plan for the Federal Triangle was prepared by the Treasury Department in the ~arne year. The Depar t ment \vas assisted by Ed\vard H. Bennett, a former a s s ociatE

(Con tinu ed on Form 10- JOOa, pa~e 6) -- .. -. .,-•--. _ __,_ . :-: :_. :-: ~: .. . .. "• :· : · ::

F-orm 10-300o (July 1969)

Page 6 (Number oil •nlrl••)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

IHVEHTORY · HOMIHATIOH FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

B. Significance - Federal Triangle

STATII:

COUNTY

FOR NPS USE ONL::,Y.:_ ___ -l ENTRY NUMBER I DATE I

I

of Daniel Burnham, the major fi gure in the planning of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, the McNillan Commission Plan of 1902, and numerous other turn of the century civic plans. Although Congressional authorization was limited to only a few buildings, the plan covered the entire Triangle area, so as to a llm1 for orderly developmen t in the future. As was the case with the McMillan Plan, classical revival architecture was envisioned for the area, but the 1926 plan differed greatly from the 1902 proposal. The Triangle was given over tot ally to government office space without any provision for a new market. The Eighth Street vista was i gnored, and a build ing intruded upon the southern half of Market Square. Another building blocked the line of Indiana Avenue south of the Square, and, instead of extending outward to the city's streets, the 1926 plan was inwardly oriented around a large 1 -shaped central plaza between 13th Street and 14th Street.

In 1927 a six-man advisory board of architects was established to assist the Secretary of the Treasury and in December of that year a revised Triangle plan was approved by the Public Bu ildings Conmission. This plan was even more in­~ardly or iented than the 1926 proposal. Almost all of C Street was to be closed within the Triangle, and the Old Post Office was to be demolished to allow for the construction of another plaza on the line of 12th Street. The succession of plazas was to be an imp ortant element in the Triangle's overall design .

The final major change in the Triangle Plan occurred in 1930. The National Archives was moved to 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and was set facing 8th Str eet, rather than parallel to Pennsylvania Av~ue. This recognition of the Ei ghth Street Vista was an exception to the usual lack of concern whichthe Tri­angle's architects shmved for the streets which their build ings terminated. ~lthough the Federal Triangle was supposedly designed within the framework of the L'Enfant Plan, its very essence--the inward orientation, the enormous con­centration of governmen t activities--is in conflict with the original plan for the city.

~ong ress ·authorized the purchas e of the remaining non- government mvned land~.,r ith i n the Triangle in 1928. Cons truction of the first Mellon Board buildings --the

~ommerce De partment and the Internal Revenue Se rvice--began in that year. They ere followed over the next de cade by the construction of buildings i n the Tri­ngle area for the Labor Department, the Interstate Commerce Commission, an udit orium, the Post Office De partment, the Jus tice Department, the Nationa l

o\r ch ives, and lastly the Federal Tr ade Commis sion in 1938. Of special note is ~ohn Rus sell Pope's hands one design for t he Nationa l Archives, a separately

isted National Register landmar k. Pope was a member of the board of consultinE ~rchitects to the Treasury, as were all t he fi rms which designed the individual pu ildings within the Triangle.

,\lthough construction of the Triangle end ed in 1938, an important element, the ~reat Circle at 12th Stree t, r emained unfinished. The President's Temporary

(Continued on Form 10-300a , page 1)

Form 10-300o (July 1969)

Page 7 (N.anber •II entrlee)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NAT IONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY • NOMINATION FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

8. Significance (continued ) - Federal Triangle

STATIE

COUNTY

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Commission on Pennsylvania Avenue, a body formed in the 1960's to provide a plan for the development of Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House , proposed that the Great Circle be completed. Such an undertaking, however, ne cess itates the demolition of the Old Pos t Off ice, a separately listed National Reg i s ter landmark. Congress re fuse d to allow the destruction of the building in 1934, and has yet to appropriate the funds for such a pro­ject. The General Services Administration is now seeking a means of preserving the building .

