pared by the President, probably at Philadelphia, and presented to the Commissioners by Jefferson, who in consultation with them wrote the answers.

The questions by the President relating to private buildings were:

66

Ought not stoops and projections of every sort and kind into the streets to be prohibited absolutely?' Answer" No encroachments to be permitted."

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Ought there to be any wood houses in the town?" Answer "No."

"What sort of brick or stone houses should be builtand what height—especially on the principal streets and avenues?"

front,

Answer-Liberty as to advancing or withdrawing the but some limits as to height would be advisable. No house wall higher than 35 feet in any part of the town, none lower than that on any of the avenues."

It is quite evident that Jefferson was joint author with Washington and had been in consultation with him in Philadelphia in preparing these points. It will be noted by the use of the word 'our,' as in writing to the President he speaks of the Commissioners "having deliberated on every Article contained in our paper." It was quite natural that Jefferson should have been consulted, as he was an architect and builder of great ability, and took a keen interest in the establishment of the Capital City.

Philadelphia being at that time the seat of government, the President would have its regulations convenient for consultation, and by reference to the regulations then in force in that city we find that they were a source of inspiration.

In a work entitled "Picture of Philadelphia," of which J. Mease, M.D., was the author, published in 1811, pages 145 and 146, there is given an Act passed by the City Council in February, 1721, providing for the appointment

of regulators to set out the building lines of houses, and it is on this that the latter part of Section 2 of the Washington regulations is based; also the regulators were to "regulate the walls to be built between party and party, as to the thickness thereof; which foundation shall be equally laid upon lands of the persons between whom such party wall is to be made. The first builder shall be reimbursed one-half of the charge of such party wall, or for so much thereof as the next builder shall have occasion to make use of, before he shall break into the said wall. The value to be set by the said regulators." It will be seen on comparison that the fourth section of the Washington regulations is almost a verbatim copy of the above.

In the Philadelphia Regulations by Act of April 15, 1782,"no vaults may be dug under the street except after obtaining certain permissions. This act served as the basis for the seventh Washington regulation.

We have now shown that the first regulation providing that all houses shall be built of brick or stone was suggested by the Washington-Jefferson paper; it was not copied from Philadelphia, as a similar ordinance was not enacted there till five years later, although the importance of it was undoubtedly brought to his mind by observations

there.

The second regulation, providing in the first part that buildings shall be placed parallel with the street, is suggested in the Washington-Jefferson paper, and seems to have been developed between Jefferson and the Commissioners, as Washington only asks a general question, without implying an answer. The latter part of this regulation providing for the surveying of the walls is traceable to the Philadelphia regulations of 1721, as I have previously noted.

The third regulation, restricting the heights of buildings, is suggested in the Washington-Jefferson paper, but

it does not mention any heights-The Commissioners seem to have fixed the heights, although the regulation was somewhat changed from that adopted by them when Jefferson was present, which limited the height to 35 feet and fixed it at 35 feet absolutely on the avenues.

This regulation as adopted at the meeting between Washington and the Commissioners was slightly more lenient, as it allowed five feet more height throughout the city and gave a range from thirty-five to forty feet on the avenues.

It is very probable that this idea of fixing the height of buildings was due to the influence of Major L'Enfant, who was in high favor with all parties at that time. So far as I have been able to ascertain, there are no written evidences connecting him with this matter (L'Enfant wrote of the public buildings and discussed their design and location), yet it seems to me that his influence can be clearly read between the lines; my reasons therefor are as follows:

L'Enfant was a Frenchman, and the idea of fixing the height of private buildings is a French idea of long standing. To repress the private citizen and make him conform to a general scheme is a Continental idea. So far as I have been able to ascertain, no English or American city has ever before, or since attempted to enact such a regulation, as it seems to be contrary to their ideas of individual liberty. From an artistic standpoint we cannot doubt but that the idea is a good one; we have but to look at the perspectives of Paris streets, where the even horizontal sky-line of the buildings enhances the value of the public monuments and buildings, and compare them with one of our American streets, where everything is higgledypiggledy, and where private individuals are allowed to erect huge masses overshadowing everything public and private, or disgrace our most prominent thoroughfares with low, mean buildings of the other extreme.

To me the fring if the begs of buildings, particularly on the avenues, I in isocute gure shows the hand of L'Enfant These arecies were his bobby: the low, straight and uniform sky-lines of the boldings were to increase the perspective effect and lead up to and give prominence to the public monuments and edifices, which he expected to build

The fours and seventh regulations, relating, respectively, to party walls and projections, we have seen were copied direct or influenced by the Philadelphia regulations.

It may be interesting to note that of the original regulations, only one has remained continuously in force-that which regulates the laying out of party walls and the division of cost, which had been in use in Philadelphia for 70 years previous.

The regulation requiring all house within the city limits to be built of brick, or stone has been revived at a comparatively recent date, having been set aside shortly after its

enactment.

THE FIRST PRESIDENT'S INTEREST IN WASH

INGTON AS TOLD BY HIMSELF.

BY JOHN BALL OSBORNE, A.M.

(Read before the Society November 12, 1900.)

A detailed account of the share of George Washington in the location and founding of the capital of the United States would constitute an epitome of that epoch of our national history. It was his strong personality that dominated in the final choice of a site by Congress in 1790, and in the tedious and onerous task of transforming an unpromising wilderness into a habitable seat of government, he displayed his splendid executive abilities and tireless energy. When he had chosen the exact site, as empowered by Congress, and the lines of the Federal Territory had been run, and the land for the Federal City acquired from the proprietors, after considerable negotiating—all under his able supervision-he gave his attention to plans of the future city and of the government buildings, and his solicitous interest in the preparations for the suitable accommodation of Congress and the President, and executive officers, as well as the success of the whole enterprise, ceased only when life fled.

Active and prominent as was the part that he played in all this planning and building, his agency in the previous location of the seat of government on the banks of the Potomac, was no less important and effective, although silent and unobtrusive. In regard to this phase of the question, his letters are singularly silent; doubtless because he feared that any public expression of his personal preference would be misconstrued and interpreted as prompted