MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS DC-887 (Downtown Central Library) HABS DC-887 901 G Street Northwest Washington District of Columbia

PHOTOGRAPHS

WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA

REDUCED COPIES OF MEASURED DRAWINGS

HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240-0001 HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY (DOWNTOWN CENTRAL LIBRARY) HABS No. DC-887

Location: 901 G Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C.

The site is located on the southern half of Square 375 (bound by Ninth, Tenth, and G Streets and G Place, Northwest) on Lot 825, which is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of G and Ninth Streets, Northwest, and which encompasses approximately 76,000 square feet of land area. The Library is located at latitude: 38.898696, longitude: -77.024852. The coordinate represents a point to the center of the building and was obtained on March 28, 2017 using Google Earth (WGS84). There is no restriction on its release to the public.

Present Owner/ Occupant: District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL)

Present Use: Public library

Significance: The Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial (MLK) Library was constructed between 1968 and 1972 to serve as the Downtown Central Library for the District of Columbia. Replacing the Neoclassical style Carnegie Library (1903) on Mount Vernon Square, the International style MLK Library was designed and developed as part of a larger urban renewal plan for downtown Washington, D.C. during the mid-twentieth century.

The only dedicated library building designed by the internationally re nowned Modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, MLK Library is one of the few great Modernist buildings to have ever been constructed in the District and is an important example of the International style in the nation’s capital. Although it appears that Mies himself had little direct oversight of the building’s design, which was managed by architects under his employ, including Gene Summers and Jack Bowman, the building’s design exhibits many of the distinguishing features of Mies’s singular architectural principles, most notably his emphasis on form and function over stylistic concerns and his use of structural expressionism. A recognizable example of his work, MLK Library is defined by the exterior MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 2)

expression of the building’s structural elements and its use of modern building technology and materials, including precast concrete, steel framing system of girders and wide-flange columns, and curtain wall system allowing for the use of wide expanses of plate glass. In 2007, the property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the work of a master and (as emblematic of its importance) as a property that has achieved significance at less than fifty years of age.

Historian (s): Kimberly De Muro and Bill Marzella EHT Traceries, Inc. 2017

Project Information: In order to document the appearance and integrity of MLK Library in advance of a major rehabilitation project, DCPL has commissioned the preparation of HABS Level One documentation on the MLK Library building. The rehabilitation represents the first comprehensive modernization of the building since its completion in since its completion in 1972. The HABS historical report was completed by EHT Traceries: Laura Hughes, Principal; Bill Marzella, Project Manager; and Kimberly De Muro, Historic Preservation Specialist. Sections of this documentation have been excerpted from The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Historic Structure Report Volume I: Site History, Existing Conditions, & Recommendations for Treatment, completed for DCPL by EHT Traceries, Inc. and Martinez and Johnson Architecture in December 2016.

PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION

A. Physical History:

1. Date of Erection: MLK Library was constructed between 1968 and 1972. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Downtown Central Library was held on July 31, 1968.1 While the library was under construction, the DCPL Board of Trustees voted to rename the library “The Martin Luther King Memorial Library” at their meeting on January 14, 1971. (The original name designation excluded the “Jr.” from King’s name, as did the associated signage used in the building.)2 Eight months later, the library

1 Robert J. Lewis, “Mayor Breaks Ground for Central Library,” The Evening Star, August 1, 1968, 25, NewsBank. 2 The Library’s Board of Trustees had previously voted on June 8, 1967 to name the new Central Library “Public Library, Washington D.C.” DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, January 14, 1971, 4, Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial (MLK) Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the D.C. Public Library (DCPL), Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978; “Board Decides to Name New Library for King,” Evening Star, January 15, 1971, 20. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 3)

officially opened on August 21, 1972, and was dedicated during the week of September 17, 1972.3

2. Architects/Engineers: MLK Library was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, an internationally renowned Modernist architect whose firm was located at 230 East Ohio Street (demolished) in Chicago, Illinois.4 Gene Summers, Mies’s former student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, was hired as an architect for the firm in 1950. 5 After Mies’s health began to decline in the late 1950s, Summers served as the firm’s project manager for some of its most important commissions at that time, including the Seagram Building in New York City, the Chicago Federal Center, and MLK Library.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had an established and influential career in Germany as an educator and architect before emigrating in 1938, but it was his work in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s that established his reputation as the arbiter of the late Modern Movement. Mies’s signature aesthetic was so often borrowed and reinterpreted during the second half of the twentieth century that some have called it a Second International Style (the defining difference between that generation and the previous being an exterior expression of structural elements, rather than their concealment behind an outer sheath).6

When he immigrated to the United States in 1938, however, Mies was still relatively unknown to the American public outside a relatively small group of architectural critics and practitioners—despite having completed some of his most noted commissions, having served as director of the Bauhaus school, and having been featured in an influential exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. He came to Chicago to head the architecture program at the Armour Institute of Technology (later the Illinois Institute of Technology, or IIT) at its new campus on Chicago’s South Side, and during the next decade his commissions were generally limited to buildings and plans for that campus.7

It was following a successful solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1947— and his subsequent relationship with the developer Herbert Greenwald—that Mies’s characteristic design aesthetic emerged. His second collaboration with Greenwald, 860-880 Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, was constructed between 1949 and 1951 and established the basic formal, structural, and material qualities of his later work: a

3 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, September 13, 1972, 2, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978 4 Franz Schulze, Mies van der Rohe: A Critical Biography (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1985), 284. 5 Schulze, Mies van der Rohe, 284-285. 6 William H. Jordy, American Buildings and Their Architects, Volume 5 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1972), 228. 7 Schulze, Mies van der Rohe, 239-247. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 4)

primarily metal (usually steel, sometimes aluminum or bronze) and glass material palette; pristine building volumes raised on stilted columns with a recessed loggia; and structurally expressionistic facades composed of vertical columns, glass and spandrel panels, and applied vertical I-beams. (Mies once stated: “I don’t think every building I put up needs to be different, since I always apply the same principles. For me novelty has no interest, none whatsoever.”8) Beyond the precise, rigorous formulation and fabrication of details, Mies’s projects all exuded the universality, clarity, and flexibility that are evocative of the rigors of classical architecture. This basic assemblage of elements would be repeated in nearly all of Mies’s projects over the next two decades.9

The work completed by Mies between 1951 and his death in 1969 included his most notable commissions: S.R. Crown Hall, the Seagram Building, Chicago Federal Center, Lafayette Park, and the Berlin National Gallery. His workload and office staff grew dramatically during this period, with Mies retiring from the directorship of IIT in 1958 to refocus his efforts on his growing list of international commissions.10 By the early 1960s, Mies’s failing health caused him increasingly to rely on his younger colleagues to oversee projects, at first Gene Summers and later Dirk Lohan, Joseph Fujikawa, and others; the formation of the “Office of Mies van der Rohe” in 1969 was reflective of the firm’s changing managerial structure.11

Mies’s reputation at this phase of this career was made evident by the glowing reception he received at the Commission of Fine Arts Meeting in February 1966, which he attended to present initial designs for the Downtown Central Library. During the Commission’s first review of the MLK Library design, the Commissioners referred to Mies as “a man we all look up to.”12 By this time, although Mies continued to exert a heavy influence on the aesthetic decisions of the architects under his employ, he had a less direct role in the management of the office or the design of most of its commissions. During the last few years of his professional activity, Mies concentrated his efforts on his most difficult or intriguing projects, including the Berlin National Gallery.13 However, the design of MLK Library should be more appropriately attributed to project managers Gene Summers and Jack Bowman and their colleagues under the influence of Mies as their boss and mentor. This became especially evident after Mies’s death in 1969, when Bowman continued to advocate for the integrity of the design in the face of budgetary limitations. The firm continued to operate until

8 Jordy, American Buildings, 226. 9 Schulze, Mies van der Rohe, 239-247. 10 Schulze, Mies van der Rohe, 312-313. 11 Detlef Mertins, Mies (London: Phaidon Press, 2014), 440. 12 “Transcript of Proceedings,” U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, February 15, 1966, 76. Bound copy at the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts Library. 13 Schulze, Mies van der Rohe, 312-313. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 5)

1975 as the “Office of Mies van der Rohe,” a partnership that was formed prior to his death between Joseph Fujikawa, Dirk Lohan, and Bruno Conterato.14

To design the building’s structural, mechanical, electrical, fire suppression, and plumbing systems, Mies’s firm collaborated with Nelson, Ostrom, Baskin, Berman Associates (NOBB) and Cosentini Associates, Inc. NOBB was a structural engineering firm founded in Chicago in 1955 by Robert Baskin, that specialized in the design of manufacturing and distribution facilities, including laboratories and cleanrooms.15 Costentini Associates was established by mechanical engineer Marvin Mass in 1952. Prior to the firm’s merger with Tetra Tech, Inc. in 1999, Consentini was regarded as one of the most innovative engineering firms in the United States. The firm’s area of expertise generally focused on the development of mechanical and electrical design systems, and it provided engineering services for projects that included corporate headquarters and campuses, office buildings, international and government buildings, command and control facilities, and large-scale mixed-use development.16

3. Original and subsequent owners, occupants, uses: MLK Library was originally owned and constructed by DCPL, which continues to own the building and site.

4. Builder, contractor, suppliers: The contract to construct MLK Library was awarded to the Blake Construction Company in July 1968, with a winning bid of $10,797,000. The company was founded by Jack I. Bender in Washington, D.C. in 1947.17 By 1968, it had grown to become one of the largest general contracting companies in the United States. After Bender’s death in 1966, his three sons continued to manage the firm. The firm’s projects included buildings, schools, and hospitals, as well as several large-scale federal building projects in the District, including the redevelopment of Southwest Washington under urban renewal, the Forrestal Building on Independence Avenue, and the second phase of the FBI Headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue.18

14 In 1975, the three surviving partners created their own firm: Fujikawa, Conterato, Lohan and Associates. Mertins, Mies, 440. 15 “Zevel Berman,” Chicago Tribune, July 10, 1986, accessed August 25, 2015, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-07- 10/news/8602190050_1_civil-engineer-berman-associates-mr-berman; Jeff Borden, “People,” Crain’s Chicago Business, January 9, 1999, accessed August 25, 2015, http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/19990109/ISSUE01/10001699?template=printart; In 1999, the firm merged with Raymond Architectural Group to create Raymond-NOBB, Inc., a full-service architectural/engineering company (“Merger Creates Full-Service Architectural Company,” Solid State Technology, February 1, 1999, accessed August 25, 2015, http://electroiq.com/blog/1999/02/merger-creates-full-service-architectural-company/). 16 “Deep Roots in Design,” Real Estate Weekly, accessed August 26, 2015, www.thefreelibrary.com; Cosentini Associates, “About Cosentini,” accessed August 26, 2015, www.cosentini.com; “New Downtown Central Library, Proposed Deletion from Construction,” DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 12, 1967, 9, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 17 Blake was Bender’s wife’s family name. 18 “Jack Bender Dies at 59; Head of Building Firm,” The Washington Post, December 9, 1966, B18, ProQuest Historical Newspapers. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 6)

All of the suppliers for building materials are not known. The following list includes known suppliers and the materials they provided:

Exterior curtain wall, steel components: Dauphin Steel and Engineering Company (Harrisburg, PA) Exterior glazing at first story, interior glazing, and glass at the exterior curtain wall: PPG Industries Acoustical tile ceilings with suspended aluminum frames: Armstrong 4’-0” fluorescent light fixture (fluorescent light bulb with translucent plastic cover), incandescent light fixture (incandescent light bulb), exterior soffit light fixture (unknown type of light bulb): General Electric Rockville Granite (exterior and interior elements): Cold Spring Granite Company, Rockville, MN Quarry Low-pile wool broadloom carpet: Stevens – Gullistan Ceramic tile: Keystone Ridgeway Co. Vinyl asbestos tile: Armstrong Ceiling-mounted analog clocks: Canterbury Wall-mounted clocks: General Electric

5. Original plans and construction:

Background The D.C. Public Library System was officially established on June 3, 1896 by an Act of Congress. Originally known as the Municipal Free Public Library, the library merged with the privately funded Washington Free Public Library on July 15, 1898. Shortly thereafter, industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie initially donated $250,000 for the construction of a permanent library. Situated at the center of Mount Vernon Square (one of the original fifteen public spaces identified by Pierre Charles L’Enfant in his 1791 plan for the city), the Neoclassical style Central Public Library was dedicated on January 3, 1903.

Throughout the ensuing decades, DCPL could not meet the growing demands placed on the public library system. By the early 1930s, the Central Library had become so overburdened that library operations were slowly being relocated to other buildings, allowing more space for public use. Although the removal of several offices and divisions did relieve the Central Library’s overcrowding, it also decentralized library operations and therefore, negatively affected the entire system’s efficiency. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 7)

Early Design and Planning By the late 1950s, the strains placed on the 1903 Central Library to meet the demands of an expanding, citywide library system had become acute. In spite of the protestations of Harry N. Peterson—who was appointed as the Library’s director and head librarian in 1947—both Congress and the Commissioners of the District of Columbia repeatedly failed to provide funding for a new central library, citing a lack of available funding and higher priorities for other capital projects. For example, the Six-Year Public Works Program developed by the Commissioners in 1959 designated a new central library as an unnecessary expenditure. Both the Library and the Citizen’s Advisory Council strenuously rejected, characterizing the old Central Library as “overcrowded” and “outgrown.”19

Several stopgap measures were initiated to improve conditions as the existing facility. In the 1960 budget request, the Library requested $45,000 (later increased to $79,000) in the capital budget to refurbish and expand the old Central Library, adding mezzanines in the east and west wings and an elevator to convey books between floors. These changes were agreed upon and completed around 1962. Later, also in 1962, the Board requested that $40,000 be added to the capital budget outlay to allow for the modernization of the electrical system in the old Central Library, portions of which still operated on direct current.20 Writing in 1959, Peterson expressed his frustration over the lack of funding for a new library facility in a letter to Walter L. Fowler, D.C. Budget Officer:

Naturally I am disappointed to note that funds had not been included to purchase a site for a badly-needed new Central Library building. If it becomes possible to make changes, it is hoped that this item will be inserted in 1965 or before; if not, that a new Central Library site will be added to the 1966 revision of the D.C. Public Works Program. As noted in previous justifications for this project, the present Central Library has long since outgrown its limited space (47,000 square feet). By an accepted yardstick for central libraries in cities of this size, Washington should have a central library at least six times the size of the present building. A comparison with other cities in our population group (800,000 to 1,000,000) shows that the next smallest central library (St. Louis) is 3½ times as large as ours, the largest (Boston) 8½ times as large.21

19 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, April 17, 1958, 5, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978; DCPL Board of Trustees, 1960 Budget for Trustees’ Approval, May 27, 1958, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 20 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, June 28, 1962, 4, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 21 Harry N. Peterson to Walter L. Fowler, Capital Outlay Project for Fiscal Year 1961, March 20, 1959. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 8)