The Pennsylvania Avenue Commission also recommended that the Grand Plaza be formally landscaped, and the existing parking lot be located unde r ground. The Commission Plan envisioned the completion of the Grand Plaza with the construc­tion of a Neo-Classical Post Office extension on the now vacant site at Penn sy lvania Avenue and 13-1/2 Street, then the location of the Coast Guard Building . However, no funds have been appropr iated for these projects.

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'\AJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

Annual Reports of the Public Buildings Corrnnission, 1925-1932." Congre s s ion-a l Serial Set.

Annual Re 2ort of the Su2e r v i sing Ar chitect to the Secretary of the Treasury fo r th e Year End ing Se2tember 30 , 1896 . Wash i ng ton: GPO 1897 . pp. 6-7.

Na t ional Capital Planning Corrnnission. Landmark Files.

Work Projec ts Admini s tration . A Guide t o the Na tion ' s CaEita l. New York: Has t ings House . 1942. QQ . 184 - 200 . GEOG RAPHIC AL DAT A -. ...::>:;:;:.~.:: :·:.':.

· -~ LA TITU DE A ND L f"')N G I T U DE C OO RD I N A TES L~TITUf' E A.. NC LC' NG I T 'JDE CO.O_R_D_I!'-1 ~ .1" E: ~

D E FINING A REC T A N GLE L O CA T ING THE P R0°F ~ TY 0 D EF I NI NG Tf-1£:. t..:t.,..,;T 2 R P OI Nl OF A ?rt O PE RTY

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D eg re e s M i n u t e s Se con d s D e grees Mi n ute s Se conds Degrees M i nu tes Seconds D egre e s Mi nute s Seconds NW 38o 53· 46- 77 0 oz 02 . 0 . . 0 . . NE 38° 53· 46· 7]o 01 11· SE 38° 53· 32· 7]o OJ.. ll · sw 38" 53· 32· 77 o_ 0 ~ 02 ·- L

A PPRO X I MA T E A CRE A G E OF NOMIN AT ED P ROPER T Y : 74 .5368 acre s '-1S T AL L ST ATES AN D COUN T I ES F O R PRO PE R TI ES OVERL A PPI N G S TA T E OR C OU NTY BO U N DA R I ES

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FORM PREPARED BY . :< ·•.. :: :, :: : \ :':: ':: =: /:i:F: :~?' /): -oAME AN D TITLE:

.eonard H. Gerson , lli:ban Hi st ori.::> n J R G A N IZATIO N

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nt iona1 CaQi ta1 Pl ann i ng Commiss ion August 14 1971 T F{E f" T A N O NUM BE R :

1325 G Street, N.H. . 11 Yo n T OW N : S T .A TE CO DE

h' nsh in ~ ton District of Col umbj a 11 STA TE LIA I SO N OFF ICER C~RT I F I CA " II ON NAT ION AL REG I STE R V ERI F ICATION

As the des ig nat ed St a t e Li a ison O ff ice r for th e Na -

ti ona ! Hi s t o ri c Prese rva tion A c t o f 19 66 ( Public L a w I he re by certify tha t this prope rt y Lo; included in the

!(CL(,65 ) , I h e re by n om in .. te t h is prope rt y fo r inclus ion Nationa l R eg is te r .

"' t lw Na t io na l R e-t:: is tc r and ce rt ify t h"t it has b ee n

~'Va lu a t ed accordin~ to t h e c-itcria and proceci.o re s set

f orth by tht:' Na tional Pa rk Se rv 1c e . T he recomme nd e d Dire c tor , O ffice o f Archeolo~y a nd Hi•tori c Prceer vation

le ve l o f s i g nifica nce o f this n o minat ion is:

Nat io na l 0 Sta te [Z] Loca l 0

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N nme

-· ' ATTEST:

As s is t ant the Hayor fo r ' Tit le to

Hous 1.ng Prog r ams Keeper o f Th e N a ti ona l Regi s te r

na te Date

GPO 93 1 · 89 4

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