The Development of Park Systems in American Cities 29 



plans for the grouping of monumental public buildings about a Mall. 

 These plans contemplate the embellishment of the centres of cities, 

 and for that reason movements for their realization appeal to a 

 larger group of citizens. 



Again, the most important illustration of these is Washington. 

 The Senate Commission proposed a plan for grouping public build- 

 ings along the Mall leading from the Capitol to the Washington 

 Monument and thence to the White House. This will involve the 

 destruction of the tenderloin and the demolition of the otherwise 

 undesirable section south of Pennsylvania avenue. The idea has 

 received a remarkable amount of support throughout the country, 

 and the construction of no less than nine buildings has been author- 

 ized in accordance with it. In other words, the entire plan seems 

 to be in a fair way of realization. 



The first step towards carrying it out was taken when Con- 

 gress passed an act appropriating $4,000,000 toward the total ex- 

 pense of $11,000,000 involved in the removal of the railroad tracks 

 from the Mall and the erection of a Union Station north of Massa- 

 chusetts avenue. This again involved the removal of the Baltimore 

 and Ohio railroad tracks that now make the one ugly spot in that 

 beautiful thoroughfare, already embellished by forty-five small 

 green spots. The importance of this is due to the fact that Massa- 

 chusetts avenue will be the main connection through the heart of 

 the city between the eastern and western portions of the park sys- 

 tem. In addition, the location of the following buildings has been 

 authorized in accordance with the recommendations of the com- 

 mission : the Senate building, the House of Representatives building, 

 the building for the Department of Agriculture, the Hall of Records, 

 the District Administration building, the building for the National 

 Museum, all these government buildings, and two other build- 

 ings, for the Washington University and the Daughters of the 

 American Revolution. 



Next in importance is the group plan of the city of Cleveland, 

 the conception of which was doubtless due in large measure to the 

 creation of the Court of Honor at the Chicago World's Fair. 

 Several public buildings were to be erected at about the same 

 time. It was suggested that they should be grouped in some way, 

 and a plan has been developed whereby, from the heart of Cleve- 

 land, a Mall will extend to a monumental railroad station on the 



