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HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT:

PRESERVATION MANUAL & REHABILITATION GUIDELINES

JULY 1986

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING

HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT:

PRESERVATION MANUAL & REHABILITATION GUIDELINES

JULY 1986

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Historic Structure Report

Preservation Manual for the

Lafayette Bulldlng

811 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington,_ D.C.

Contract Number GS - 11B - 58014

Final Report August, 1986

Prepared for

General Services Ad■Jnlstratlon Natlqnal Capital Region

7th & D Streets, SW Washington, D.C.

by

Geier Brown Renfrow Architects 1200 15th Street, NW

Washington, D.C.

with

Oehrlein & Associates 1702 Connecticut Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C.

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE 1.

CHAPTER I; OVERVIEW OF THE BUILDING

Introduction Summary of Building History, Significance

History 3 Significance

General Condition Survival of the Building's Original Design Character Current Condition

Conservation Problems

CHAPTER II; BUILDING HISTORY

History of the Original Building Design & Construction 9 Design History 9 Design Climate: 1930s 13 History of Construction 15

Individuals & Firms Having Significant Roles in the Design & Construction of the Lafayette Building 15

Persons & Firms Associated with the Design 15 A.R. Clas, Architect 15 Holabird· & Root, Architects 16 Commission of Fine _Arts 16

Important Events & Figures Associated with the Building 17 Statement of Significance & National Register of Historic

PI aces Status 18 S!gnlf lcance 18

Historical Significance 18 Architectural Significance 18 Technological Significance 19

National Register of Historic Places Status 19

CHAPTER I II: DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING AS ORIGINALLY BUILT

Exterior 31 Vermont Avenue (principal) Facade 32 I Street Elevation 33 15th Street Elevation 34 H Street Elevation 34 Southwest Corner Elevation 35 Alley Elevations 35 Inner Court Elevations 36

· Interior 36 First FI oor 37

Entrance Lobby 37 Second FI oor 40

Third Floor Fourth Floor Fifth Floor Sixth Floor Seventh - Tenth Floors Eleventh Floor

Main Board Room Sma I I Board Room Smal I Board Room: Ancillary Spaces

Twelfth Floor Basement Floor Sub-Basement Floor Other Spaces

Corrfdors To I I et Rooms Elevator Lobbies Off ice Spaces

CHAPTER IV; EXISTING CONDITIONS SURVEY

General Description of Overal I Condition General Exterior Condition Statement Exterior Condition Survey

Exterior Wal I Surfaces Openings Miscellaneous Metals Roof

Site Components Interior Condition Survey

First Floor Second Floor Third - Fifth Floors Sixth - Seventh Floors Eighth Floor Ninth - Twelfth Floors

Board Rooms on Eleventh Floor . Large Board Room

Sma I I Board Room Thirteenth Floor

CHAPTER V: PAINT ANALYSIS

Introduction Research Sample Locations Techniques Used For Paint Analysis Analysts Findings

Exterior Interior

Recommended Colors For Repainting Paint Serlatton Charts Outline Specifications for Exterior Painting Outl lne Specifications for Interior Painting

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CHAPTER VI; BUILDING MATERIALS CONSERVATION ANALYSIS

Introduction Purpose of Materials Conservation lmpl icattons of Restoration and Adaptive Zone

Design Concept Building Analysis Methodology

Individual Building Materials: Problems and Solutions Granite Limestone Brick Interior Marble Bronze Steel Al um lnum Stainless Steel Wood Interior Glass

Significant Original Architectural Elements (In Place or Lighting Fixtures Doors and Window Hardware Exterior Windows Elevator Shafts and Cabs

CHAPTER V 1 · 1 ; EXTER I OR MORT AR ANAL YS I S

On-Site Analysis of Existing Conditions Laboratory Report Recommendations

Missing)

CHAPTER VII I; EXTERIOR MASONRY AND METALS CLEANING ANALYSIS

Phase I: On-Site Col le.ction of Physical Data

Description of Stains and Soiling Rationale for Cleaning Expected Appearance After Cleaning Previous Surface Treatments Found and Building Environmental Considerations Stone Anchorage Systems Masonry Cleaning Methods Special Cleaning Problems & Treatments Metal Cleaning Techniques Aluminum Cleaning Chemical Treatments

Phase I I: On-Site Testing Program Procedures for Testing Alternative Methods of Cleaning Test Areas Selected On-Site Masonry Cleaning Test Methodology Test Results Recommendations

Ill

CHAPTER IX; DESIGN GUIDELINES/REHABILITATION ACTIONS FOR FUTURE

RENOVATION, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE

Inventory of Significant Spaces & Details 0 Restoration Zones

Exterior Restoration Zones I Street Facade Vermont Avenue Facade Southwest Corner facade H Street Facade Alley Facade Site Components

Interior Restoration Zones Vermont Avenue Entrance Lobby Corridors Elevator Lobbies Main Board Room · Sma 11 Board Room Executive Office

~ Rehab i I i tat ion Zones Exterior Rehabllltatlon Zones

North & East Al I ey Facades & East Al I ey Facade Court Facades

Interior Rehab ii itation Zones Off lees Toi I et Rooms

Renovatlon Zones ---- Recommendations for Maintenance, Repair, & Alterations

Restor-atlonZones- Exterlor-& Site

Exterior Rehab II ltatlon Zones Interior Spaces & Elements

Restoration Zones Rehabllltatlon Zones Renovation Zones ·

CHAPTER X: OUTLINE SPECIFICATIONS

Brick Repair & Pointing Limestone Repair and Repainting Granite Repair and Repolntlng Masonry CI ean i ng Interior Marble Repair, Repainting & Cleanlng Terrazzo Flooring Repair & Replacement Bronze Cleaning & Repair Stainless Steel Cleaning & Repair Aluminum Cleaning Wood Repair & Refinishing Plaster Repair Glass Repair & Replacement Plastic Cleaning, Repair & Replacement Exterior Painting Interior Painting light Fixture Reproduction

