It May Truly Be Called "A Mighty
Maze, But Not Without A Plan." The Capitol Was Intended To Be The
Center Of The City.
It faces eastward, away from the Potomac - or
rather from the main branch of the Potomac, and also unfortunately
from the main body of the town.
It turns its back upon the chief
thoroughfare, upon the Treasury buildings, and upon the President's
house, and, indeed, upon the whole place. It was, I suppose,
intended that the streets to the eastward should be noble and
populous, but hitherto they have come to nothing. The building,
therefore, is wrong side foremost, and all mankind who enter it,
Senators, Representatives, and judges included, go in at the back
door. Of course it is generally known that in the Capitol is the
chamber of the Senate, that of the House of Representatives, and the
Supreme Judicial Court of the Union. It may be said that there are
two centers in Washington, this being one and the President's house
the other. At these centers the main avenues are supposed to cross
each other, which avenues are called by the names of the respective
States. At the Capitol, Pennsylvania Avenue, New Jersey Avenue,
Delaware Avenue, and Maryland Avenue converge. They come from one
extremity of the city to the square of the Capitol on one side, and
run out from the other side of it to the other extremity of the
city. Pennsylvania Avenue, New York Avenue, Vermont Avenue, and
Connecticut Avenue do the same at what is generally called
President's Square.
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