The present Central Library in Washington was opened in 1903, when the population of Washington was about 300,000; in 1950 it was over 800,000. The metropolitan area has had even greater growth…The branches already built and those still to be built under the D.C. Public Works Program are badly needed. However, while such agencies satisfy most of the Library requirements of the communities they serve…they do not relieve the situation of the Central Library. On the contrary, each new branch actually imposes an additional burden on that agency…Unless provision is made to relieve the congestion at the Central Library through the construction of a new building, service throughout the system will be impaired. The present building, 56 years old and meant to serve a population of 300,000, is no longer adequate to carry out the service required by the Organic Act and the demands made upon it by the public. It is urged that funds for a site for a new and larger Central Library will be provided at an early dated while suitable sites are available and before costs rise. The construction of a new Central Library in the downtown area will, of course, contribute to the rehabilitation of that part of the city.22

In March 1960, Peterson received a letter from Knox Banner, Executive Director of the National Capital Downtown Committee, expressing interest in discussing a potential new Central Library as part of the rejuvenation efforts for Downtown. Peterson met with Banner and his staff in April and May to discuss the particulars of a new Central Library, expressing general support for the undertaking, particularly the mutually beneficial nature of shopping and library activity in attracting residents to downtown.23

Although Peterson was making progress in attracting the support of civic organizations in the development of a new central library, his budgetary requests were repeatedly dismissed. In the 1960 budget proposal, the Library proposed a capital outlay of $800,000 for a new central library site, with $25,000 for demolition.24 Although the request for funds to acquire a site were disapproved in both the 1960 and 1961 budgets, the Library Board did receive an appropriation of $15,000 in the 1962 budget to conduct a survey to examine the need for a new building. The request for this funding was not initiated by the Library Board, but rather by the Department of General

22 Peterson to Fowler, March 20, 1959. In response to his letter, Peterson was contacted by James McAllister, D.C. Administrative Services Officer, to arrange a meeting to discuss a potential site with representatives of the Budget, Finance, and Surveyor’s Offices. 23 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, April 18, 1960, 3, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 24 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, May 21, 1959, 4, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 9)

Administration, at the request of Director Schuyler Lowe.25 Peterson and the Board reiterated the need for a new central library building, although they expressed reservations that a survey would be a necessary expenditure.

Booz, Allen and Hamilton Report Using the $15,000 appropriated to study the need for a future Central Library, the National Capital Downtown Committee (NCDC, also sometimes referred to as “Downtown Progress”) engaged management consultant firm Booz, Allen & Hamilton to survey the current and future needs of a Central Library in the District of Columbia. Given the purview of the Committee, the study was to be directed to a future potential site in Downtown Washington. Included in the scope of the report was an assessment of the: “(1) present and projected population grown of the Washington metropolitan area, (2) past, present and future employment patterns in and around the Downtown of Washington, D.C., (3) economic status and age distribution of metropolitan area residents, (4) planned development of rapid transit facilities serving and/or intersecting downtown, and (5) tourist and other transient population trends.”26 The survey was to include projections for future trends, at five-year intervals, until 1980.

The contract for the Booz, Allen & Hamilton Report, as it became known, was formalized in early 1961, and the firm began work in March. Representatives of the firm toured the existing Central Library and the administrative building at 499 Pennsylvania Ave. and, according to Peterson, were “impressed with the lack of space.”27 Initial estimates made by the firm indicated that approximately 345,000 to 360,000 gross square feet would be required in a new facility.

Upon publication, not only did the Booz, Allen & Hamilton Report confirm the need for a new Central Library, but it also outlined in detail the deficiencies associated with the extant library facilities (“only 35% of the space necessary to perform efficiently and adequately the activities now being undertaken, and only 25% of the space needed to provide a full range of library services”) as well as the project space and facility requirements for a new building.28 The report offered five principal recommendations regarding the new facility:

25 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 15, 1959, 5, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 26 Draft Copy of Agreement Between the National Capital Planning Commission and Booz, Allen & Hamilton, DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, November 21, 1960. 27 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, April 17, 1961, 3-4, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 28 Booz, Allen & Hamilton, A Study of Central Library Facilities in the District of Columbia (Washington: The National Capital Downtown Committee, 1961), iv. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 10)

(1) A new central library structure should be a building containing at least 400,000 square feet. (2) The building should be located as near to the heart of the business district as possible. (3) The building should be located on a level, rectangular plot of land containing a minimum of 50,000 square feet of space. (4) One additional story should be provided on the building for ultimate expansion. This space can be used for District of other governmental offices until needed by the library. (5) The proposed new structure should be modern inside and out, with low ceilings, central heating and air conditioning. Permanent walls, columns or partitions should be kept minimal.29

To arrive at these conclusions, the report analyzed a broad sample of topics relating to the future central library, including the role and capacity of a central library, its ideal location within an urban area, the demographics of the Washington metropolitan area, the logistics of an integrated library system, and architectural style and physical arrangement. To generate reliable statistical calculations regarding the necessary square footage, the report referenced several published studies (most of which had been published in the 1940s, and were therefore somewhat outdated), paired with a detailed analysis of the program and storage needs projected against future population growth. The report arrived at a total of 400,000 square feet (more than five times the 77,000 square feet currently available, distributed across four facilities) with one or more extra floors for future use, either to be built in conjunction with the original structure, or appended later as the need arose.

Finally, the report analyzed the appropriate character and architectural design, recommending against a building of more than four stories, as having too many floors would hinder full access to the building. It advocated that the library be fully modern throughout, stating:

A library is not a monument; it is a service unit. Increasingly modern stores and office buildings are discontinuing the use of stone and brick in their construction and are turning to the practical use of metals. Curtain wall construction is now used in most high rise structures, and metal facades are characteristic of modern department stores…These new materials are cheaper

29 Booz, Allen & Hamilton, A Study of Central Library Facilities, v. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 11)

to use in construction, more economical to maintain and, in the final analysis, more beautiful than traditional materials.30

The report went on to detail the individual architectural characteristics of the library, including the use of extensive glazing on the ground floor:

A modern department store has large windows on the ground floor to display its wares or provide a view of the store’s interior. The same principle should be incorporated into the library building. People enter a modern store directly from the street without having to climb stairs. This feature is likewise necessary in a modern library. Both a library and a store should have an exterior that catches the eye, informs the viewer of its purpose and invites him to enter.31

Above the first floor, the report continued, there should be as few windows as possible: windows limited the flexibility of the space, created uneven environmental conditions, were costly to clean and maintain, and distracted readers. Instead, artificial light and temperature controls should be relied upon to create even and pleasant conditions. In all aspects of these recommendations, the report stressed flexibility and convenience as the ultimate goal.

Although Peterson and the Library Board of Trustees had expressed reservations about using public funds to study the need for a new Central Library—a need they believed was self-evident—the Booz, Allen & Hamilton Report later proved extremely influential in promoting the project. When the findings were presented to the District of Columbia Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, the argument was warmly received. U.S. Reprentative William Natcher—who would become the new Central Library’s champion in Congress—was particularly receptive. He offered a statement that later appeared in the Congressional Record: “The Central Library must be relocated. The present location at Eighth and K Streets NW is deplorable and certainly not conducive to the full use of a central library…This project should be placed high on the priority list, and time is of the essence.”32

Site Selection The report, finished in June, was presented to the Library Board of Trustees at their first fall meeting of 1961. They voted unanimously to accept the report and further

30 Booz, Allen & Hamilton, A Study of Central Library Facilities, 110. 31 Booz, Allen & Hamilton, A Study of Central Library Facilities, 111. 32 Congressman William Natcher, as quoted in DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, June 28, 1962, 6, MLK Library. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 12)

expressed the sentiment that its recommendations be carried out.33 The Library worked closely with the NCDC to refine their needs and expectations for the new facility. In November 1961, Peterson wrote to Leo Stern of the NCDC on that subject. Architecturally, his vision for the future Central Library echoed the recommendations of the Booz, Allen & Hamilton Report and bore a striking similarly to what would eventually be realized, a full decade later:

The portion of the building facing on a principal street will have glass windows. In fact, as I visualize the structure, there will be a virtually continuous band of glass windows the entire length of the first floor. This will make it possible to have frequently changed displays of books and other library materials, exhibits indicating the services available, and posters announcing the educational, cultural, and recreational programs scheduled for both the daytime and evening hours. Furthermore, the windows will enable passersby to look into the Library and see what, in effect, will be “living exhibits” of library users coming and going, doing reference work, reading, viewing exhibits, etc.

The first floor will be the place of greatest activity. In this location we plan to have the services that involve the greatest amount of in-and-out traffic. This will be done for the convenience of the readers and also to reduce the use of elevators and other vertical communications, making it possible to operate the building with a minimal staff.34

In contrast, NCDC strongly favored a retail presence on the ground floor—particularly if the site were to be located along F or G streets—to ensure the continuity of pedestrian retail traffic. Despite these minor differences of opinion, in the fall of 1961, NCDC voted officially to support a new Central Library in Downtown, specifying that, in the interest of serving the greatest proportion of the population of the metropolitan area, it be located in the center of Downtown on a site accessible to mass transportation. Additionally, the site should accommodate a facility expandable to at least 400,000 square feet to meet community needs until 1980.35

33 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 16, 1961, 2, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 34 Harry N. Peterson to Leo Stern, NCDC, November 2, 1961, DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, November 20, 1961, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. In addition to the Booz, Allen & Hamilton Report, Peterson’s ideas were strongly influenced by a 1941 text on modern library design, The American Public Library Building, which stressed the ideal of the “…free, flexible availability of the entire first floor for nearly all purposeful adult readers” (Quoted in DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, 1964-1965). The book’s authors, Joseph Lewis Wheeler and Alfred Morton Githens, were librarians themselves, who wrote extensively on library design. Although the text was somewhat outdated by the early 1960s, it remained the authoritative text for the planning of a modern library. 35 “National Capital Downtown Committee, Inc., Resolution in Support of New D.C. Central Library, November 26, 1961,” DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, January 15, 1962, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 13)

Committed to a site Downtown, the Library Board weighed the options before them at their January 1962 meeting. The Booz, Allen & Hamilton Report had developed a list of four sites that met its specified criteria of size (at least 50,000 square feet), configuration (level and rectangular), and location (along a major thoroughfare and convenient to public transportation and automobile parking). Those sites were:

A portion of Square 321, facing F Street between Eleventh and Twelfth Streets; Square 344, bound by H, I, Tenth, and Eleventh Streets; A portion of Square 375, facing Ninth and G Streets; and Square 406, bound by E, F, Eighth, and Ninth Streets.36

The Board reviewed this list, finding the Square 321 site to be ideally located but prohibitively expensive to acquire. The sites on Squares 344 and 406 were deemed too far removed from pedestrian activity. The land on Square 375 was deemed the best option, seconded by the recommendation of NCDC. Formal decision on the site was deferred to the February meeting, to allow Peterson time to investigate another potential option, the site of the North Building of the Woodward and Lothrop department store.37

At their February 1962 meeting, the Board of Trustees formally selected the site at Ninth and G streets as the location of the future Central Library (the Woodward and Lothrop site had been dismissed as too small). The Board enumerated the several benefits of the chosen site. When compared to the other properties under consideration (particularly those facing F Street), it was considerably less expensive, costing only $1.8 million, or comfortably $1.2 million less than the amount estimated by the Booz, Allen Report. At approximately 76,000 square feet, it would also accommodate the total 400,000 square feet recommended (50,000 square feet per floor, for a total of four stories aboveground and four below). One member of the Board also expressed interest in the building accommodating parking.38

Despite the reduced site acquisition estimate, in May 1962 the Library submitted a request of the full $3 million to the D.C. Budget Office for its 1964 Capital Outlay Budget. In their meeting of the same month, the Board voted to rename the future facility as “The Downtown Library,” to distinguish it from the existing Central Library

Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. In addition to this formal offering of support from NCDC, Peterson and the Board of Trustees received a letter of support from the D.C. Recreation Board, which also requested that a public auditorium be included in the building program. 36 Booz, Allen & Hamilton, A Study of Central Library Facilities, 132-137. 37 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, January 15, 1962, 5-6, MLK Library. 38 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, February 19, 1962, 4, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 14)

and to emphasize its connection to the downtown area.39 At this time, both Peterson and the Library Board of Trustees began to consider in earnest the cost of the proposed undertaking—more specifically, the need to integrate funding requests into the Six- Year Public Works Program. Peterson tailored the initial estimates presented in the Booz, Allen & Hamilton Report ($12 million for site acquisition, construction, and furnishings) to align with annual funding in the 1964-1969 Program:

1964 Site $ 3,000,000 (“may be less”) 1965 Plans and 650,000 Specifications 1966 Construction 8,000,000 1967 Equipment 1,000,000 Total $ 12,650,000

By January 1963, the D.C. Board of Commissioners had requested $1,430,600 to acquire the proposed site for the new Downtown Library. Despite being significantly less than the $3 million first estimated, the request was relegated to the “B” budget for the 1964 fiscal year (the “B” budget addressed items for which no known funding had been identified, thereby requiring congressional approval to borrow or reallocate the funds). By March, the anticipated receipt of funds for construction had also been delayed from 1966 to 1967.40 Hearings for the “B” budget took place in November 1963. Despite the strong support of the House Subcommittee for the new Downtown Library—and in particular the support of its Chairman, Representative Natcher—that item of the budget failed to pass the corresponding Senate Subcommittee.41

As the negotiations progressed, the timeline of the new Downtown Library project was expanded, and the estimated costs rose correspondingly. An appraisal of the value of the Ninth and G streets site made in the spring of 1964 assessed its value at $2,351,000—nearly $1 million more than initially requested, although still within the $3 million estimated by the Booz, Allen Report.42 Nevertheless, the D.C. Budget Office and Library Board were repeatedly met with frustrations at the refusal of the

39 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, May 21, 1962, 5, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 40 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, March 18, 1963, 8, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 41 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, January 9, 1964, 4, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 42 O.S. Colclough to Robert C. Byrd, March 11, 1964, DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, March 12, 1964, Attachment, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 15)

Senate Subcommittee to authorize funds for site acquisition for the 1966 budget, although there was a chance they would be reinstated in conference. Vexed by the lack of progress, the Board convened a special meeting in August 1964 to consider alternatives, although they failed to reach a consensus on a satisfactory alternative.43

Upon receiving notice several days later that the funds for site acquisition had been restored in conference, the Board convened a second special meeting to tour the proposed sites and finalize their selection. Despite some ambivalence among Board members, they confirmed the Ninth and G site as their preferred alternative.44 The Board members met with the District Commissioners in September to present their preferred option, with the latter body concurring on their selection, although they too worried over lack of funds needed to accommodate rising land values.45

By November, the National Capital Planning Commission had approved the site for the new Downtown Library. Rising costs, however, limited the number of parcels that could be purchased with the $2,351,000 appropriation to approximately 54,000 square feet, just above the minimum specified in the Booz, Allen Report. The D.C. Commissioners—stating that they desired to acquire additional land for automobile parking on the western 22,000 square feet of the site—requested $970,000 to purchase the ten remaining lots. Representative Natcher strongly supported the measure, which was approved as a supplemental appropriation in the spring of 1965. The 76,000 square feet of the future Downtown Library site were purchased from a total congressional appropriation of $3,321,000.46

Square 375 Square 375 is bound by G, H, Ninth, and Tenth streets. The square is subdivided into northern and southern portions by G Place, a public right of way. When the Square had been originally plotted in the late eighteenth century, it was laid out as a single, large block—making it one of the larger squares in the original Federal City. Record of the existence of Grant Place (or Street) first appeared in newspaper records in the late 1860s and on maps in the early 1870s; it was likely named for Union General Ulysses S. Grant, who became a popular Northern hero during the Civil War and in 1868 was elected the eighteenth President of the United States. The period immediately

43 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, August 6, 1964, 1-3, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 44 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, August 25, 1964, 1-3, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 45 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 10, 1964, 1-3, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 46 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, June 10, 1965, 2, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Division, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 16)

following the Civil War was one of intense urban development in the District of Columbia. Municipal improvements instituted by the Board of Public Works included the paving of streets and the laying of gas, water, and sewer lines, which supported a concentration of building activity in the city’s downtown core.47 The addition of Grant Place to the oversized Square 375 allowed for the creation of new, smaller lots with valuable street frontage. The lower portion of the Square, south of Grant Place, was subdivided internally by two north-south alleys and one east-west alley, which together formed an H pattern.