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BIBLICGRAPHY & APPENDICES

Bibi iography List of Original Architectural Drawings of the Lafayette Building at the Chicago Historical Society Glossary of Architectural & Design Terms

INDEX (to be included In Final Submission)

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR PREFACE

PREFACE

This study of the Lafayette BuJldlng Jn Washington, D.C. was pre pared for the National Capital Region of the General Services Ad min Jstration (GSA Contract #: GS-118-58014). It was prepared by Geier Brown Renfrow Architects Jn association with Oehrlein & As sociates; both firms of Washington, D.C. The study was Initiated Jn August, 1985 and the final report submitted In August, 1986.

Historic Preservation Officer, Ms. Andrea Mones-O'Hara served as project officer. Key personnel for the project were:

Geier Brown Renfrow Architects

Baird Smith

Robert Warnock

Peter Wollenberg

Oehc ! e In & Assoc (ates

Mary Oehrlein

Reed Black

Barbara Laur le

SCOPE & PURPOSE OF REPORT

Purpose

Project Manager

Architectural Historian

Materials Conservator

Project Manager

Architect

Architect

The purpose of this Historic Structure Report & Preservation Man ual Is In two parts. The first of these Is a descriptive and evaluative look at the architectur.al history of the bui I ding, focusing on:

o history of the design o construction history o detailed physical description of the building (as It was bu I It) o lmportant events and persons, including architects o historical & design significance

The second major goal of the report Is to provide a manual for the preservation of those spaces, materials, and Individual ele-

LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR PREFACE

ments which, In sign significance.

combination, establish the building's historic de That portion of the report focuses on:

Identification of significant spaces and details survey of present physical conditions diagnosis of materials conservation & related problems Identification of required remedial actions design guidelines for restoration, rehabilitation, renovation criteria for use recommen'dat Ions significant lost

In planning future design changes for restoration or replacement elements

Intended Use and of

It Is Intended that this _report function as a r'eference guide for al I future design and maintenance efforts for the bulldlng. It Is anticipated that the report may need to be updated through the years to reflect bulldlng changes.

Scope & Limitations of Project

As the focus of this study is architectural history and preser vation, its concerns I le ultimately in the area of aesthetics.

Where recommendations for repair or restoration are made, they are made because the preservation of a particular space or element was considered v.it,al to .maintaining the qualities of orlglnal design which define the building's significance. Issues whlcn do not af fect the building's design significance are therefore beyond the scope of this project. Unless related to this aspect of the bulld lng's significance, Issues such as structural condition, compliance with safety regulations, adequacy of mechanical systems, and space assignation are outside the scope of this study.

Note on Architectural Terminology

A number of speciallzed architectural and design terms appear in the descriptive sections of this report. A Glossary Is included as an appendix. Glossary terms are Identified In boldface where they occur In Chapters I, II, and II I.

LAFAYETTE BUILDING: HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT

LJ CHAPTER I: OVERVIEW OF THE BUILDING

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR CHAPTER I; OVERVIEW OF THE BUILDING

CU.S.C. 601 et seq.) on January 22, 1932 for the purposes of fi nancing agriculture and commerce, encouraging smal I businesses, and promoting maximum employment and production. The RFC was grouped with. other agencies to form In 1939 the Federal Loan Agency, which was transferred to the Department of Commerce for three years beginning In 1942 before being restored as an autono mous body. The RFC continued under the Federal Loan Agency untl I its abolition In 1954 when Its remaining functions were transfer red to other agencies.

Agencies housed in the Lafayette Building In 1941 were:

Federal .Loan Agency Reconstruction Finance Corporation The R.F.C~ Mortgage Company Disaster Loan Agency Federal National Mortgage Authority Export-Import Bank of Washington Elective Home & Farm Authority

The Export-Import Bank of Washington was organized as a District of Columbia. banking corporation under Executive Order (6581) of February 2, 1934. The bank wa~ grouped with other agencies to form the Federal Loan Agency In 1939. Its purpose was In fi nancing and facllltatlng exports and Imports and commodities ex changes between the United States and foreign governments. These powers were enlarged In 1940 to Include the authorization of loans to assfst In the development of resources, the stabll lzatlon of economies, and the marketing of products of Western Hemisphere countries. In 1968, Its name was changed to the Export-Import Bank of the United States. The bank remains a prfnclpal tenant of fhe building.

It appears that the Lafayette Building Corporation -the private developers of the property- had secured the Federal Loan Agency as the tenant for the.building prior to Its construction:

One of a number of commercial structures recently erected In Washington for lease to mushrooming government agencies, the Lafayette Building fol lows a trend to be observed In many of the newer public and semi-public buildings.

CAccbitectural Forum. July, 1941, p.46).

The Federal the exception Street.

Loan of

Agency was to occupy the entire building with the eight commercial shops fronting on 15th

SigoJfJcance

The building's significance derives from several factors Chapter I I):

Is pr I mar i I y (discussed In architectural and greater detail In r

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR CHAPTER I; OVERVJEW OF THE BUILDING

0 The building as a late and highly developed example of the stripped classic style, with local, national, and International paral leis o The bulldi-ng as a work by a nationally recognized archi tectural firm CHolablrd & Root) exhibiting many of the stylistic and functional characteristics of their best work In office building design o The building as a col laboratlve design effort between Holablrd & Root and their former assoclr-·-:,, A.R. Clas and, as such, tied locally to other effort:;;~{ the same team and by A.R. Clas working Independently

In add1tlon to Its architectural significance, the Lafayette Building possesses historical significance associated with the fol lowing factors <see also, Chapter II):

The building as a speculative venture, developed by pri vate Interests for lease to the Federal government

The building as home of the Export-Import Bank and other finance related agencies which developed during the presidentlal administration of Frankl In Roosevelt

The Lafayette Building Is afforded a measure of slgnift cance. ~oley by virtue of Its location, fronting on two pub I le squares which are major elements of the 1791 L'Enfant plan for Washington, D.C., and within one block of the White House and other buildings of nation al significance.

