86 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY 



ling pines from six to ten feet high. Similar conditions prevailed in various parts of the 

 easterly two-thirds of the grounds, with the addition of some rather extensive open fields, 

 a line of very large and fine old pines with some scattered individuals. Upon the easterly 

 third of the grounds were an orchard and cornfields, while along the high shore next to 

 Bousch's Creek was a very fine growth, chiefly of old pines, hollies, red bays, grapes, 

 oaks and dogwoods. The best of this growth was confined to a comparatively limited 

 area that included the steep bank next to the marsh. At one point it broadened out to 

 include a cemetery dating back to early in the seventeenth century, and tenanted mostly by 

 slaves and their successors. Near this was a very fine live oak. 



I have referred to the town plan, with streets, sewers, and water-drainage, first 

 studied. After it was accepted, with its tentative location for exposition buildings and 

 the modifications for streets, therefore, the detailed study for the exposition was under- 

 taken, in which some streets of the town plan were omitted to provide space for the courts 

 between buildings, parade-ground, storage-yards and the like. The ultimate opening 

 of these streets was always considered, however. 



In all plans that have been ofl"ered to the exposition company a pier or a water-basin 

 of some description was established on or very near the axis line, referred to before as 

 being fixed by the topography, along the summit of the ridge with the 15 contour mentioned. 

 On some of these designs a basin was enclosed by an island, on others there was an island 

 at the end of one pier. In one there were two very broad, semi-circular piers leading away 

 from the shore. In our first study we adopted the simple expedient of two parallel piers 

 running out to the deepest available water, the space between the piers to be dredged for 

 boats drawing nine feet of water or less, the ends of the piers to be connected by a bridge 

 under which boats from Hampton Roads could pass into the basin. 



The main court extended the width of the pier into the grounds, with two wings 

 to the court extending right and left at its extreme southerly end. This plan carried the 

 main buildings back nearly to the boundary, and was prepared on the assumption that there 

 would be an expenditure of about $5,000,000. Later, it was found necessary to reduce 

 this estimate of cost which the exposition company had first had in mind; and, to make 

 this reduction, the end and two wings of the court were cut out, the main auditorium 

 building was moved down to the head of a straight court leading directly away from the 

 pier, upon either side of which the two main exhibition buildings were placed. This left 

 room for the parade-ground of about twenty acres at the back of the main building. 

 State buildings were then arranged about this parade-ground, but State Commissioners 

 found the shore line so attractive that they induced the exposition company to have the 

 design so modified that all State buildings could be placed at or near the shore. As it was 

 not possible to have every State building directly on the shore, oval reservations were 

 made over which the buildings setting back from the shore could all have the water-view. 



In the original plan an Arts and Crafts village was grouped about the old plantation 

 house near the shore, in order that advantage might be taken of the fine old trees about 

 it. The building itself was rather typical of the South, especially the picturesque out- 

 buildings that dated back to a very early period. 



When the State buildings were moved down to the shore, it was decided to place 

 these Arts and Crafts buildings in front of the fringe of fine old trees that formed a semi- 

 circle between the two tidal estuaries on the east; in some respects a more suitable location 

 by reason of the fine background and their proximity to a woodland trail through this 