By the time that lot acquisition for the future Downtown Library was underway, the southern portion of Square 375 was a mix of row houses, midsize commercial buildings, some open space used for parking, and a large Congregational Church facing G and Tenth streets. Many of the commercial buildings were Italianate masonry buildings, with heavy cornices and arched window openings, similar to what remains in the Downtown Historic District today. The western portion of the site, facing Tenth and G streets, contained the First Congregational Church building. Designed by the Charlottesville, Virginia architect Milton L. Grigg and completed in the spring of 1961, the building replaced an earlier church that had been built on the site in the 1860s. The new church had a boxy, Modernist design with a prominent tower at the southwest corner. Also by that time, Grant Place had been reduced in name to G Place.

Space for the library building and associated parking facilities amounted to 76,000 square feet, or the entirety of the southern part of the square extending from Ninth Street to the westernmost alley. In fact, the only property to remain intact was the Congregational Church. Work to acquire the land progressed slowly, largely a function of the need to find suitable relocation sites for displaced low-income occupants. The final properties were acquired by the District by December 1966, although the buildings remained in use for some time and were rented until they were demolished the following August.

“Statement of Program” With funds in hand and lot acquisition underway, the Commissioners and Library Board turned their attentions to future funding requests and to the development of a program for the Downtown Library. By June 1965, in the last Library Board Meeting before their summer recess, Peterson presented the draft findings of his “Statement of Program” for the building. The program was presented through a series of highly

47 “Blagden Alley/Naylor Court Historic District,” National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Washington, D.C., September 1990), 8:4-11. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 17)

developed schematic plans for the building, which Peterson stated would be supplemented by a written narrative that he was preparing.48 As completed, Peterson’s schematic drawings depicted a rectangular building measuring 250’-0” by 175’-0”, defined by a 25’-0” foot columnar grid. The building contained six stories, two below ground and four above (poor soil conditions and the pending subway construction limited additional excavation, according to Peterson). Each floor plate contained 43,750 square feet, for a total building area of 262,500 square feet. The schematic plans established basic programmatic adjacencies for the building, provided the names for the “A” and “B” basement levels, and located the parking and loading facilities on the exterior of the site along the western edge of the building. The Board reviewed and offered comment on Peterson’s successive rounds of sketches (there were at least five rounds of revisions), which was finalized in August with minor revisions in November 1965.49

Architect Selection Both Peterson and the Board of Trustees were sensitive to the quality of the architecture of their new buildings, both the branches as well as the Downtown Central Library, having received criticism in the past for the uninspired designs of their branches. In April 1964, Wolf Von Eckardt, art and architectural critic for the Washington Post, had published a scathing review of the District’s branch libraries, which had been rapidly constructed during the 1950s and 1960s to serve the city’s growing population. Eckardt likened one branch to a “margarine factory or the sales office of a bathroom tissue company,” stating that their use had been reduced to “…a warehouse to keep books and their readers out of the rain.”50 At the time the article had been published, the Board generally agreed with its sentiment.

Despite their architectural aspirations, the Library Board had no direct involvement with the selection of architects or contractors for any of their facilities. Instead, responsibility for the construction, repair, and improvement of the physical plant of Washington was held by the District Board of Commissioners under the direction of the Engineer Commissioner, who oversaw the activity of the Department of Buildings and Grounds and its director. Established in 1953, the Department of Buildings and Grounds had replaced the Office of the Municipal Architect (which had been abolished

48 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, June 10, 1965, 5-9, MLK Library. 49 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, June 10, 1965, 5-9, MLK Library. 50 “D.C. Libraries Are Fine Rain Shelters,” Washington Post, April 5, 1964, G:8. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 18)

in 1952), as well as consolidated the functions of several other construction and repair divisions into a single department.51

In June 1964, James A. Blaser, Director of the Department of Buildings and Grounds, had informed the Board that the cost of plans and specifications for the Downtown Library had been increased from $650,000 to $800,000, to include construction supervision. Presenting this information to the Board, Peterson intimated that it may correlate to the “desire to attract an outstanding architect,” although at the time he expressed reservations that any such firms would enter an architectural competition for the project.52 By 1965, however, that view had been reversed. At their June 1965 meeting, the Board had recorded that about thirty-five architects had expressed interest in the commission, including an associate of Richard Neutra, the eminent Modernist architect.53

Recognizing the prominence of the Downtown Central Library (as compared to the branch libraries, which generally underwent a closed architect procurement process), the Department of Buildings and Grounds convened a panel of experts to select an architect for the building. In a letter to William Walton, chair of the Commission of Fine Arts, Engineer Commissioner Charles Duke wrote:

This facility is perhaps the most significant on a community-wide basis that the District Government has planned in many years. Since it will serve a diversified citizenry and since numerous interested citizen and business groups have support the project in several ways through its current status, I feel it extremely appropriate that a special panel of individuals, representing civic groups interested in the project, recommend to me three architect-engineer organizations in order of priority to execute the design of the library.54

Duke invited Walton to serve on the panel, in addition to Knox Banner (executive director of NCDC), Benjamin McKelway (former editor of the Washington Star), Elizabeth Rowe (Chair of the National Capital Planning Commission), and Frank Wolfsheimer (Chair of the District Commissioners’ Planning and Urban Renewal Advisory Council). Although the final members of the panel and the nature and extent

51 “§ 1–333.05. Duties of Municipal Architect. [Repealed],” Code of the District of Columbia (Unofficial), accessed August 12, 2015, http://dccode.org/simple/sections/1-333.05~P.html. In 1969, the responsibilities of the Department of Buildings and Grounds were transferred to the Department of General Services. 52 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, April 18, 1964, 3-4, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 53 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, June 10, 1965, 5-6, MLK Library. 54 Brig. Gen. Charles M. Duke to William Walton, April 28, 1965. National Archives Record Group 66, Records of the Commission of Fine Arts, Entry 17A, Project Files. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 19)

of their deliberations are not known, Duke anticipated that their recommendation would be made by early July.55 In late September 1965, Duke formally announced that negotiations had been completed with the winning candidate, the renowned Modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.56 When the Board reconvened in October, they heartily expressed their approval of the selection.

Preliminary Designs In the fall of 1965, the $800,000 to prepare plans and specifications was appropriated for the 1966 fiscal year, allowing Mies’s firm to begin the design process. Their contract began on October 1, with a fourteen-month design period to conclude in December 1966 (the dates were soon revised to November 1, 1965 and February 28, 1967, respectively).57 Beginning in October, the firm progressed sufficiently rapidly to present to the District Commissioners by December and to the Commission of Fine Arts by February of the following year.

The preliminary design incorporated several of the planning suggestions provided by Peterson’s schematic sketches and adapted them into a midrise form typical of Mies’s work. Although Mies’s work has been generally categorized into two building types— one-story buildings and skyscrapers—he did design a number of three- and four-story buildings very similar to his design for the Downtown Central Library. These designs followed the basic prototype established by 860-880 Lake Shore Drive in the late 1940s: a well-ordered, rectilinear form; recessed loggia with stilted columns; predominantly glazed first story with visually prominent cores; and a gridded curtain wall glazing system with applied beams. Although the plan would be tweaked to provide additional program space for the Library, its essential layout and aesthetic was established in these early designs.

Among the topics discussed in the earliest pieces of correspondence among James Blaser, Peterson, and Mies was the selection of art for the library building. Writing to Mies in early November, Peterson conveyed the Board’s desire “…that provision is made in the planning for art in the form of painting, sculpture, etc., whatever in your judgment is appropriate.”58 The letter was conveyed to Mies by Blaser, who added, “It is to be noted that funds appropriated to date cover only design of the facility and those for which appropriation is anticipated will cover only construction thereof, with no

55 Duke to Walton, April 28, 1965. National Archives Record Group 66, Records of the Commission of Fine Arts, Entry 17A, Project Files. 56 “Mies Named To Design D.C. Library,” Washington Post, September 23, 1965, A1. 57 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 14, 1965, 3-5, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 58 Harry Peterson to Mies van der Rohe, November 1, 1965. MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 3, Subseries 02, Box 78. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 20)

funds included for works of art. Spaces in which works of art may be displayed upon future acquisition with other funds of by gift, of course, may develop during your prosecution of design.”59 Responding to these letters, Mies wrote:

There will certainly be areas in the building where paintings, tapestries, and/or sculpture can be used to enrich the areas; however, I believe that first should come the building and when the spaces are actually built, various objects can be tried.

I do not believe in commissioning a painter or sculptor to do a piece for a specific spot in a building – it is much more reasonable to place a found object which is of the highest quality in its own rights. We will be very delighted to help locate good pieces of work at a later date if the funds are available.60

Throughout the design and construction administration process, the architects visited Washington often (usually monthly)—at first Summers and later his successor Jack Bowman, sometimes accompanied by Mies or another associate of the office. In November 1965, Summers met with Peterson and several additional staff members to review the Statement of Program and discuss the details of book storage and conveyance devices. At that meeting, Summers stated that Mies “…wanted to eliminate as many walls as possible [in the new library].”61 Also at that meeting, Summers presented the concept of bridging the entire site with a building, eliminating the at-grade parking specified for the western portion of the site and instead creating an indoor parking garage. This reconfiguration would require the 25’-0” structural module suggested by Peterson in the Statement of Program to be expanded to 30’-0” (which would allow three 10’-0” spaces per bay in the underground parking garage).

The first designs were submitted to Commissioners in December 1965 and were presented to the Library Board and staff in January 1966. Both parties provided extensive comments on the design, with the focus of the staff comments generally limited to programmatic allocations of space and adjacencies, and Board comments to considerations of function and cost. One major change resulted from these comments: several of the staff commented that more public space on the ground floor would be desirable. The design as presented in January showed the ground floor recessed from

59 James A. Blaser to Mies van der Rohe, November 3, 1965. MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 3, Subseries 02, Box 78. 60 Mies van der Rohe to James A. Blaser, November 10, 1965. MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 3, Subseries 02, Box 78. 61 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, February 10, 1966, 3, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 21)

the floors above by a full column bay on all sides. The plan was later modified to expand the reading rooms and cores on the ground floor to the north by 20’-0”. This change enlarged both reading rooms by about 600 square feet, and similarly expanded the adjacent cores, creating a deeper recess within the loading area and also reducing the depth of the north loggia.62 To allow for a future fifth-story addition, the mechanical equipment was placed in the C level sub-basement, with the roof kept relatively clear of obstacles for future expansion.

Agency Review and Public Reception Before the change could be made, however, the design was presented to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts at its February 1966 meeting. At the time, members of the Commission included the artists William Walton and Theodore Roszak, architects Gordon Bunshaft and John Carl Warnecke, urban planner Burnham Kelly, art critic Aline Saarinen, and landscape architect Hideo Sasaki. Two models, photographs, and drawings of the design were presented by the Commission Secretary C. H. Atherton in the morning session. Atherton reviewed the details of the design with the Commissioners, who approved it unanimously.

Mies, Summers, Peterson, and other representatives of the Library attended the afternoon session to further discuss the design. The tone of that session was adulatory. Walton, who also acted as Chairman, praised it at length:

This is a very happy moment for all of us to welcome a man we all look up to…We ordinarily are often accused of putting architects on the griddle, but today the reverse of the process is about to happen, we think. We are prepared to listen to anything that you have to say about your project, your process, and your product…we do think [the design] is very beautiful and we’re full of admiration and among other things, your speed is very remarkable, because we know when you were commissioned and now we see a very beautiful thing before our eyes.63

Mies, as was his custom, spoke very little, although upon pressure from the Commission he supplied the following comments:

…I think that really, you know, we worked with the Library people together, you know, with the District people, and then we tried to get a clear picture of

62 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, November 17, 1965, 8-9, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 63 “Transcript of Proceedings,” 76. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 22)

what the library really is…our library, that depends on the books, depends on where you want to store the books and what to do. You know here the program was clear, and we tried to just translate it in an architectural language. That was about what we intended to do.64

Summers expanded on the technical process of the design, elaborating on how they arrived at the building footprint, which involved expanding the building to the west to cover the additional site area acquired to provide parking, and relocating the parking facilities to the second basement level. Commission members also discussed the granite paving at length, strongly urging the library and architects to retain the granite extending from the curb to the building interior. The architects confirmed that granite was their preferred material, although other materials (like the green marble wall cladding shown on the model and photographs) were not discussed.

What followed was an outpouring of mutual admiration on behalf of the Commissioners, the architect, the Library Board, and Peterson. Peterson called it “…the most functional, the most beautiful and most dramatic public library building in the United States…” Chairman Walton concluded: “Mies, it’s a very happy moment to tell you the Commission of Fine Arts wholeheartedly and unanimously approves your design and think the City of Washington is lucky to have it.”65

The material presented at the Commission of Fine Arts meeting was the public’s first opportunity to see the design. Press coverage was similarly positive. Eckardt wrote in the Post: “It is true, of course, that the building is in itself a work of art, undoubtedly the best example of the art of modern architecture, aside from Eero Saarinen’s Dulles airport, we shall have in Washington. We must be grateful to the District Commissioners, particularly [Engineer Commissioner] Duke, for having had the courage to commission Mies.”66 In another article, he wrote: “Mies, as his designs for our new library shows, reflects a beauty of simplicity, of exquisite proportions, or attention to detail and structural logic as any period in history has produced.”67 Another article, published in the Evening Star, wrote extensively on the integrated nature of the library operations and the building’s inherent flexibility.68 Despite the general praise, however, these articles hinted that the reception was not universally positive. They mentioned that some viewed the library design—indeed, the entire body of Mies’s work—as too cold, institutional, and derivative of his earlier and better projects.