GENERAL CONDITION

Survival of the Building's Original DesJgo Character

The Lafayette Building has lost little of _the design character which It possesed at the time of its completion of 1940: most of the spaces and details which comprised the original, distinguish Ing character of the bulldlng have survived to the present day to convey a strong sense of period design. The exterior ls virtual ly unchanged, with the exception of slgnage at the Vermont Avenue entrance and at the 15th Street storefronts. The Interior has seen I lttle change to 1ts significant spaces or original plan.

Where interior modifications have occurred, they have generally.

been made in the way of additions to, rather than as subtractions from, the orlglnal design. As such, they are easily reversible changes. The minimal number of spatial redefinitions that have occurred, and the high level of routine maintenance have been the principal agents of the continued preservation of the building.

LAFAYETTE BUILDJNG - HSR CHAPTER I; OVERVIEW OF THE BUILDING

Current ConditJon

The Lafayette Building has been fortunate ln that it has been af forded a generally high level of maintenance and has undergone re~ latively I lttle renovation since Its completion in 1940. The building is maintained as office and commercial space, much as it was designed; no major functional shifts have occurred which have had any great impact upon the building's historic integrity. In the way of routine maintenance, the building is especially fortun ate. The general state of repair, cleanliness, and order Is high er than usually seen among federal buildings of much more recent date. There exist, however, certain preservation problems-within the building that warrant special attention to repair and restore its original fabric; this work, however, should be considered outside the realm of normal maintenance.

The building's original design Is discussed ·,n Chapter II, In con cert with a narrative of the building's construction. Insofar as may be determined from available evidence, the building as built varied I ittle from the original designs of Clas and Holabird & Root. Since Its completion, the building has remained for the most part faithful to the architects' original design Intent.

Among the changes which have occurred to the building since its completion In 1940 are the following:

0 Repeated changes in tenancy of 15th Street stores o Two smal I stores were combined at the building's northeast corner on 15th Street

Assignment of office space has changed repeatedly, with only the Export-Import Bank having continuously occu pied the building since 1940

Original slgnage Avenue entrance ing tenancy at both 15th Street shops and Vermont has been removed in response to chang-

At the Second Floor, the original cafeteria has been converted to office use and the original office and corridor configuration abandoned for an open plan

Throughout the bulldlng, many of the original lighting fixtures have been removed

The Smal I Board Room has been extensively altered, but In such a way as to be easily reversible

The 12th Floor Executive Office Suite has undergone a series of minor changes, most of which are easily re versed

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR CHAPTER I; OVERVIEW OF THE BUILDING

A detailed discussion of the bullding's condition ls found In Chapter IV, Existing Conditions Survey. Specific recommendations for correct l ng existing prob I ems and for restoring the i ntegr r ty of the building are found in Chapters VI and IX.

CONSERVATION PROBLEMS

Among· the preservation problems noted In the building, a number may be considered as broad areas of concern. Chief among the con servation problems discussed at length In Chapters IV through X of this report are:

Problems of Deterforatron C!ncludlng problems of material failure, need for cleaning programs, etc.) ·

Masonry: exterior I imestone, granite, brick, mortar; In terior marble, Alberene, terrazzo, tile

Metals: exterior doors, windows and other, minor, ele ments; Interior bronze, and other metals o Wood, plester, glass, plastic, etc.

Replacement of Missing or Damaged Elements <significant ori ginal elements lost over time) o Lighting fixtures

0 Hardware

Recommendations for Recreatjng Sjgnlflcant Orjgjnal Painting Schemes r L;

CHAPTER II: BUILDING HISTORY

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR CHAPTER I I; BU1LD1NG HISTORY

HISTORY OF ORIGINAL BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

Desi go Hi story

The Lafayette Building Corporation, incorporated December 30, 1-938, deve I oped the Lafayette Bui Id i ng w l th the Intent of I eas l ng Its office space to the federal government. The building, with the except ton. of the 15th Street commercial shops, was leased to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which In 1939 was grouped with other federal agencies to form the Federal Loan Agency. An act of the 80th U.S. Congress, Second Session, Juty 30, 1947, author I z l ng the Fed.era I Works Adm in i strat I on to I ease space in the building makes reference to the government's plans for ac~ qulsltlon of title In that same year CRG 121: title papers). The bu 11 ding was comp I eted In 1940 at a cost of_ approx I mate I y

$5,500,000 (WPA:254).

The building design ts the result of a col laboratlon between the architectural firms of A.R. Clas of Washington, D.C., and Hola bird & Root of Chicago. The latter firm Is generally Identified as "associate architects" although their role would appear to have been underestimated. Selected original drawings for the building exist within the records of the General Services Admin istration and within the Holablrd & Root papers at the Chicago Historical Society. These drawings show a design which differs only in a few minor details from that of the building as It was completed. As Clas Is Identified as having held positions with the Public Works Administration from 1935 through 1938, It ts I i ke I y that It was he who was se I ected as the project arc_h I tect as a result of his work in Washington. Given the nascence of his firm -organized In 1938-, Clas's association with his former em ployers, Holabird & Root, Is not surprising considering the size of the Lafayette commission.

The relationship between the two architectural firms was appar ently not documented and a design attribution Is not possible based on avail able documentary evidence. The project was I tsted as Holabird & Root commission #6871 (John A. Holablrd: letter of 9/19/85). No records of the project are known to exist in the hands of Clas Riggs Owens & Ramos, successor firm to A.R. Clas, Architect (Personal Inquiry: 9/16/85). The Lafayette Bui I ding Is the first commission known to have been awarded Clas, there fore, - It Is not possible to compare the design with his earlier works. The firm of Holablrd & Root, however, was nearly 60 years old In 1938 and had long enjoyed a national reputation. There exist In the firm's executed designs strong_ parallels to the La fayette Building which are consistent with the partners' design philosophy. In buildings such as the Chicago Dally News Build-

LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR CHAPTER I I; BUILDING HISTORY

difference between this and the earlier Lafayette and World Bank buildings Is In the use of disconnected ribbon windows, with alternating:

window-group/metal-panel/window-group/metal-panel.

Limestone is used to frame, in single, large panels, the fenes tration between the mezzani•ne and the eighth floors at each ele vation. The lobby Is a much smaller space than In the earlier office buildings, but Its cruciform plan and elevator placement suggests a strong paral lei, as does the use of contrasting dark and light marbles and a pier supported mezzanine with bronze ra I t Ing_.

In their work of the mid-1930s, Holabird & Root's interiors ex hibit the same rich materials and planar severity· as seen in the Lafayette Building CI I lus. No. I 1-6) The courtrooms of the Ramsey County Court House In Salnt Paul, Minnesota and the Racine County Court House at Racine, Wisconsin are paneled in rare woods, with the large panels dlstlngulshed by highly simplified fluting C 11 lus. No. I 1-7). The slmple qua I ity of the woodwork is continued in the modern, astylar wall sconces which give off cold white light. Cell ings In these courtrooms are simply treated, their single planes Interrupted only by trough lighting.

or by shallow celllng mounted I lghts. Floors are carpeted and Venetian bllnds are used at the windows. These same features are repeated in the Main and Smal I Board Rooms at the Lafayette Build ing. In a design for a club car for the Rock Island Railroad, the firm used a black, reflective ce11 Ing, with flush mounted can I ights. · In the car were employed circular wlndow's, Venetian bl Inds, concealed cornice I lghttng,and bright metals In con trast to an otherwise dark palette. The same combination of features Is seen in the entrance and elevator lobbies.

Color Is an especially important aspect in the d~sign of the Lafayette Bulldlng. With the flat planar surfaces and simple geometric forms, contrasts of color were used to enrich both the exterior and interior. A contemporary account of the architec tural use of color clearly appl Jes to the Lafayetti Bulldlng:

The use of black Is a distinctive fea ture of modern architecture. Fornier days gave I lttle opportunity for strong tone and color variation In materlals • ••• With the cracking down on and elimln atlon of ornament, the contemporary ar chltect feels the necesslty for obtain Ing punch and wallop In another manner;

and resorts to a strong, accenting change of materials. We are confronted with a plain entrance of strong black, spandrels of black, floor borders, r r-, i'

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR CHAPTER 11 ; BU I LO I NG HI STORY

. * stair treads and so on. Whacking aluminum tones having been obtained by stainless steel ••• , It became essential to balance things with blacks equally brilliant.

(federal ArchJtect. 7/38: 28-29)

At a 1940 banquet for the Association of Federal Architects, one speaker advocated the use of more color in federal buildings, citing the Federal Triangle buildings as na bevy of squat blonds," distinguished only by their size CWashjngton Star:

3/17/39, B-14). Advertisers of architectural products of the period stressed the same values of material color as a major design element (Illus. No. 11-8).

Design Cl ;mate: 1930s

By 1939 it was noted that the Commission of Fine Arts had for several years prior been under growing pressure by prominent architects to depart fro~ its conservative, cl~sstcal tradition and to approve contemporary design (Washington Star: 7/21/39;

B-1). The Commission's Conservatism was wel I known, and criti cized. The Federal Triangle, its Apex Building (Parsons & Frost) completed In 1938, one year before the Museum of Modern Art (Stone & Goodwin), was singled out for much of this criticism. As early as the 1920s, prominent architects had felt restricted by the Commission's unwaivering support for the Classicism es poused In the Senate Parks (McMil Ian) Report of 1902. Bertram Goodhue, whose mastery of a modern Gothic style was consistent with his distaste for Academic Classicism, accepted In 1924 a commission to design a building for the National Academy of Sciences on Constitution Avenue. Goodhue, who had earlier de signed a series of academic buildings In California at the re quest of the Academy's director, found his encounters with the Commtslon of Fine Arts so uncomfortable that he attempted to quit the project. Persevering, Goodhue ultimately arrived at a design which met the approval of the Commlslon. A severe reinterpre tation of the monumental Classical architecture which then pre vailed In Washington, the design was strongly horizontal, rel led on stmpliclty of mass, materials, and planar surfaces and relegated highly stylized ornament to a secondary status. Paul Cret was similarly challenged In the design for the Folger Shake speare library. Cret's design of 1932 Is considerably more se vere than Goodhue's Academy, but both share the same design pre cepts and are at once modern and classical In feel Ing. The style, which soon after 1932 was widely accepted, has been cal led "stripped Classicism", "starved classlclsm", "governmental mo dern", "WPA Modern", and "Depression Modern" (see Craig, Geb hardt, Greif).