64 “Transcript of Proceedings,” 77. 65 “Transcript of Proceedings,” 83. 66 Wolf Von Eckardt, “Experts Praise Plan For New D.C. Library,” Washington Post, February 16, 1966, C3. 67 Wolf Von Eckardt, “Light 80 Candles on the Library,” Washington Post, February 20, 1966, G7. 68 Mary Mix Foley, “A Modern Crystal Palace for Our Public Library,” Evening Star, March 6, 1966. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 23)

The design was presented to the National Capital Planning Commission on May 5, 1966. The plan, which the Commission approved, received little press at the time, being buried, as it were, under a much more controversial debate regarding the curtailment of the highway projects proposed for Washington. Engineer Commissioner Duke, however, praised the design, calling it “superb…a work of joy.”69

Design Development Design development continued throughout the spring and summer of 1966. Major alterations undertaken during this period reflected the architect’s and Library’s evolving understanding of the operational needs of the new facility. Although the changes described below certainly had impacts on the appearance of the building, their intention was to improve the operational and programmatic elements of the building rather than the aesthetic ones. A majority of the material and design decisions made by Mies and his staff were accepted by the Library, budget allowing. Furthermore, the architectural and construction details of the building were not shared with Library staff or Board members until the construction documents were presented in October 1967. Therefore, it would appear that the aesthetic design decisions emerged fully formed from the Mies canon and applied to a program almost wholly influenced by Peterson, his staff, and the Library Board. In May 1966, while these changes were underway, Gene Summers resigned from the firm; John “Jack” Bowman assumed responsibility for the project management position.70

Major changes made to the design during this period included the redistribution of programmatic elements, the selection and placement of library equipment, the expansion of the first-floor reading rooms to occupy a greater area of the loggia to the north, and the reconfiguration of the vehicular ramps on the north. In the original designs, the ramp entrances faced inward, directly adjacent to the loading bays. The Traffic Division of the D.C. Highways Department required that they be realigned to exit on the west alley and Ninth Street to avoid cross traffic along G Place and in front of the loading docks.

Being interviewed on the project nearly fifty years later, Bowman recounted the process by which another major change was made to the design. The firm had misestimated the number of direct exterior egresses they would need to meet code requirements. Although building codes generally allowed them to provide means of egress that

69 Jack Eisen, “NCPC Suggests Delaying Some Freeway Jobs,” Washington Post, May 6, 1966, C1. 70 Summers reportedly left the firm over differences of opinion with Mies over the pursuit of new projects. He later became partner in charge of design at C.F. Murphy, a large firm based in Chicago. Summers died in 2011. Fred A. Bernstein, “Gene Summers, Modernist Architect, Dies at 83,” New York Times, December 20, 2011, B11. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 24)

opened into an interior lobby, such was not the case in Washington, which required a direct link to the exterior. To meet egress requirements for the A (first basement) level, the architects determined that a direct exit to the south plaza was necessary. Their first approach was to install open stairwells in the plaza connecting with the A level below, which were panned by the Library Board as being too like “subway entrances.” Instead, the cores on the first floor were projected into the plaza by approximately 8’- 0”, allowing for side-facing egress doors but also creating the sense of a recessed vestibule at the main entrance.71

At their June 1966 meeting, the Board reviewed the initial specifications prepared for the library. This discussion included the first Board’s first mention of the major cladding material throughout the building. Although the earliest models of the building had suggested a dark stone for the building—suggestive of the heavily veined verde antique marble used on the exterior benches of the Seagram Building—that material does not appear to have been seriously considered, given the budgetary restrictions of the project.72 One member of the Board suggested that black glazed brick had been presented as a potential option, although this appears to have been limited to the cladding of the roof penthouses. By June, however, the firm had proposed a specific type and color of brick (a light gray “Fire Speck Face Brick,” in a standard dimension), a choice that Peterson reaffirmed to the Board in October, stating: “[The material] will be a warm tan (gray) brick. Mies van der Rohe is enthusiastic about this. The brick is easily cleaned and cannot be defaced,” also noting the prohibitive expense of the marble. Other details revealed through this discussion included Mies’s insistence on not hiring a landscape architect for the project, as well as for the use of black granite throughout the first floor and plaza.73

The initial specifications cited by Peterson above included most of the materials eventually used to construct and finish the building (although there were a number of changes): concrete block on the non-public spaces of the A and B levels; Rockville granite on the exterior (where it would have a flame finish) and interior first floor (honed finish); ASTM A-7 steel for the exterior curtain wall and ground-floor column covers; Type A-A Irving “X – bar” grating for the ground-floor fresh air intakes; Type 2 Modular Concealed Systems metal pan acoustic tile ceiling units; 0’-3/8” clear plate

71 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 13, 1966, 9, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 72 The historical record often refers to the material considered as “green marble,” although the exact specifications are not known. It is likely that the material under consideration was a verde antique, which was often used as a decorative facing stone and prized for its deep green color, dramatic white veining, and high polish. It is often incorrectly classified as a marble, although it is in fact a serpentinite breccia. This material was used by the firm in other projects, including the exterior benches of the Seagram Building and the lobby of 900/910 Lake Shore Drive. 73 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 13, 1966, 9, MLK Library. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 25)

glass for the ground floor; 0’-3/8” bronze plate glass for the typical curtain wall; American black walnut for all finished wood surfaces (later replaced by oak); Alexander Smith 4058R/37 wheat beige tweed carpet in the east and west ground-floor reading rooms; etc.74

The completed set of construction drawings were delivered to the Department of Buildings and Grounds in October 1967. Concerned that the bids for construction might exceed the $12 million budgeted (but not yet allocated), the Department of Buildings and Grounds developed an extensive list of line items that could be scrapped from the design, or reallocated to the equipment fund. Duplicate elevators (passenger, freight, and staff) and kitchen equipment were those most commonly targeted for removal, although the list also included the elimination of paint on certain surfaces, substitution of concrete block for brick, elimination of acoustic tile on the A level, use of less expensive light fixtures, and substitution of specialty Rockville granite curbs for the standard granite.75

By October, the architects had also decided to eliminate all planting from the plaza, stating:

Since the time our drawing was prepared we have made extensive studies in scale model form of the sidewalk in front of the subject building. Although the planting areas in question were originally suggested by this office the proposal was put forth without the benefit of a large-scale model. In the course of reviewing this problem recently Mies came to the conclusion that it would be best to eliminate the planting entirely. In line with Mies’s decision we are deleting this work from the contract drawings.76

“Life of the Building” In December of 1967—two months after the Library had received the final construction documents for the building—it developed a prospectus for the lifespan of the Downtown Central Library from the perspective of the growth of the collection, entitled “Life of the Building.” This document provided an interesting insight into the perceived need of the fifth-floor addition first recommended by the Booz, Allen Report, and perhaps why it was never implemented. In 1967, the Library possessed about

74 “New Downtown Central Library – Outline Specifications,” May 12, 1966, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 3, Subseries 02, Box 78. 75 “New Downton Central Library, Proposed Deletion from Construction,” DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 12, 1967, 9, MLK Library. 76 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 12, 1967, 9, MLK Library. It does not appear that the architects ever considered the planting plan in detail. The earliest elevations of the building were rendered with the wispy, sculptural trees that often appeared in Mies drawings. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 26)

830,000 volumes, with about a third of those in circulation in any given time. With a total book capacity of about 1.4 million volumes, the library’s lifespan (assuming an average yearly growth of 19,000 volumes) was 44 years. The fifth-floor addition would accommodate 65,000 square feet (or space for about 900,000 addition volumes), more than doubling the lifespan to ninety-two years total. Clearing the B level of parking would add another 34,000 square feet, bringing the total lifespan to 150 years. (The 1903 Central Library had been in service for sixty-four years by that time and was considered woefully small and outdated.)77

This document is one of the few that sheds a detailed light on the Library’s plan to expand the building over time. They envisioned that it would be necessary to do so circa 2011 (forty-four years after 1967, not accounting for construction time), and that the addition would fill the entire 65,000 square foot area of the building’s floor plate— essentially one large room devoted to stacks. No other visual evidence of the addition’s proposed appearance has been discovered.78

Construction The nearly $12 million to construct the building were requested and approved for the 1968 fiscal year budget. With the appropriations in place, the Department of Buildings and Grounds began to establish bidding and construction schedules. In January 1968, it was forecast that construction would start in May 1968 with a completion date of May 1970. By June, the construction start date had slipped to late July.

After the Blake Construction Company was awarded its contract in July, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Downtown Central Library was held on July 31, 1968.79 Under the heat of the late summer sun, Deputy Mayor Thomas W. Fletcher presided over the ceremony, which hosted an extensive list of speakers that included the Reverends David J. Robb and William H. Hoffmann (pastors of nearby churches), Mayor Walter Washington, Representative Andrew Jacobs, Jr., Peterson, and other library officials. Bowman and Dirk Lohan—Mies’s grandson and an associate and later partner in the firm—also attended the ceremony.80

To facilitate the construction schedule, the existing buildings on the site had been demolished several months prior. Some minor utility work had been completed on the

77 D.C. Public Library, “New Downtown Central Library: Life of the Building,” December 4, 1967, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 3, Subseries 02, Box 76. 78 D.C. Public Library, “New Downtown Central,” December 4, 1967, MLK Library. 79 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 10, 1968, 8, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 80 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 10, 1968, 8, MLK Library. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 27)

site, which was otherwise left clear and used as a rental parking lot until excavation began. From August 1968, the excavation and pouring of foundations continued into the spring of 1969. Originally anticipated for completion in August 1970, the completion date was later pushed to December, partially the result of several union strikes that occurred during this period and affected construction throughout the District. 81

Equipment and Furniture With construction underway, the Library staff turned its attention to the selection and purchase of equipment for the new building. Although the Office of Mies van der Rohe was not under contract to perform this task (beyond the fixed pieces that they themselves designed), Bowman realized the importance of furniture selection to the aesthetic harmony of the building, and he offered his services gratis.82 Extensive correspondence has survived between Peterson and various manufacturers inquiring as to the cost and specifications of various items, as well as between Peterson and Bowman weighing the merits of those products.

Many of the pieces selected were acquired through standing government procurement contracts, and were therefore comparable to those items obtained for other libraries and government buildings in the District. Sometimes, these pieces were modified (usually painted black) to correspond to the architectural details of the building. In some cases, due to limited funds, furniture was sourced from existing library facilities. In addition to collaborating with Peterson on the selection of pieces, Bowman developed the final equipment layouts, which appear to have been based on mock-ups provided by the staff of the respective departments. Although these furniture and equipment layouts often did not appear in the construction document drawings, Bowman communicated his layouts to Peterson through written narratives or floor plan sketches.

The firm designed a limited number of fixed pieces, most of which were located in the ground-floor main lobby. This included the charge and return desks, information counter, and floating shelves mounted along the north wall. The information counter was a C-shaped desk located directly in front of the main entrance; the charge and return desks were located to the immediate west and east, respectively. All of these pieces were constructed of veneered plywood or chipboard with 0’-1½” Rockville granite counters on the outer sides and black plastic laminate on the inner. Outer surfaces were finished with hardwood panels with a rift sawn white oak veneer with a

81 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, June 12, 1969, 5, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978; Martin Weil, “Carpenters Strike Cuts Down Building,” Washington Post, June 1, 1969, 53. 82 John Bowman, Interview by Bill Marzella et al., July 7, 2015. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 28)

vertical grain. Integral to the fixed counters were the numerous shelves, drawers, and open cubbies necessary for their operation. The return counter also featured a concealed motorized belt, which connected with the building’s complex book conveyance system. The desks were anchored into the concrete floor, which was with inset granite bases.

Although the ten card catalogs in the main lobby were not in the construction contract, the firm also designed the bases of the catalogs, which allowed them to direct their exact placement along the north side of the lobby. Unlike the fixed pieces, these bases rested atop the flooring, allowing them to be removed without damage to the underlying granite floor.83

The allocation for furniture and equipment was about $1 million of the total construction budget. In addition to fixed and moveable furniture, necessary equipment included telephone and communications, book delivery and conveyance, pneumatic document delivery, video and sound projection, carpeting, venetian blinds, and other various systems. In May 1970, Peterson presented the equipment layouts prepared by the architecture firm as well as a list of preferred equipment. Although the Library had no direct authority in the selection of equipment, Peterson and Bowman collaborated closely to ensure that the pieces selected met the operational and aesthetic requirements of the new building.

For a select number of moveable pieces of furniture, Bowman chose icons of Mid- Century industrial design, including pieces designed by Charles and Ray Eames (Molded Barrel Chairs and Tandem Sling Seats manufactured by Herman Miller), Florence Knoll Bassett (Italian marble-top tables manufactured by Knoll), and Mies himself (Brno, Barcelona, and Tugendhat chairs as well as Barcelona tables). These pieces were distributed throughout the public spaces of the building, including the ground-floor central lobby and reading rooms, as well the administrative suite on the fourth floor. The purchase of such rarified goods necessitated persuasion on the part of Bowman, who in May 1971 wrote to the Library:

Our success will depend, in no small part, on the quality, durability and appearance of the interior furnishings and their harmony with the building’s architecture. We believe the standards for the selection of furnishings for such an important public building should be quite different from those generally applied…Mies’s furniture has been designed only for those large or otherwise

83 The firm also designed a number of similar, if more simple, desks for the upper-floors reading rooms, but these do not appear to have been constructed. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 29)

important spaces which offer a suitable setting and which are frequented by the public. We consider the utilization of Mies van der Rohe furniture in the designated areas of this building to be essential to the achievement of a consummate work of Architecture.84

Apart from the select Knoll and Herman Miller pieces, Bowman recommended Steelcase-manufactured desks, tables, side chairs, and arm chairs for general library use, citing its general quality and durability as well as visual compatibility with the Mies aesthetic. Bowman specifically selected the 4200 series of desks and tables. Although relatively simple in form—with laminated plastic tops and square-profile tubular steel legs—the 4200 series was distinguished by a thin reveal and chrome steel strip that ran beneath the tops. This design detail, Bowman felt, “…creates the expression of a structural frame. This feature relates directly to the structural expression which exists in this Library Building and in all of Mies van der Rohe’s buildings.” Furthermore, Bowman wrote, the use of the 4200 series in both the public and staff spaces would allow for a surplus of pieces that could be redistributed in the future if necessary, reflecting the essential flexibility of Mies’s work.85

Bowman was ultimately successful in his advocacy for higher quality pieces. Other furniture used throughout the building included Steelcase shelving units, file cabinets, and vertical and lateral file cabinets (all finished with semi-gloss black enamel), side and arm chairs manufactured by the Harter Corporation, and other miscellaneous pieces. Among the more distinctive pieces of off-the-shelf furniture purchased were the Remington Rand-made exhibit cases, which featured a glazed steel box atop a steel frame. On the third-floor east lobby (opposite the original location of the Washingtoniana Division), a number of these cases were mounted on the masonry partition wall.