Whacking: nstrlklng a smart or resounding blow" (Webster's)

The acceptance and development of stripped Classicism was wide spread, appearing In public,. office, and commercial buildings throughout the country, with The Works Progress Administration CWPA) perpetuating the style, bringing it to even the smallest towns in the form of post offices or Federal Buildings. The range of the style may be seen In the following examples:

The Municipal Building, Sioux Fal Is, South Dakota;

Harold Spitznagel, 1937

The State· Capitol, Salem, Oregon; Trowbridge & Livingston, 1938

The State Capitol, Bismark, North Dakota; Holabird & Root, 1934

Avery Memorial, The Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut; Morris & O'Connor, 1934

Corning-Steuben Building, New York; William & Geoffrey Platt & John Gates, 1937

The Chicago News Buiiding, Chicago; Holabird & Root, In Washington, some of the best examples of the style include:

The Federal Reserve; Paul Cret, 1937 Department of the Interior, South Building; Waddy Wood, The Pentagon (Arlington, Virginia); George Edwin

Bergstrom, 1942 National Navy Medical Center <Bethesda, Maryland); Paul

Cret, 1940 D.C. Municipal Court Building; Nathan Wyeth, 1941 National Airport (Arlington, Virginia); Howard Cheney, 1940.

The 1932, with . ..the stripped classic style In Its nascence, Henry Russel I Hitchcock and Phil lip Johnson pub I lshed The In ternational Style, a book based on their exh,bltton at the Museum of Modern Art the previous year. Proponents of European Modern ism -the International Style- the authors advocated an architec ture in direct opposition to stripped classlcfsm. Character ized by volume over absence of ornament, only this last feature shared common ground with stripped classlcfsm. For all of the Intellectual excitement generated by the International Style, a poll conducted of the readers of The Federal Architect In. 1932 Illustrates a basic dlslncl lnatlon to the style. The top ten modern buildings Identified by the respondents Included the.

Nebraska State Capitol (Goodhue), the Empire State Building (Shreve, Lamb & Harmon), the Chicago Dally News Building (Holablrd & Root) and, heading the I 1st, the Llncoln Memorial (Bacon). The editors, In an obvious stab at the International Style, noted that they were "pleased that the modern selections were of the calm and restrained type, designed as architecture and not merely for the purpose of being different and advanced" <Federal Architect: 4/32).

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The International Style was not quick to gain acceptance in Wash ington. · Two early exceptions were the acceptance of El iel and Eero Saarinen's 1939 design for the Smithsonian Gallery of Art Cit was never built) and the erection In 1940 of Wtl 11am Lescaze's Longfellow Building, a speculative office building at 1741 Rhode Island Avenue. What occurred Instead In Washington was a long resistance to building designs derived without classi cal reference. A contemporary criticism of Holablrd & Root's "pace-setting" Washington Statler hotel of 1943 noted that where the building had faults, they were "evidence of concessions hav ing been made to the standard Washington concept of 'architec ture'" -a reference to the city's steadfast Insistence upon classically derived buildings (Archjtectyral Forum: 6/43, 72).

Hjstory of Construction

Aside from the identification of the Thompson-Starrett Company of Washington, D.C. as general contractor for the building, little is known of . the bu 11 ding' s construction hi story •. The Lat ayette Building Corporation on December 30, 1938, presumably with the express purpose of developing the Lafayette Building. Construc t I on occurred at a swift pace, work being. I arge I y comp I eted In 1939, the same year In which the cornerstone was laid. By 1940 the building was fully complete and occupied.

INDIVIDUALS AND FIRMS HAVING SIGNIFICANT ROLES IN THE DESIGN AND

CONSTRUCTION OF THE LAFAYETTE BUILDING

Persons & Firms Associated with the Design

A. R. Clas, Architect

ACngel~) R(6bert) Clas, AIA, b. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, February 13, 1 887, d • 1

Clas studied architecture at Harvard University (1905-1909) and returned to Milwaukee to serve as draftsman In the firm of Ferry & Clas (Alfred Charles Clas, c.1860-1942). In Chicago, Clas served as a partner In D.H. Burnham & Co., and later as an asso ciate with Holabird & Root. Leaving Holabird & Root during the Depression, Clas moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as Director of Housing for the Public Works Administration from 1935 to 1937, and as Assist.ant Administrator of Pub I le Works from 1937 to 1938.

The firm A.R. Clas, Architect was organized In 1938, surviving today as Clas Riggs Owens & Ramos In Silver Spring, Maryland. A 1955 directory ltsts Clas's office at the Wyatt Building at 777

· 14th Street, NW, a bu II d Ing he des 1 gned In 1952. Among h Is accom p I lshments In pub I le service, Clas served as Chairman of the City Planning Commission of Washington Building Congress, a member of the Zoning Advisory Board of Commissioners, and Vice-Chairman of the School Housing Committee on the White House Conference on

Education. Clas was ter of the American the national AIA.

Bethesda, Maryland.

a member of the Washington-Metropolitan Chap lnstrtute of Architects CAIA) and a member of

His home In 1955 was at 5407 Burling Road, Holabird & Root, Architects

John A. Holabird, FAIA, b. May 4, 1886, Evanston, 111 inols; died May 1, 1945, Chicago.

John A. Holabird was from 1913 to 1945 a member of the important Chicago firm founded by In 1881 by his father William Holabird_ as Holabird & Roche, Architects. He was educated at the Hll I School In Pottstown, Pennsylvania and was later a graduate of the U.S.

Military Academy at West Point (1903-1907). Leaving the U.S.

Corps of Engineers in 1909, he studied architectu·re at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and received his degree in 1913. Holabird enter ed his father's firm as a draftsman in 1913 and reorganized It In 1927 as Holabird & Root. Holabird was a member of the Chicago Chapter, AIA and was elected to Institute Fellowship in 1926. He received among other awards the Gold Medal of the Architectural League of New York, and in 1940 was appointed by President Frank lin D. Roosevelt to the. Commission of Fine Arts in Washington, D.C. The firm of Holablrd & Root Is presently located at 300 West Adams Street, Chicago; John A. Holabird, Jr., FAIA, Is Senior Partner.