Mies’s Death and Peterson’s Retirement In August 1969, Mies van der Rohe passed away at the age of eighty-three. At their meeting of October 1969, the Library Board expressed their sadness over his death, which Peterson described as: “…a tremendous loss, not only to the Library but to the world. [Peterson] was glad that, if there could be only one building in the District designed by this great man, it is the new Downtown Central Library. The Library was fortunate to have Mies design the new building because of his breadth of vision,

84 John Bowman to Joe Y. Lee, Acting Director, May 27, 1971, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 3, Subseries 02, Box 77. 85 John Bowman to Joe Y. Lee, Acting Director, May 10, 1971, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the D.C. Public Library. Series 3, Subseries 02, Box 77. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 30)

combined with an infinite capacity for detail.”86 After Mies’s death, the firm continued to operate as the “Office of Mies van der Rohe,” until 1975.87

In April 1970, Harry Peterson announced his retirement as director and head librarian of the D.C. Public Library system. Both Natcher and the Board expressed their extreme dismay at his retirement and attempted to persuade Peterson to stay. Having served for twenty-three years in his position, Peterson’s actual retirement occurred in July 1970. In addition to his sustained efforts to receive approval and funding for the Downtown Central Library, Peterson’s legacy during his tenure as director included the inauguration of the first and second phases of the branch expansion system, the creation of the bookmobile program, and the associated expansion of Library holdings and services. Joe Y. Lee, coordinator of adult services, was named acting director until Peterson’s permanent replacement, Milton S. Byam (the first African American director of the D.C. library system) was appointed in June 1972.88

Another figure important to the development of the Downtown Central Library was James A. Blaser, Director of the Department of Buildings and Grounds. After Blaser’s retirement in July 1969, he was replaced by Benjamin B. Rogers, Jr., who himself died suddenly in May 1970. The Deputy Director, James H. Gray, was promoted to the director post.89

MLK Dedication At a Board of Trustees meeting held on January 14, 1971, Millicent Yater, vice president of the Board, presented a motion that the Black Studies Division in the new Downtown Central Library be named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who had been assassinated two years previously. This motion followed the recommendation signed by several other library staff members. Yater, not opposed to memorializing King, merely argued that the library should be called “The Public Library,” as per tradition

86 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, October 9, 1969, 5, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 87 In 1975, the three surviving partners created their own firm: Fujikawa, Conterato, Lohan and Associates. Mertins, Mies, 440. 88 Annual Report, 1970-1971, Public Library of the District of Columbia, 1, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL. 89 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, May 14, 1970, 4, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. At their May 1970 meeting, the Board discussed the upcoming construction of the Washington Metro subway system, which was scheduled to occur around the same time the Downtown Central Library was being completed and occupied. Underground work was scheduled to begin in October 1970 and be finished by June 1971. The board reported that the Metro tunnel had been shifted to protect to National Portrait Gallery, and now ran within 1-3/4” from the foundations of the library. Earlier Board minutes reveal that the loggia of the Downtown Central Library had been considered as the entrance to the Metro station, as a means to further protect the Smithsonian museum, although this option was not realized. The Gallery Place station—named for the adjacent museum—opened for public service in 1976. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 31)

set by other American cities.90 Unsurprisingly, Yater’s motion received opposition from the members of the public attending the meeting, which the Evening Star reported as being predominantly African American.91 D.C. Board of Education member Charles I. Cassell, whose preference in naming leaned toward Malcolm X rather than Dr. King, stated that naming only the Black Studies Division for King was “…inappropriate and demeaning.”92 Cassell stated that Washington “…is a black city with black concerns. We are not asking politely; we are demanding that you name the library after Martin Luther King.”93 The general sentiment expressed in the meeting was bolstered by dozens of letters received from the public, urging the Library Board to approve the dedication. Ultimately, the vote passed five-to-two, in favor of dedicating the entire new central library to Dr. King. Several months later, a less controversial dedication proposal was suggested by Representative Natcher, who recommended that “the most important section” of the library be dedicated to Peterson, in recognition of his long service for the library and his role in the building’s realization. Lee conferred with Bowman as to the placement and appearance of an appropriate plaque, and they arrived at the decision that it be hung in the main lobby. Wording of the plaque was recommended by Natcher and approved by the Board at its July 1971 meeting, who also authorized Bowman to design the plaque.94 Bowman provided layouts of the plaque in December, with the recommendation that it be crafted of stainless steel plate.95 Eventually two were fabricated and mounted on the north wall of the main lobby, adjacent to the public elevator lobbies.

Completion Originally scheduled for the fall of 1970, the completion of construction for the building was delayed by a full year to the fall of 1971. Various factors contributed to the delay, including the union strikes noted previously and a number of change orders issued by the Department of General Services to Blake Construction Company. The program of the future MLK Library evolved continuously as construction progressed,

90 The Library Board of Trustees voted on June 8, 1967 to name the new Central Library “Public Library, Washington, D.C.” In doing so, the New Central Library in Washington would be following the examples set by Boston and New York, considered the great libraries of the day (DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, January 14, 1971, 4, MLK Library); “Board Decides to Name New Library for King,” Evening Star, January 15, 1971. 91 “Board Decides,” 20. 92 “Board Decides,” 20. 93 Robert F. Levey, “New Library is Named for Dr. King,” Washington Post, January 15, 1971. 94 Joe Y. Lee to Board of Library Trustees, June 23, 1971, DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, July 29, 1971, Attachment, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 95 John Bowman to Joe Y. Lee, Acting Director, December 14, 1971, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 3, Subseries 02, Box 78. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 32)

with new departments and services—including, notably, the Black Studies Division— being worked into the existing floor plans where possible.

Total appropriations for the building, site acquisition, and equipment amounted to $17,276,314.96 According to information furnished by the American Library Association, the cost per square foot to construct MLK Library (approximately $45.00) was considerably more expensive than the average for public libraries in the United States ($34.45), but was roughly comparable with at least one other large central library designed by a noted architect, the I.M. Pei-designed library in Columbus, Indiana (which averaged $45.46 per square foot).97

MLK Library was officially opened on August 21, 1972, and was dedicated during the week of September 17, 1972.98

6. Alterations and additions: MLK Library has undergone several repairs and alterations since its completion in 1972. Many of the major changes that have been made to the library, including Books Plus and Library Place (described below), have been reversed. Although several minor alterations are still extant, the building continues to retain many of its original architectural features and a high degree of integrity.

Early Repairs and Alterations, 1972-1981 A limited number of projects were executed from 1972 to 1981. Various doors and walls were installed or relocated in the offices on the third and fourth floors. By 1974, repairs began on the library’s mechanical system, which included replacing the cooling tower mechanisms, repairing and updating the air control system, and reconstructing the water pipes and duct work of the lower levels.

Library Place (G Street Plaza) 1973, the Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) contracted Ashley-Myer-Smith, an architecture and design firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to design a scheme for redevelopment in the downtown area that would “transform [Washington’s] downtown retail core into one of the most cosmopolitan centers in the country.”99 The proposal, referred to as the “Streets for the People” redevelopment plan, was intended to create a series of public plazas and streetscape improvements throughout Downtown

96 Harry N. Peterson to Milford F. Schwartz, President, Board of Trustees, D.C. Public Library, April 10, 1970, DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, April 16, 1970, Attachment #1, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 97 Abbott Combes, “New Library to Open a Chapter of Distinction,” Washington Post, December 27, 1971, C1. 98 DCPL Board of Trustees, Minutes, April 12, 1972, 4, MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the DCPL, Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978. 99 Phillip M. Kadis, “RLA Plan Stresses Speed,” The Evening Star, March 25, 1973, 59. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 33)

Washington. The proposal was divided into four phases; the first phase included the redevelopment of F Street in front of the National Portrait Gallery, G Street between Ninth and Tenth streets, and Tenth Street between E and H streets. The second phase included public arcades on F Street between Sixth and Seventh streets, Eighth Street between G and H streets, and F Street between Ninth and Twelfth streets. The third phase included a “Galleria” and the completion of additional work on the cross streets of the F Street Plaza. The final phase, which was to be completed following the 1976 Bicentennial, included the redevelopment of the Pension Building and Judiciary Square. The plan stressed the importance of completing the project as quickly as possible in order to “exploit the economic potential” of the 1976 Bicentennial.100

Although the first phase of Streets for the People was originally intended to be completed by the end of summer 1974, construction did not begin until October 1974. Library Place—the expanded sidewalk plaza in front of MLK Library—was not dedicated until April 1977. Although the extent of the Streets for the People plan implementation is not known, Library Place was deemed a success by DCPL: “The pedestrian mall of trees, plantings, extensive and beautiful fountains and waterfalls has in a very short time become an oasis for shoppers, students and business people, as well as an enhancement of the Library entrance, with which it harmonizes.”101 The south plaza, as a result of the construction of the G Street Plaza, as well as the installation of large ventilation grates for the Metro tunnel beneath G Street, was altered during this time.

In 1999, the G Street Plaza was removed and that portion of G Street was restored to automobile traffic. At that time, much of the south plaza was reconstructed. The larger Metro grates, tree lawns, and contrasting strips of red granite reflect the alterations that have been made to the south plaza.

Later Repairs & Alterations, 1982-2000s From 1982 through the 2000s, a number of changes were undertaken within the building that gradually eroded the visual character of MLK Library. Various material changes were made, including the replacement of original materials and fixtures in the third-floor public restrooms, repainting the original black and white color scheme in several of the reading rooms with brighter paint colors, the removal of much of the original carpeting, and various other changes. The original exterior entrance doors were replaced with revolving doors, and new accessible openings were installed

100 Kadis, “RLA Plan Stresses Speed,” 59. 101 “Annual Report of Directors,” Annual Reports July 1976 – September 1977 Public Library of the District of Columbia (Washington, 1977), 4. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 34)

adjacent to those. Similarly, the interior entrance lobby doors were replaced. Over the years, a number of security screening and theft detection devices were employed at the building entrance. Various interpretive exhibits and pieces of art have also been installed over time.

In 1984, commercial and fine art artist Donald Lloyd Miller proposed the creation of a mural to memorialize Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. in his namesake library. Although there had been a plan to install a mural to honor King soon after the library was completed in 1972, the project never materialized due to a lack of funds.102 Miller, who spent his career interpreting the black experience in the United States, the West Indies, and Africa, was successful in convincing the DCPL Board of Trustees of the need for this project.103 The Board of Trustees drew up a contract for Miller to research, design and paint the oil-on-canvas work that was to tell the story of King and the Civil Rights movement.104 The mural was composed of two large panels, designed to fill the two central column bays on the north wall of the main lobby. On January 20, 1986, the mural was unveiled in time for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, which had become a national holiday on that year. Spotlights on the ceiling in front of the mural were also installed around that time, as were a series of plaques, mounted on the center column, crediting those who had donated funds for the mural.

Under the tenure of Ginnie Cooper, Director of DCPL from 2006 to 2013, several renovations were completed at the library, including many that were aimed at reversing the incompatible additions that had accreted over the past thirty-five years. In addition to the renovation of the lobbies and west reading room on the first floor (described below), this period witnessed a number of repairs throughout the building: signage was replaced; a modern security camera system was installed; the upper-floors’ reading rooms were reorganized to be more open and less visually cluttered; and a number of materials upgrades were completed on the A level.

Also during this period, a number of original curtain wall glass panes began to fail and necessitate replacement. The original butyl tape glazing material deteriorated over time, causing direct friction between the glass panes and steel mullions, and the corresponding cracking of the large panes. A number of panes throughout the building have been replaced in kind over time.

102 Michael Marriot, “A Large-Scale Tribute to King,” The Washington Post, January 20, 1985, G3, The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. 103 Marriot, “A Large-Scale Tribute to King,” G3; “Donald L. Miller, 69, Painter and Illustrator,” The New York Times, February10, 1993, D22. 104 Marriot, “A Large-Scale Tribute to King,” G3; Desson Howe, “Don Miller, Civil Rights Chronicler: Don Miller and the Making of the Mural,” The Washington Post, C1, ProQuest Historical Newspapers. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 35)

Beginning in 2010, DCPL initiated a major renovation effort for several of the recently landmarked spaces on the first floor of the building, including the main and entrance lobbies and the Business, Science, and Technology Reading Room (formerly the Business and Technology Division) on the west side. The Books Plus kiosk (installed in the main lobby in 1991) was removed to restore the east-west views through the space; the original casework was restored and adapted for new technology; openings were cut into the granite flooring to allow for the installation of electrical outlets; the two remaining card catalogs were removed; and freestanding display units were designed to allow for changing exhibits.

The Business, Science, and Technology Reading Room was rebranded as the Digital Commons. The conversion entailed the removal of a modular enclosure that housed the Enhanced Business Information Center (e-BIC), which was relocated to the A level. Custom desks were designed with details similar to the original building casework, and new furniture and computers were installed throughout the space. Freestanding, glass enclosures were installed at the north end of the reading room to provide meeting spaces. The ceilings and lighting in both this reading room and the main lobby were also refurbished.

B. Historical Context:

Libraries in the United States Although the first library in the United States was founded in 1638 at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it was not until 1731 that the first lending literary institution for the general public, coined by Benjamin Franklin as a subscription library, was opened.105 Known as the Philadelphia Library Company, it was the first time that an institution was created for those unable to afford books or higher education, rather than aristocrats and scholars. Following the opening of the Redwood Library in 1747 in Newport, Rhode Island, this early public library system was formally defined as an institution to which “the curious and the impatient Enquire…and the bewildered Ignorant might freely repair.”106

Although the library system to which we are today accustomed was not yet conceived, by 1773 there were approximately twenty libraries in the American colonies. Social libraries, popularized during the mid-to-late-eighteenth century, were characterized as voluntary associations of individuals who contributed money toward a common fund to buy used

105 EHT Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, Prepared for the DC Preservation League and the DC Historic Preservation Division (Washington, D.C.: 1997), 1. 106 Nikolaus Pevsner, A History of Building Types (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1976), 104, cited in Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 1. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 36)

books. The books, which covered a range of subject matters, were then available to the public for a small fee.107 By 1850, 423 such social libraries had been established. Though many of these institutions were located in New England and were small and often short lived, they played an important role in establishing the foundations for future collections.

By the mid-nineteenth century, the popularity of social libraries began to decline, overshadowed by the free public library movement. The free public library movement aimed to “awaken a general interest [in libraries], as a city institution, important to the whole people, a part of their education, an element of their happiness and prosperity.”108 The libraries, established by general permissive legislation, were maintained by a Board of Trustees and run by librarians.

By the mid-1870s, there were over 2,000 libraries established nationwide. The continued growth of the library as an institution through the 1870s is evidenced by the founding of the American Library Association, a professional organization of librarians, in Philadelphia in 1876.109 It is around this time that purpose-built municipal libraries began to be constructed in the United States, many of which were funded by wealthy philanthropists.

The most notable of these philanthropists was the industrialist Andrew Carnegie (1835- 1917). In 1901, when Carnegie sold the Carnegie Steel Company to J.P. Morgan for $480 million, he became the “richest man in the world.” As a young immigrant worker in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Carnegie, like all working boys in his neighborhood, was given access to Colonel James Anderson’s private library one day per week. He often credited this experience, and the lifelong appreciation of literature that it gave him, as the reason why he chose to fund the construction of public libraries. From 1886 to 1917, he donated over $41 million to construct 1,679 public libraries throughout the United States.110 Carnegie’s donations had an immense impact on the public library system in America in several ways. Not only did it give the public more access to books, it also influenced the development and design of the public library as a building type, and lead to advances in the library sciences.111

107 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 1. 108 Joseph Leroy Harrison, “The Public Library in the United States,” The New England Magazine (August 1894), 719, cited in Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 2. 109 Catherine C. Lavoie, “Free Library of Philadelphia, Central Library” (Written Historical and Descriptive Data, Historic American Buildings Survey, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2009), 9, accessed March 30, 2017, http://cdn.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/pa/pa4000/pa4067/data/pa4067data.pdf; “History,” American Library Association, accessed March 30, 2017, http://www.ala.org/aboutala/history. 110 Abigail A. Van Slyck, Free to All: Carnegie Libraries and American Culture, 1890-1920 (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1995), 22. 111 Lavoie, “Free Library,” 8. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 37)

Central Library Planning and Design Nationwide During the last quarter of the nineteenth century, “the public library became an increasingly common fixture in the urban landscape of larger American cities.”112 Following the Chicago Columbian Exposition in 1893, these library buildings were increasingly designed to reflect classical and Beaux Arts architecture and were incorporated into City Beautiful planning schemes. In U.S. cities, large, monumental central libraries were almost exclusively designed in this style from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century.

Although the Classical Revival style had been widely adopted for library exteriors, planning for library interiors remained relatively inconsistent.113 Since the 1870s, library design was primarily guided by architects instead of library professionals, who often prioritized visual aesthetics over functional considerations. Through the late nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century, however, the principles of library professionals slowly began to be considered, and several elements began to be incorporated into library design, including open shelving areas, reading rooms for specialized materials, and children’s reading rooms.114

The original Central Public Library in Washington, D.C., stands as a perfect example of the transitional nature of library design at the beginning of the twentieth century. Designed by the New York City architectural firm of Ackerman and Ross and completed in 1903, the building clearly adhered to Beaux Arts design principals, including its symmetry, rich materials, and monumentality. In planning the interior, however, the architects incorporated some relatively new library elements into their design, including open shelving, a children’s room, a central delivery desk, and several reading rooms. The library, however, also incorporated several older design elements, including closed stacks, special rooms for the library trustees, and other spaces exclusively for staff.115

Shortly after the construction of the Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square, the “modern library idea” was espoused by librarian Arthur E. Bostwick, which was characterized by “public support, open shelves, work with children, cooperation with schools, branch libraries, traveling libraries, and library advertising.”116 Only one year later, James Bertram, Carnegie’s personal secretary who administered the library program, outlined the principles of efficiency for library design in his pamphlet entitled “Notes on the Erection of a Library Building” (1911). An ardent supporter of the planning principles

112 Van Slyck, Free to All, 66. 113 Van Slyck, Free to All, 29. 114 Van Slyck, Free to All, 29-33. 115 Van Slyck, Free to All, 41. 116 Van Slyck, Free to All, 25, cited in Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 22-23. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 38)

backed by library professionals, Bertram stressed that “practical matters take precedence over artistic expression.”117

As such, the design of monumental, Beaux-Arts style central library, including the District’s Central Library, was almost immediately exclusionary. Patrons were barred from open access of library books and many of the libraries segregated readers, classifying them as either “serious readers” or “casual visitors.”118 As such, many of these libraries were designed with the middle and upper classes in mind, thereby disregarding the “modern library idea” in which libraries began to “conceive of its duties as extending to the entire community.”119 Perhaps not surprisingly, by the mid-twentieth century, and in some cases even earlier, it was determined that many of these monumental central libraries were unable to effectively serve the public. It appears that several factors impacted their ability to do so, including changes to library services, the desire for libraries which favored function over aesthetic, and the desire for open shelving, among others.

History of the D.C. Public Library System The D.C. Public Library System was officially established on June 3, 1896 by an Act of Congress. From 1792 until the public library system was created, a number of small, private libraries, as well as public subscription libraries, were in operation throughout the District. One of the largest of these early libraries was the Washington Library Company, which operated from 1811 to 1869.120

After the Civil War, motivated by nationwide reconstruction efforts, Washingtonians began to insist on the establishment of a “free public library that was not devoted entirely to the government employees, was not closed in the evenings, and contained an array of volumes for all classes.”121 Subsequent to this call for action, a number of attempts were made to inaugurate a free public library within the District, including a proposal to purchase and rehabilitate Ford’s Theater for such a use after President Lincoln’s assassination in 1865.122

In 1894, Brigadier General A.W. Greely, Chief Signal Officer of the Army assigned to the library of the War Department in Washington, D.C., began a campaign seeking funding for

117 Van Slyck, Free to All, 36, 85-86. 118 Van Slyck, Free to All, 98. 119 Van Slyck, Free to All, 25, cited in Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 22-23; Arthur E. Bostwick, The American Public Library (New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1910), 1. 120 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 13; William A. De Caindray, “The Washington City Free Library,” in Records of the Columbia Historical Society Washington, D.C., Volume 16, compiled by The Committee on Publication and the Recording Secretary (Washington, D.C.: Columbia Historical Society, 1913), 64. 121 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 13. 122 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 13-14. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 39)

a free public library. Undeterred by Congress’s inactivity, Greely collected subscriptions from prominent citizens of the District for this purpose. Greely also encouraged members of the Washington Librarians’ Association to recruit subscribers and donations. By 1895, an annual sum of $1,800 per year for five years had been committed by these patrons to cover library operations. By July that year, a code of by-laws and regulations for management of the Library were adopted by the newly created Board of Trustees and in October, the Board rented space at the McLean Building, 1517 H Street, N.W., to serve as the Washington Free Public Library’s first location.123

Although in July 1895 the Library had been established successfully without legislative assistance, it was solely dependent on subscriptions and contributions from local philanthropists to support its operations.124 In December 1895, legislation to support the establishment of a free public library and reading room for the District of Columbia was introduced to Congress on December 30 and 31, 1895. General Greely appealed to the Committee on the District of Columbia in January 1896, who forwarded the library request on to the House of Representatives. The March 1896 report supported the establishment of such a library within the District, and noted the existing Washington City Free Library’s willingness to merge with the proposed Free Public Library.125 After prolonged discussions, the 1896 bill was passed with virtually no opposition.126

As originally passed, the act did not provide funding for the newly established Library. It did, however, direct the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to appoint nine unpaid trustees to serve on the Municipal Free Public Library’s newly created Board of Trustees for a term of six years each. In addition to being granted some ordinance-making power, the Board was also charged with the selection of a head Librarian. On July 2, 1896, the Commissioners engaged nine trustees including Theodore W. Noyes, editor-in-chief of The Washington Evening Star (the District’s most influential newspaper at that time), who was promptly appointed as the Board’s first president.127

123 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 14-17. 124 At the third monthly meeting of the Washington Library Association in 1894, General Greeley reported that “since the last meeting of the association he had seen as many persons as he conveniently could in relation to the library and had secured pledges amounting to a little more than $1,000.” He went on to say that he believed that $2,000 per year would be necessary to start the library, but that $4,000 per year would be necessary to maintain it (“Library Association: An Interesting Meeting And Discussion Last Night,” The Evening Star, December 20, 1894, 5, NewsBank). 125 Even though funds were unavailable to create a separate library building, the Free Public Library thrived, with nearly 4,000 residents registered as borrowers within its first six months of operation (“Washington City Free Library,” The Washington Post, June 7, 1897, 12, ProQuest Historical Newspapers). 126 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 17-18; even those who initially opposed were persuaded due to the conviction that the library would be a valuable accessory to Washington’s public school system , and would benefit all residents (“Free Public Library a Little Nearer,” The Evening Times, March 3, 1896, Newspaper.com). 127 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 18. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 40)

On July 15, 1898, the Washington Free Public Library merged with the congressionally established Municipal Free Public Library. With this union came the introduction of 12,412 volumes into the Municipal Library’s collection, as well as the McLean Building’s reading room.128

Carnegie Central Library In December 1898, the newly established Municipal Free Public Library opened from their rented quarters at 1326 New York Avenue, N.W. Immediately popular with the public, over 5,000 volumes were circulated within the Library’s first twenty days of operation. As a result, the institution promptly began to search for larger and permanent accommodations in which to house their growing collection and staff. On January 2, 1899, a serendipitous meeting at the White House between Brainard A. Warner, the vice president of the Library’s Board of Trustees and prominent developer, lawyer, financier, and city advocate, and industrialist Andrew Carnegie resulted in Carnegie’s offer to donate $250,000 for the construction of a new library building, with the stipulation that Congress provide a building site and operational funds of no less than $10,000 per year.129

Without delay, Warner began to pursue passage of the necessary legislation and the selection of a building site. District Commissioner John B. Wight put forth a congressional bill proposing a site located on Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventh Street, adjacent to Center Market. Although selection of the site received support because of its accessibility and its potential to beautify Pennsylvania Avenue, the location was also swiftly opposed, a sentiment shared by Senator James McMillan of Michigan (chairman of the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia). This opposition included concerns of the area’s low elevation, making it prone to flooding.130

The Washington Post suggested Mount Vernon Square as an alternative site. Although it was not one of the original seventeen reservations within the capital city, Mount Vernon Square was one of the fifteen public spaces that L’Enfant had identified in his 1791 plan of the city. The public, city officials, and Congress, however, embraced the location as it would not set a dangerous precedent for the use of the District’s original seventeen reservations. Congress passed the bill, which was signed by President McKinley on March 3, 1899. The bill provided for the construction of the library building on Mount Vernon Square with funds provided for by Andrew Carnegie.131

128 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 19. 129 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 25. 130 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 25-26. 131 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 25-27. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 41)

Planning for the construction of the building was assigned to a commission that included the District Commissioners; Colonel Theodore A. Bingham, the Army Corps of Engineers’ officer with the post of Superintendent of Public Buildings and Grounds; and Noyes. The enabling legislation also mandated that the commission invite competitive bids by architects or architectural firms for the design of the new library. The commission extended invitations to ten architectural firms. Others were invited to submit designs, but were not to be compensated. Noted architects Henry van Brunt from Boston and George B. Post from New York (then President of the American Institute of Architects) were selected unanimously by the ten invitees to judge the competition.132

On July 18, 1899, Ackerman and Ross was selected from over twenty-five entries. The winning design was influenced by the Beaux-Arts tradition popularized by the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. After their design was chosen, the architects made several alterations to the design to lower building costs. Despite these necessary concessions, it was mandated that the building be clad in white marble, which was provided by The Vermont Marble Company. Richardson and Burgess were awarded the construction contract for $328,872, which included the cost of the marble. The building’s cornerstone was laid on April 24, 1901, and construction of the new building was completed by December 1902.133

On January 7, 1903, the library was dedicated at a ceremony attended by President Theodore Roosevelt and Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie’s address praised the importance of free libraries as those: “…maintained by the people are cradles of democracy, and their spread can never fail to extend and strengthen the democratic ideal – the equality of the citizen, the royalty of man. They are emphatically fruits of the true American ideal.”134

For the new central library, those could have been no truer. From the onset, the library was to serve both black and white members of the community, as noted in the address of Commissioner H.B.F. Macfarland: “…in Mount Vernon Square, the library will not only be central to all sections of the District, but near to some of the most important institutions of the public school system, with which we desire to integrate it. The Central High School, the business [sic] High School, the McKinley Manual Training School for white pupils, will all be its neighbors.”135

132 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 27. 133 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 28-29. 134 Margaret L. King, “Beginning and Early History of the Public Library of the District of Columbia, 1896-1904,” Master’s Thesis (Catholic University, 1953), 54; Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 32. 135 King, “Beginning and Early History,” 54; Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 32. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 42)

Growth of the Branch Library System The new Central Library was an immediate success. As a result, the Library Board quickly recognized the need for additional reading rooms, reference space, and suburban branches to reach the District’s expanding population. The situation was exacerbated by the transfer of 53,000 surplus volumes from the Library of Congress and other government libraries by June 1903. During his address as the Central Library’s January dedication, Carnegie had pledged to fund future branches within the District’s library system. Congress, concerned with the cost of maintaining a large library system, had not yet accepted his offer. Limited by Congress’ inactivity, the Library created a number of off-site programs to allow for expansion of the library system between 1903 and 1911. Many, if not all, of these programs were spearheaded by George F. Bowerman, the second head librarian to be appointed to the post.136

By the end of 1903, the Library began to establish small, experimental “station” libraries. Neighborhood House, located at 456 N Street, S.W., was the first such deposit station. Under the direction of Emily A. Spilman, a trained librarian, the small facility housed 300 books and was accessible to the public for only a few hours per week. Between 1905 and 1906, six additional stations were opened including Noel House Station at 1245 H Street, N.W., Rochefort House Station at 324 Virginia Avenue, S.E., Georgetown Station at 2726 M Street, N.W., the Colored Social Settlement Station at 118 M Street, S.W., the Rosedale Station at 1627 H Street, N.W., and the Recreation Center No. 1 at Western High School, later known as Duke Ellington School. Typically, 300 to 600 books would be supplied to each location. Unlike the earlier Neighborhood House, the local community association was responsible for providing volunteers and reports on library activities.137

The Library also established a book service to local schools. Cooperation with the schools was encouraged by the creation of a special reference library and study room for teachers. Initially, small volumes of books were sent to local high schools, a classroom deposit service program that slowly expanded. A standing age limitation on children’s library cards was eradicated, making volumes accessible to children of all ages. In 1907, Clara W. Herbert was appointed as the director of work with children. Herbert compiled classroom book sets that were delivered to and circulated among the schools. Although the school program was extremely successful, permanent school stations were not established until 1911.138

136 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 34-35. 137 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 34-35. 138 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 35-36. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 43)