Commission of Fine Arts

The Commission of Fine Arts was the only federal agency to have had any effect upon the design of the Lafayette Bulldlng. The Commission was authorized .by the Shlpstead-Luce Act of 1930 to advise the District of Columbia government on plans for private buildings bordering certain especially significant pub( ic spaces within the city. These spaces were Initially defined as the Mal I, White House, Judiciary Square, Capitol, and Union Station;

In 1939, an amendment was made to Include Lafayette Square. In 1940, the annual Report of the NatJonal CommJssJon of Fine Arts Included, without comment, an illustration (Illus. No. I 1-9) of the Lafayette Building (Kohler: 74).

Persons & Firms Associated wJtb Construction & Materials

General Contractors:

Structural Engineer:

MechanJcal Engineer:

Developer:

Thompson-Starrett Company,lnc.

WashJngton, D.C.

A.J. Scullen WashJngton, D.C.

W.K. Karunsky Washington, D.C.

The Lafayette BulldJng Corporation Incorporated In Delaware, 1928 f7 i ' [_j

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR CHAPTER I I; BUILDING HISTORY

Structural Steel: Fort Pitt Bridge Co.

Acoustit Plaster:

Celotex Block Sound Insulation:

Bronze Sash:

Steel Windows:

Elevators:

Hardware:

California Stucco Co.

Celotex Corp.

General Bronze Corp.

Campbel I Metal Window Division, Truscon Steel Co.

Otis Elevator Co.

Yale & Towne Co.

Underfloor duct wiring: Fibre Conduit Co.

Lighting Fixtures: Kurt Versen

Cast Iron waste pipes: Nolan Co.

Water pipes: Revere Copper & Brass Co.

Tot let fixtures:

Heating/Air Conditioning:

Compressors:

Watchman's System:

Vacuum Cleaning System:

Crane Co.

B.F~ Sturtevant Co.

Carrier Corp.

Holtzer-Cabot Co.

Spencer Turbine Co., Hartford, Conn.

Important Events & F!~ures Associated with the Bu!JdJng

Outside of the building's continuous occupation by various Fed eral agencies, no major historical events nor Important f.lgures are known to be associated with the building. Of the tenant agen cies, only the Export-Import Bank, formerly the Export-Import Bank of Washington has occupied the building since Its completion 1 n 1940.

LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR CHAPTER I I ; BU I LO I NG HI STORY

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE & NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

SJATUS

STgoitJcance

Historical Significance

The building's historical significance derives from the nature of its development as a private venture designed for leasing to the Federal government. In Washington, there Is a long history of speculative office buildings of this type, the first such example being the Winder Building at 604 17th Street, N.W., erected 1847- 1848 (Cox:98). Because of Its special status as a speculative building, part. of the space could be let to retail establish ments, such uses of federally owned buildings not being generally permitted until passage of laws In the late-1970s permitting mixed-use development of Federally owned buildings.

The erection of the Lafayette Building Is of historical slgnlf i cance In that_ It marked the abandonment of the 1 933 proposa I by the Commission of Fine Arts to I lne the streets bordering Lafay ette Square with a series of monumental classical buildings along the I Ines of Cass Gilbert's Treasury Annex (1919) and Chamber of Commerce ( 1925) bu 11 d I ngs I ocated there ( 111 us. No. 11-10). In approving the design for the Lafayette Building, the Commission effectively discarded the Federal Triangle-like scheme it had proposed only f Ive .. years~ earl !er (U.S. Department of Interior:

41-42). .

The building has additional historical significance as a result of Its continuous occupation by the Export-Import Bank, the one remaining tenant associated with the Federal Loan Agency.

Architectural Significance

The building's archlte~tural significance ls of two parts: as an example of the •stripped classic• style and In its design asso ciation with the architectural firms of Holabird & Root of Chicago and A.R. Clas of Washington.

The Lafayette Building Is one of a number of Federal office build ings In the Washington area built In the stripped classic style of the 1930s and early 1940s. like the Pentagon and the main Building of the Department of the Interior, the Lafayette Build Ing "consists of an observance of the classic formula with an elimination of the accompanying detail." In 1941, the magazine Acchltectural Forum acclaimed the building as a superior example of the stripped classic style which "at Its worst ••• effect ls ••• a nudity as depressing as the former over-decoration; .In this Instance the result Is a brisk simplicity, which is direct and business-like" CArchjtectural Form, 7/41: 46). The building's design relies on strong massing and severe planar qual itles, Its use of a I imestone skin regularly punctuated by windows of

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR CHAPTER 11 ; BU I LD I NG HI STORY

uniform size set flush against the outer wal Is or in vertically aligned spandreled pairs set between pilasters, and contrasts of dark and I ight materials. Inside, a similar severity reigns with the rare instances of ornamentation pulled back from the wal Is or celling of a room. The pub I ic spaces of the Interior are appointed with fine, simply· utilized materials, the major Impact arising from their extreme color contrasts and I lghttng effects.

The Lafayette Building displays many of the design features which characterize the contemporary work of Holablrd & Root Architects.

The Latayette was the nationally prominent firm's second com mission In Washington, secured apparently by way of their for mer employee A.R. Clas. In design, the building is clearly re lated to two other col laboratlve efforts of the two firms which were completed In Washington In the early-1940si the (present) World Bank Building and the Washington Statler (now the Washing ton HI lton, 16th & K Streets N.W.). Tne influence of Holablrd & Root Is seen In the Wyatt Building of 1952, a later and solitary effort on the part of Clas which ii lustrates the nature of the collaboration and the later development of the stripped classic style.

Technolqg[cal Significance

The Lafayette Building does not exhibit any extraordinary tech nological significance with the possible exception of "the most progressive of the plan features ••• a two-level parking garage incorporated within the building" (Archjtectura( Forum: 7/41;

46). In addition, the building was an early, although not techno logical iy unus~!, example of ·air-conditioning In a Washington office building •

National Register of Historic Places' Status

The Lafayette Building, as part of a proposed 15th Street His toric District, has been determined eligible fbr listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Remington-Rand Building, 12th and F Streets, NW was designed by the Hrm In 1936 (Architectural Forum: V.64,January 1936, pp.57-60).

** Other, earlier examples of Federal bulldlngi In Washington designed with Integral air conditioning Include: Interior Depart ment, Waddy Wood, 1936; Interstate Commerce/Labor/Auditorium Group, Arthur Brown Jr., 1931-35; New Post Office Building, Delano & Aldrich, 1931-34; National Archives, John Russel I Pope, 1931-35; U.S. Supreme Court, Cass GIibert, 1935 (letter of August 28, 1936, Acting Agriculture Secretary Gregg to Treasury Secre tary; Washington National Records Center, Sultland, Maryland, Record Group 121, Department of Agriculture file).

Illustration Number:

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Description:

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Source:

11-1 Chicago Dally News Building Chicago, 111 inois Holablrd & Root Architects The strong massing, fenestration, and materl~ls of this building established a hallmark of Holabird & Root's architecture of the period and are closely related to the Lafayette Building of 1939.

C .1938 Chicago Photographing Co.

Pencil Potnts, February, 1938

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11-2 :Mtctiigan Squ~re Bu-tiding Chicago, 111 lnols ·

1Ho I ab I rd & Root, Architects While possessed of greater ornamentation than than the Lafayette Building, this building of seven years earlier exhibits similar massing, planar slmpl !city, portal treatment of the main entrance, and use of strong color con trasts Hedrich-Blessing Architectural Record. October 1931

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Date:

Description:

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Source:

11-3 Federal Office Building at Pennsylvania Avenue and 18th Street, NW; Holablrd & Root, Architects, A.R. Clas, Associate Architect, . erected 1941 Building now occupied by the World Bank unknown Annual Report of the CommJssJon of Fine Arts.

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11-4 Washlngton·Stafler Hotel Hol abfrd & Root, Architects, A.R. Clas, Associate Architect Now the Washington Hilton.

unknown Arch!tectural Forum, June 1943

II lustration Number:

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Description:

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Source:

11-5 Elevator Lobby Washington Statler Hotel Holablrd & Root Architects A.R. Clas, Associate Architect Trough lighting at marble clad celling with extruded bronze frame around coved plaster trough with concealed lighting.

unknown Architectural Forum. June 1943 j

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11-6 Conference Room The Technological Institute Northwestern University Holablrd & Root, Architects McKlm, Mead & White, Consulting Architects The Conference Room Is simply finslhed with wood pane 11 ng, suspended bow I 11 ghts and carpeted floors -features In common with the Lafayette Bu I Id Ing.

unknown Arch!tectyral Record, August 1942

25'

Date:

Description:

Photographer:

Source:

11-7 Courtroom n < Racine County Court House

· Raclne,1Wlsconsln Holablrd & Root;;~rchitects C .1938.

c.1938 :

The simple paneling, wal I sconces, and eel I lngi mounted I ightlng are consJ.ste11t wlth deftal I lng,,of>:the Board Rooms and Administrative Of+lc~s of the lafayette Bu 11 d Ing.

HedrlchrBlessing Pencil Points, Fe~ruary 1938

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11-8 Advertisement for Alberene Black Serpentine Stone February 1 1 940 Advertisement II lustrates contemporary Inter est In the dramatic effect of black materials In architecture. Note sty I istic and material similarities between the Lafayette Building and the Continental Oil & Gas Co. Building.

unknown Penc 11 Pol nts

The Popular Dark Stone for Facing and Panels ••• Moderate in Cost .•• Negligible in Upkeep!

OYt 1ri ~-er1,· HillL Ulifomi.a. Bunon t.. St?-:i.::r: produi:~

• ttr1kin1, modern bu1ldin1 usini . .\lbercne Bl•.:k ~rpe-n, nn• rnr fx1n1 ~11d hui:Che~s .and ,tlll'S briek :'er walls.

ln Hom,on, Teu1. Kenne:h Fr~rizft•im. Ardmffl. sr, lec1ed :his quanird -stonr iar window panelim; !or thr sm.art. bminess,like l:a11ldin1J :·or Cormn~rual Oil~ Gu Co.

Albel'Tfte Black Serpentine !1 a Cl)Od stone:~ rt-memt>.r wh•n rou want a Junble. dark stone -whirl. ,;an be in st■ U«I at mcdttat• .. -o1t. Ha•v1ftl c~:at tai.:;hn.ss .and densirr, ii ~an be nu 1nta stttions .u rhin ,a, ; • • (or !acinp, bulkbeacb. spancit'el• and ponels. The stcl'\e- j:;C1i11,hn natur• ally ra • rith. d~ s.:.tiny fir.is~. :.ot rerl•e:1\·• ,:,r mirror ..

liU. A nqunt on )·our busin•!s i.-u•r•h~:iii w1!1 ~nnc :,-cu · sarnphts. con,·en1entlr box~. ,!'lo••lni th• nn.;• .,f nor,n.

includ1n1 ~\2ck :and ~cittl•d l!.1rlt blur, ~nd i~•inu.. Pleaiot .add.ms .\11:errl'\e S:onr C..:r;:,r:mon -,i \"i~ttni,., "tt.l

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ALBERENE

BLACK SERPENTINE

FROM THE ALBERENE QUARRIES·

Date:

Description:

Artist:

Source:

11-9 Lafayette Building 1938 or 1939 Penci I rendering of proposed building with Vermont Avenue C l_eft) and H Street (right) G 1 I bert Ha I I Annual Report of the Commjssjon of Fine Arts, 1940 •.