Three separate bills were introduced to Congress in 1904, 1907, and 1910, proposing permanent expansions of the library system. The earliest bill, asking Congress to allow the District’s Commissioners to accept donations for the gradual construction of a number of branch libraries with maintenance being provided by the District was not approved; nor was a slimmed down version of the bill asking for the authority to establish one branch library at a time, beginning with the proposed Takoma Park branch. The 1910 bill, authorizing only the construction of the Takoma Park Branch was passed. Early in the century, the citizens of Takoma Park had demonstrated their interest in establishing a library branch: by 1900 the neighborhood had established a subscription library, and in 1906 the community raised $1,800 to purchase a building site jointly selected with the Library, and purchased by the Carnegie Library Association of Takoma Park, DC. As passed by Congress, in addition to authorizing construction of the branch, the act also allowed for the acceptance of Andrew Carnegie’s donation, the use of the donated site, the establishment of the Takoma Park Branch on that site, establishment of a commission to supervise the building’s erection, and provision for maintenance of the facility. A short twenty months after Congressional approval had been received, the Library’s first permanent branch opened at Takoma Park on November 17, 1911.139

After construction of the Takoma Park Branch Library was completed, the Library continued to expand its operations. By 1914, the library system consisted of the Central Library, the Takoma Park Branch Library, and over 150 other book deposits. Deposit locations included seven deposit stations, school stations, institutional deposits including the YMCA and the Woodward & Lothrop Department Store, the libraries at Gallaudet and Howard Universities, and 24 charitable and correctional institutions.140 However, inadequate funding, as well as a lack of Congressional approval, stalled the expansion of the libraries successful school library stations program and construction of additional permanent branch libraries, in addition to inadequately financing existing library operations, including staff.141

Congress did not approve construction of the Library’s second branch, the Southeast Branch Library, until 1921, and the third branch, the Mount Pleasant Branch, until 1922. These branches, which opened in 1922 and 1925, respectively, were also funded by Andrew Carnegie. 142 Over the course of 26 years, Carnegie provided the District with

139 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 36-38. 140 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 39. 141 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 39. 142 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 32. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 44)

$682,000 to construct these four buildings, the seventh highest sum granted by Carnegie and the Carnegie Corporation to a single municipality within the United States.143

Soon after the last Carnegie branch library was constructed in the District, Congress amended the Organic Act in 1926, which specified support of branch development. In addition to enabling library branch funding, the act called for the Library’s Board of Trustees and the Board of Education to work together for the “establishment and maintenance of branch libraries in suitable rooms in such public-school buildings of the said District as will supplement the central library and branch libraries in separate buildings. The Board of Trustees, hereinafter provided, is authorized within the limits of appropriations first made therefor, to rent suitable buildings or parts of buildings for use as branch libraries and distributing stations.”144 This legislation allowed for the establishment of numerous sub-branches and branches within the District of Columbia through the late- 1960s.

The Need for a New Downtown Central Library In the early 1960s, Booz, Allen & Hamilton was retained by the NCDC to conduct a survey to determine the efficiency of the Carnegie-funded Central Library in Mount Vernon Square and the future needs of a Central Library in the District of Columbia. Following an examination of central public libraries in cities with a comparable population to Washington, the 1961 report determined that a new central library in the nation’s capital was needed.

The findings of the Booz, Allen & Hamilton Report illustrated that the Carnegie Central Library and its administrative building at 499 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., were woefully undersized to “efficiently and adequately” perform the library’s current activities.145 The report showed that in 1960, the average population of the cities investigated (discounting Washington) was 757,652, and that the average space capacity of the libraries in said cities (again discounting Washington) was 257,000 square feet. Consequently, the chosen cities of study provided an average of .349 square feet of central library space per capita, compared to Washington’s .101 square feet. The report thus determined that if the “Washington central library met the same ratio applying to these others, it would contain about 250,000 square feet rather than the present 77,000 square feet.”146 The report, when presented to the District Commissioners and members of Congress, would prove extremely influential in gaining funding for the design and construction of the future Downtown Central Library.

143 Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 32. 144 Statutes at Large, 69th Congress, Session 1, Chapter 98 (1926). Volume 44, p. 229; Traceries, DC Public Library Survey, 46. 145 Booz, Allen & Hamilton, A Study of Central Library Facilities, iv. 146 Booz, Allen & Hamilton, A Study of Central Library Facilities, 33-34. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 45)

Downtown Washington Urban Development From the 1790s to 1862, the area now framed by Pennsylvania Avenue, Seventh Street, and F Street evolved from “wilderness to a small town.” As of 1796, Pennsylvania Avenue had yet to be laid and as such, F Street served as the major east-west thoroughfare between the White House and Eleventh Street. The development of F Street soon followed, and as of 1800 the area between Fifteenth Street and Saint Patrick’s Church was described as the “only place that had anything like the appearance of a town or village” in the District.147

It was not until 1800, particularly with the construction of the Market House in 1802, that the area now designated as the Downtown Historic District—the area bounded by Massachusetts and New York Avenues in the North, Fifteenth Street on the west, Pennsylvania Avenue on the South and Seventh Street (though some argue North Capitol Street) on the east—became a site for development. Placed at the corner of Seventh Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, the Market House served as an anchor for the city’s first major commercial street and market. Important to the success of this market, Seventh Street served as a principle transportation route, linking the port along the Anacostia River, the termination of the Washington City Canal near the market, and the farms beyond in the County of Washington.148 The importance of this route—primarily due to the goods that entered the city from either the seaports or from the farms in Maryland—was not underestimated. In 1845, Seventh Street was paved, making it the first street paved by the city government.

The Civil War created an influx of residents in the District’s population, which in turn spawned an era of municipal improvements. The Washington and Georgetown Railroad Company (1862), which connected Georgetown to Navy Yard via Pennsylvania Avenue, and the Metropolitan Railroad Company (1864), which connected Fourteenth and Ninth streets via F Street, were two horse-drawn streetcar systems that emerged in the period. Their locations helped to connect the city core with the expanding residential areas of Washington.

The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries brought rapid commercial development into the area. Department stores and other specialty stores were concentrated around Seventh and F streets, and ornate bank branches clustered around Fifteenth Street in order to be close to the Treasury Building.

147 “Downtown Historic District,” National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Washington, D.C.: 1990), Section 8 Page 2. 148 “Downtown Historic District,” Section 8 Page 3. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 46)

By the 1950s, however, the emergence of the automobile, as well as the growth of the surrounding suburbs, meant this once bustling commercial core began to receive fewer customers.149 Federally mandated desegregation allowed African Americans to shop, often for the first time, in some of Washington’s finest stores. Though not a direct consequence, the years following led to “white flight,” a phenomenon that describes the mass migration of whites to the suburbs. As automobiles were commonplace, there was little reason to stay in the city if one could get out. Following the patrons, many stores and other business began to open their doors in suburban shops. Within the city, development began to occur west of Fifteenth Street, in essence creating a “new downtown” near Farragut Square.150 In 1963, one architectural journal complained that the area that had been dubbed as the “old downtown” was “a rather grubby collection of honky-tonk facades hung on the lower edges of heavy masonry structures, most of which had neither distinction nor character in the first place…Its physical defects reflect the fact that it is declining fast as a strong retailing center—its share of metropolitan-area retail sales has dropped from 75 per cent in 1950 to 45 per cent in 1960.”151

The demographic shift in Washington was exacerbated by the Riots of 1968. The drop in patronage led businesses to abandon the ornate office and retail buildings, giving way to the arrival of discount stores, bars, and pornography stores.

By 1970, President Richard Nixon issued a federal order requiring federal projects to be located where the economic need was the greatest. Piggy-backing onto this, the General Services Administration (GSA) required that future federal offices located in the District be located in leased private buildings within the District, rather than turning to the outlying suburbs for land and office space. To further combat the decline of the downtown commercial area, the NCDC, with the Federal and District governments, envisioned a series of public facilities that were “intended to lure private developers back downtown and to hold the interest of the millions of tourists expected in the 1976 bicentennial year.”152 One of these facilities was a new public library, located on the corner of Ninth and G streets.

Meanwhile, in January 1969, the D.C. City Council designated the old downtown as an urban renewal area. Metro, the mostly underground transport system, officially opened its first line and stations in 1976, playing a key role in helping with the renewal of the

149 “Downtown Historic District,” Section 8 Page 8. 150 In the 1960s, 123 buildings were developed in the new downtown, compared with only 44 new buildings in the “old downtown”—the area east of 15th Street. (Zachary M. Schrag, “The District,” The Great Society Subway (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006), 198. 151 “Downtown Washington: From Any Angle, It Looks Like Nowhere,” Architectural Forum 118 (January 1963): 97, cited in Schrag, “The District,” 200. 152 Schrag, “The District,” 202. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 47)

downtown core. The finalized map of 1968 included two stations in the heart of the old downtown (Metro Center and Gallery Place) and several stations on the periphery of this area (Mt. Vernon Square, Archives, Judiciary Square, McPherson Square, and Union Station). One consultant emphasized the importance of Metro to downtown retail prosperity. Additionally, many of the improvements planned for the downtown area, including the new central library and the art galleries within the adaptively re-used Patent Building, relied on Metro to transport patrons, as parking was to be limited.

Metro was seen as the keystone for urban development in the downtown district. Businesses and retail flocked to the vacant buildings or vacant lots by the Metro. One planning official aptly said: “Ask my employees where they would want to be. They’d want to be right here. The Metro stops here…The central city is back.”153 By 1981, the office occupancy rate in the new and old downtown district had reached 99.5 percent.154

Work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In D.C. In 1971, the DCPL Board of Trustees voted to name the Downtown Central Library in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. King was a leader and figurehead of the Civil Rights Movement until his assassination in 1968. Although King spent much of his career working in Alabama, Georgia, and other southern states, his work in Washington was hugely influential for its impact on the Civil Rights Movement. King was the convocation speaker for Howard University on several occasions, and in June 1957, the University presented him with an honorary doctor of law.155 On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. for a political rally, known now as the March on Washington. The rally was organized by civil rights and religious leaders, and was designed to shed light on the political and social challenges African Americans continued to face across the country. It was here that King delivered the famous “I Have a Dream” speech. This event is regarded as one of the factors, along with the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was also led by King, which led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Following the President Johnson’s declaration of a War on Poverty, King shifted his focus toward economic justice by way of the Poor People’s Campaign. In an effort to address poverty through income and housing, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) scheduled a march in Washington. Despite King’s assassination in April 1968, the march began in May, with thousands of demonstrators fueled by the pain of his loss descending onto Washington, in a march that ultimately lasted six weeks.

153 Schrag, “The District,” 204. 154 This statistic applies not only to offices, but also to retail. Schrag, “The District,” 204. 155 “Baccalaureate for 600 At Howard U. Today,” The Washington Post, June 2, 1957, A10, ProQuest Historical Newspapers. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 48)

Modernism in the District of Columbia Architectural modernism first emerged in Europe during the early twentieth century. Rejecting historical precepts and the elaborate exterior decorative treatment that characterized architecture during previous eras, the movement emphasized the role of materials, industrial technology, and functionalism in building design. Walter Gropius established the Bauhaus in Germany in 1919, and the design school became an influential center for architectural modernism in Europe. In France, Le Corbusier emerged during the 1920s as a leader in modernism and urban design, and his work greatly influenced the development of the modern movement in Europe and America.156 The modernist aesthetic spread into the United States through design journals and influential émigrés, such as Gropius and fellow Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In America, the modern movement was locally interpreted, and its expression was influenced by social, cultural, economic, and political currents.157

The Modern Movement began to slowly influence the architecture of Washington during the 1920s and 1930s. During the early twentieth century, the city’s architectural tastes were conservative and decidedly classical in nature, inspired by the City Beautiful Movement and the McMillan Commission, both indirect outcomes of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. During the 1920s, modernism in Washington was expressed through the Streamlined Moderne phase of the Art Deco style, with its rounded surfaces, asymmetrical massing, and horizontal emphasis. During the 1930s, the Stripped Classical style was applied to the design of public buildings in Washington. Stripped Classicism bridged the city’s conservatism with the modern aesthetic, maintaining the overall massing and form of classical architecture while simplifying, or stripping, exterior ornament.158 Two excellent examples of Stripped Classicism in Washington are the Folger Shakespeare Library (1929-1932) and the Federal Reserve Board Building (1937), both of which were designed by Paul Philippe Cret (1876-1945).159

The expansion of the federal presence in the Washington area during the twentieth century resulted in an environment of heightened construction that enabled the spread of architectural modernism throughout the region. The town of Greenbelt, Maryland, with its Bauhaus-inspired residential blocks, was a federally planned New Deal city created during the 1930s by the Resettlement Administration.160 Federal expansion continued into the

156 Hasan-Uddin Khan, International Style: Modernist Architecture from 1925 to 1965, ed. Philip Jodidio (London: Taschen, 2009), 7-32. 157 Robinson and Associates, Inc., DC Modern: A Context for Modernism in the District of Columbia, 1945-1976, prepared for the District of Columbia Historic Preservation Office, 2009, 13. 158 Robinson and Associates, Inc., DC Modern, 14. 159 Pamela Scott and Antoinette J. Lee, Buildings of the District of Columbia (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), 210; “Buildings and grounds,” Folger Shakespeare Library, accessed March 30, 2017, http://www.folger.edu/buildings-grounds. 160 Robinson and Associates, Inc., DC Modern, 15. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 49)

post-World War II period, resulting in an increase in funding, employees, and construction activity.