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11-10 Sketch of suggested treatment of Lafayette Park by Commission of Fine Arts C .1933 P~oposed scheme showing monumental Classical buildings set around outside of park. View looking northeast with Lafayette Building site at far corner opposite park.

unknown U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Capital Region. Historical Research Serles: Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C.

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LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR

CHAPTER l I I; DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING AS ORIGINALLY BUILT

EXTERIOR

The Lafayette Building C II lus. No. I I 1-1), Holabird & Root and A.

R. Clas architects, 1939, occupies approximately two-thirds of the city block bordered by I Street to the north, 15th Street to the east, H Street to the south, and Vermont Avenue to the west.

Vermont Avenue, a diagonal laid over what ls otherwise a grid plan, gives the building Its distinctive shape. The building partl expresses the trapezoidal nature of the plat as wel I as the pre-existence of the Shoreham Building at the southeast cor ner of the block. The special requirements of the site resulted in the design of a short, concave elevation at the southwest corner: In effect, a clipped corner. In base plan, the Lafayette Bui Id i ng resemb I es a b I ock I ettered, I ewer case "e"., w I th f i ve major, straight-sided sections and a four-sided court •.

Of steel frame construction, the Lafayette Building's exterior wal Is are enclosed with brick and faced, In the case of the street facades, with limestone. The limestone panels are rec tangula·r In shape, vertically set, with thin mortar joints. The smooth surfaced stones are laid in such as way as to clearly im ply their non-structural quality. While simple end pilasters are utilized at the Vermont Avenue and 15th Street elevations, the limestone occurs otherwise in single-planar expanses, capped only by a simple raised mould at the eleventh floor terrace. In contrast to the I ight reflective quality of the I lmestone, polish ed black granite I$ used In a continuous base around the street elevations, at the principal entrance at Vermont Avenue, the shop fronts on 15th Street, and the garage entrance on H Street.Bronze occurs In the first and second story window and door frames, In spandrels between the first and second story windows, and in a railing which occurs at the Vermont Avenue and I Street eleva tions. Painted steel Is used for al I window frames above the third floor and for a rail Ing at the eleventh floor terrace.

Aluminum spandrels are set between the vertically aligned eleventh- and twelfth-story windows.

The overal I effect of the building Is one of mass over volume, re straint over embellishment (Illus. No. I 11-2). The expansiveness of the bullding Is heightened by the unlplanar facades, punctu ated by the regular placement of standardized windows set against the outer wal Is. Where ornament occurs, as with the spandrels, It Is pulled back into the building rather than projected toward the street. The Vermont Avenue, I Street, and 15th Street fa cades are all symmetrical, as Is the narrow, curved elevation at the southwest corner. A classtcal feel Ing Is ·created In the use of recessed, spandreled window openings at the first- and

LAFAYETTE BUILDING - HSR _

CHAPTER 111; DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING AS ORIGINALLY BUILT

second- and at the eleventh- and twelfth-stories, resulting In the adjacent wall areas appearing as structural piers. The major windows, except at the shopfronts, are of three types:

o By far the majority of window openings are nearly square and fitted with one-over-one pane sliding sash with painted steel frames;

At the first- and second-stories crank operated casement windows with bronze frames occur, those at the first-story having a lower, fixed pane of tex tured glass;

The central six windows at the set back on the I Street elevation are two stories ·1n height, each fitted with eight casement panes.

The eleventh- and twelfth-stories are set back from the street facades affording a terraced roof area. A penthouse associated

· with the vertical clrculation systems Is set back from the plane of the upper two stories; the penthouse Is centered based on the Vermont Avenue elevation but ls not visible from any close-range pedestrian perspective.

The major elevationa1 components of the exterior are described In turn, beginning with the Vermont Avenue, or principal, facade.

Vermont Avenue <pcJocJpall Facade

The Vermont Avenue facade ( 111 us. No. 111-3) Is the I ongest of the bulidlng's elevations and the principal point of access and egress. The stylistic treatment here is rigidly symmetrical and severe. The 300 1 long elevation has 32 bays at each of the lower ten stories and 30 bays at the upper two stories. The central four bays are treated as the principal entrance, differentiated by the recessed· placement doors with tal I overwlndows within heavy piers and by a black granite surround extending to the third floor. The four doors occupy the space of six bays on the upper stories, and the six third story windows, vertically aligned above the entrance, are treated with simple limestone frames causing the apertures to appear in shadow.

Just as the entrance bays are articulated as two-stories by stack ing tal I windows directly above door openings, the window bays to the north and south are similarly treated. The windows at the first and second stories are recessed from the facade plane and have dark bronze spandrels with Inverted-LI shaped, reeded bands. The resultant effect of shadowed voids emphasizes the in tervening wal I sections as structural piers In a highly styliz ed suggestion of a classical system of vertical supports.

At the occur;

10-story these are mass of the building, recessed corner pilasters set back 1' from the facade plane and are un-

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CHAPTER II I; DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING AS ORIGINALLY BUILT

adorned save for a continuation of the simple cornice mould seen elsewhere. The classlcal feeling of the vertical piers at the first and second stories and by the corner pilasters ts continued at the two-story set-back and the penthouse. The use of dark spandrels between the eleventh- and twelfth-story windows again makes subjugate the Internal spatial dlvtstons In favor of an external unity: Instead of two-stories, the space ts presented as a single attic story. The penthouse sits sym metrically above the set-back eleventh and twelfth stories;

barely visible from a pedestrian perspective, It Is nonetheless part of the classlcal…