The General Services Administration was created within this context in 1949 in order to provide building management and general procurement services for the federal government. Central to the GSA’s early mission was the need for greater federal office space. During the 1960s, these efforts were directed by the Kennedy Administration, leading to the development of the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture, released in 1962.161 President Kennedy also stimulated the spread of modernism in Washington through the President’s Council on Pennsylvania Avenue, which was tasked with redeveloping portions of this iconic urban streetscape.162

Urban renewal in postwar Washington also allowed for the creation of a number of new modernist buildings and landscapes in the city. Promoted by European modernists, such as Le Corbusier, who in 1925 unveiled his Plan Voisin for central Paris, urban renewal was enabled in the District of Columbia by the Redevelopment Act of 1945 and was viewed as a preferred strategy for the revitalization of urban residential and commercial districts. In addition, the National Housing Act of 1949 provided funds for slum clearance and redevelopment. In Southwest Washington, urban renewal efforts between 1950 and 1970 resulted in new high rise apartments, office towers, mixed-use developments, and public buildings designed by architecture firms that included Keyes, Lethbridge & Condon; Charles M. Goodman Associates; I. M. Pei & Associates; Harry Weese & Associates, and Chloethiel Woodard Smith & Associates (formerly Keyes, Smith & Satterlee), set within integrated landscapes by designers that included Dan Kiley and Hideo Sasaki.163

By mid-century, the International Style had emerged as the preferred design idiom for corporate and institutional architecture in the United States. The term International Style was first adopted following a 1932 exhibition in New York entitled, “Modern Architecture – International Exhibition,” which was curated by American architects Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcock. Mid-century practitioners, such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), emphasized form and function over stylistic concerns, as seen in the severity of Mies’s minimalist design for MLK Library.164

161 Judith H. Robinson and Stephanie S. Foell, Growth, Efficiency, and Modernism: GSA Buildings of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, prepared by Robinson and Associates for the General Services Administration, Washington, D.C., December 2005, 28-45. 162 Robinson and Associates, Inc., DC Modern, 66-68. 163 Robinson and Associates, Inc., DC Modern, 27-28; District of Columbia, Department of Transportation, “North-South Corridor Planning Study: Historic Resources Study,” prepared by EHT Traceries, Inc. (2014), 23-30. 164 Khan, International Style, 114-128; Scott and Lee, Buildings, 194. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 50)

Several design trends in architectural modernism surfaced during the postwar period, particularly the 1960s and 1970s, as a reaction to the International Style. During the 1960s, the Expressionist impulse within the Modern Movement sought to break away from the functional rationalism that had defined the International Style. Informed by social and cultural changes during this period, and drawing on new technological developments in the production of precast concrete, Expressionist buildings convey a plasticity of form in comparison to the rectangular plans and curtain wall construction inherent to the International Style. A good local example can be seen in William Tabler’s design for the Washington Hilton (1965).165 Closely related to Expressionism, New Formalism, which also emerged during the 1960s, looked again to classical building forms, and is characterized by symmetrical elevations, columns, arches, overhanging roofs, the use of marble, and a return to exterior ornamentation in the form of metal grilles and patterned masonry screens.166 Illustrative local examples of New Formalism exist in Edward Durell Stone’s National Geographic Society headquarters (1963) and the Kennedy Center (1971). Brutalism, another divergent design trend within late modernism, first arose during the 1950s. The Brutalist style is known for its exaggeration of sculptural form, its extreme articulation of the building’s structure, and its use of reinforced concrete forms. By the 1970s, Brutalism was in use as a prevailing style for the design of public buildings in the United States, Europe, and Japan.167 A leading example of Brutalist architecture in Washington was I. M. Pei & Partners’ Third Church of Christ Scientist (1972, demolished 2014).168

The National Mall, a showcase for architecture and urban planning in the Nation’s Capital, reflects the varying aesthetic trends that characterized twentieth century modernism in Washington. New construction and landscape work on the Mall was guided by two master plans for its development in 1966 and 1973, which were produced by SOM.169 Noteworthy examples of modernism on the Mall include the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (1974), designed by SOM’s Gordon Bunshaft, and the National Air and Space Museum (1976) designed by Gyo Obata of the firm Hellmuth Obata and Kassabaum.170

PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION

A. General Statement:

165 Robinson and Associates, Inc., DC Modern, 80-81. 166 Robert Twombly, Power and Style: A Critique of Twentieth-Century Architecture in the United States (New York: Hill and Wang, 1995), 97. 167 Charles Jencks, Architecture Today (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1982), 21-29. 168 Scott and Lee, Buildings,121-22. 169 Richard Guy Wilson, “High Noon on the Mall: Modernism versus Traditionalism, 1910-1970,” in The Mall in Washington, 1791-1991, ed. Richard Longstreth (Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1991), 162. 170 Scott and Lee, Buildings, 91-92. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 51)

1. Architectural character: MLK Library is an important example of the International style of architecture in the District of Columbia. Like many buildings designed by the Office of Mies van der Rohe during the later period of his career, MLK Library was based on the same formal principles: a rectilinear volume set atop a recessed lobby supported by a colonnade. Typical of Mies’s work, the expression of the structural module was applied throughout, most notably on the exterior curtain wall system, which combined vertical steel columns, mullions, and applied wide flange beams with horizontal steel spandrel panels. As originally constructed, MLK Library was defined by an extremely limited palette of materials, finishes and construction details which extended throughout the building’s exterior and interior spaces. Repeated consistently throughout the building, these elements were reflective of Mies’s design philosophy, which strove for universality and flexibility.

The library contains three below-grade stories (A, B, and mechanical levels), four full stories above grade, and a roof with four small penthouse enclosures that was intended to accommodate a future fifth-floor addition. The ground floor of the building is paved with granite, which forms a continuous plaza extending from the edge of the building to the curb line. The north side of the site features extant loading facilities and twin automobile ramps that connect with a parking garage at the library’s B level. The principal public lobbies as well as reading rooms are located at the ground story, predominately glazed to provide clear visibility into and through the space. The interior floor plan of the three upper stories generally features large, opening reading rooms at the east and west sides of the building, with tinted glazing to also allow visibility into and out of the space. The interior plan of the building is defined by four internal cores at each quadrant of the building that provide vertical circulation as well as mechanical and electrical chases. The interior floor plan generally features large, open reading rooms at the east and west sides of the building, with circulation, library services, offices, and other uses towards the interior.

Nearly every aspect of the building’s design originates from a 5’-0” dimensional module that is derivative of the building’s 30’-0” structural bay. This 5’-0” dimension extends to every component of the building and site’s appearance from paving patterns, to fenestration, to the placement of bookshelves and tables.171

2. Condition of fabric: MLK Library is structurally sound. Although MLK Library has experienced several alterations over its history, the library retains many of its original architectural features and continues to retain a high degree of integrity.

171 The 30’ module was chosen to accommodate parking at the B level in a more efficient manner. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 52)

B. Description of Exterior:

1. Overall dimensions: At ground level the building is roughly rectangular, with frontages on G Street and G Place approximately 340’-0” in length and those along Ninth Street and the public alley approximately 140’-0” deep. The cores extend beyond the face of the building on G Street, creating symmetrical projections that measure approximately 60’-0” wide by 8’-11 13/16” deep. The center recess on the building’s north elevation, which houses loading docks, measures approximately 70’-0” wide by 50’-0” deep. Due to the interruptions caused by these core projections and the recessed loading dock, the first floor has an irregular profile, whereas the plan of the floors above is larger and consistently rectangular, measuring 360’-0” wide by 180’-0” deep. At the roof, the building’s penthouses consist of four individual enclosures that correspond to the building’s four cores. At its highest point, the building is 77’-5 ¼” tall.

2. Foundations: The building rests on a 6’-0”-thick reinforced concrete mat foundation, and its below-ground mechanical, A, and B levels feature cast in place reinforced concrete outer and partition walls and large reinforced concrete columns and piers. The lowest basement level, which houses mechanical equipment and only covers a portion of the building footprint, features deep pile foundations.

3. Walls: Below-ground walls are comprised of cast in place reinforced concrete. The use of clear storefront glazing at the first story serves to dissolve the barriers between interior and exterior space, supporting the general sense of transparency that exists throughout the building. The upper three stories are defined by typical curtain wall construction. Reinforced concrete spandrel beams covered with steel plates ran horizontally across the exterior dividing each floor, while concrete columns formed vertical structural bays. Vertically set steel wide-flange beams served as mullions. Narrower, non-structural wide-flange beams were welded to steel plates covering the columns. These components extended from the base of the second floor to just below the roofline. Window frames and glazing units were inserted into the openings made by this system. The use of bronze-tinted glass allows for outward views during the day and illumination from interior lighting at night.

4. Structural system, framing: Above ground, the library’s first, second, third, and fourth floors exhibit a steel framing system of girders and wide-flange columns, with the upper three floors exhibiting an exterior steel and glass curtain wall skin. The exterior skin supplements the steel structural frame by providing resistance against lateral forces. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 53)

5. Porches, stoops, balconies, bulkheads: A recessed loggia is located at each of the library’s four elevations. The second story projects approximately 10’-0” from the face of the first floor on the east, north, and west elevations, and approximately 30’-0” at the library’s façade (south elevation). A colonnade of steel-clad columns that supports the overhanging second story is situated near the loggia’s outer perimeter. The loggia floor, lined with granite pavers that were typically 5’-0” square, is considered to be a portion of the larger plaza which encompasses much of the site (see below). The loggia’s soffit it composed of painted, cement plaster panels mounted on a hanging grid with batten insulation backing. Recessed incandescent and fluorescent light fixtures are mounted within the assembly.

6. Openings:

a. Doorways and doors: MLK Library has four main entrance doors at the center of the facade: two revolving doors and two sets of glazed double doors, all of which are replacements. Brick projections to the east and west of the main entrance each contain a set of metal double doors.

At north elevation, there are four sets of metal double doors: two are situated to the east and west of the recessed loading dock; and two open onto the loading dock platform.

b. Windows and shutters: The majority of the first floor is enclosed with glazed storefronts composed of clear plate glass supported by steel framing elements. A horizontal mullion separates two rows of windows that are vertically divided by floor-to-ceiling painted steel mullions. At the upper three stories, large panels of dark bronze-tinted glass were held in place by the curtain wall’s steel framing members. Due to the deterioration of the original butyl glazing tape used to protect the glass panes from the steel mullions, several panes have cracked, which has necessitated their replacement.

7. Roof

a. Shape, covering: MLK Library roof deck is supported on a concrete slab with varying depths between 0’-5” and 0’-6”. The flat roof has a raised concrete curb at its edge, serving to contain original roofing materials that included a layer of asphaltic concrete insulation over a solution of sodium silicate, two layers of multi-ply saturated felt roofing topped with a layer of MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 54)

gravel. The original roof membrane and flashing were replaced in 2000, the roof is topped with a layer of gravel.

b. Dormers, cupolas, towers: The roof has four penthouse enclosures that correspond with the placement of the cores below, four steel screening fences, and a cooling tower. The penthouse enclosures are clad in solid steel and louvered panels, finished with matte black paint. The steel screening fences extend between the exterior walls of the penthouses, creating a central open area shielded from view.

C. Description of Interior:

1. Floor plans: The plan for each floor contains large open spaces at the east and west ends of the building, creating reading rooms, closed stacks, or other spaces that benefited from an open plan. The central space is devoid of columns, as seen in the open space of the first-floor main lobby. On the upper floors, however, this space accommodates smaller spaces for staff and operational uses. These central enclosures are defined by corridors that surround it on all four sides. Each quadrant of the building is equipped with a core that houses fixed vertical circulation elements including stairways, elevators, automated dumbwaiters, pneumatic tubes, electrical risers, and mechanical shafts. The cores extended from the B level through the roof penthouses.

2. Stairways: The building contains four stairways, one in each of the building’s four cores, extending from the B level to the roof penthouses. Each stairway has steel handrails, metal stairs with concrete treads, metal anti-slip plates, and landings with vinyl tile flooring.

3. Flooring: Interior floors are comprised of concrete slabs. Several flooring materials were originally employed in the building, many of which are still extant in various library spaces including: 1) Original Rockville granite pavers with a polished finish at the entrance and main lobbies on the first floor; 2) Original granite pavers at the elevator lobbies at the second, third, and fourth floors; 3) Exposed reinforced concrete slabs at the B level within the garage parking area and various spaces at the mechanical level; 4) Ceramic tile flooring primarily on the A level and in the staff restrooms in the building cores; and 5) Vinyl and linoleum flooring throughout the building (some areas have been removed, replaced, or covered).

4. Wall and ceiling finish: Various original wall and ceiling finishes are extant throughout the library. Wall finishes include: 1) Unglazed tan brick with small iron flecks laid in MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 55)

a running bond pattern with tan colored mortar throughout the building; 2) Integrated sheet and cast aluminum shelving with a painted black matte finish in the second-floor east and west reading rooms; 3) Painted concrete block in spaces of a utilitarian nature throughout the building; 4) Terra Cotta structural facing tile with a satin glazed finish in the library’s restrooms (has been removed from the public restrooms on the second and third floors); 5) Painted gypsum wallboard throughout the building; 6) Painted reinforced concrete at the A, B, and mechanical levels; and 7) Glass and steel partitions at the B level, and first, second, third, and fourth floors.

Original ceiling finishes include: 1) Perforated metal acoustical ceiling tiles suspended on aluminum frames throughout the building; 2) Painted gypsum wallboard in various meeting rooms, administrative spaces, elevator halls, and restrooms; 3) Painted plaster aprons at the ceiling’s perimeter in the entrance lobby, main lobby, and both reading rooms at the first floor; 4) Painted, sprayed on acoustic ceiling; 5) Exposed structural concrete slabs, painted, located in the garage area, spaces on the A, B, and mechanical levels, and limited spaces at the building’s upper stories.

5. Openings:

a. Doorways and doors: Three types of original doors are employed at MLK Library: 1) Solid-core wood doors painted matte black, installed as either a single or double door of varying sizes with a variety of stainless steel hardware, and sometimes featuring louvered panels and transoms; 2) Hollow metal doors painted matte black, installed as either a single or double door of varying sizes with a variety of stainless steel hardware, and sometimes featuring louvered panels and transoms; and 3) Glass and metal doors with clear 0’-¼” polished plate glass set within metal frames painted matte black, installed as a double door within the building’s interior and exterior glass partitions. Generally, those doors not installed at the glass partition walls feature simple metal frames with a matte black painted finish.

b. Windows: The windows and curtain walls around the perimeter of the building allow for natural light to flood into the library’s interior spaces. As previously mentioned, several of these windows have cracked necessitating their replacement.

6. Hardware: Original and replacement hardware are located throughout the interior. Although specific hardware details vary, each original piece of hardware is stainless MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 56)

steel with a brushed finish. The two most common original door knob configurations are a round knob and a straight, rectangular handle. Some doors also feature an original lockset with a round, exposed keyhole.

7. Mechanical equipment:

a. Heating: The major heating elements of the building are the convectors and radiators arrayed along the perimeter of the building at exterior windows. On the first floor, a convector and dual fin tube radiators are recessed into the concrete floor slab. Brushed aluminum frames and grilles are mounted to the concrete slabs and enclose the assemblies. On the upper floors, a single fin tube is enclosed within a steel frame and louver assembly mounted directly to the floor. Breaks in the fin tubes and frames align with the window mullions, allowing for the insertion and removal of partition walls.

b. Lighting: The building throughout features 4’-0” long by 0’-10” wide fluorescent fixtures mounted flush with the ceiling plan at 5’-0” intervals. Oriented in bands that extend north-south, the fixtures are mounted singly, in pairs, or in continuous bands. The lighting provides bright and even lighting to the building – and together with the acoustical ceiling tiles or gypsum board – establishes the general uniformity of most of the ceilings within the building, regard of the use or size of the space. The lighting, particularly at night, is the most visible interior component of the building to be expressed on the exterior. In limited areas on the fourth floor some original lighting has been reconfigured.

c. Book Return Conveyor System: MLK Library retains its original book return conveyor system. The system originated on the first floor at two places: the return and registration counter in the main lobby, and the exterior book drop at G Street. From here, books would be carried by the system to the sorting counter in the circulation room on the A level. Although the system remains in place, it has long been out of use.

d. Pneumatic Tube System: MLK Library retains its original pneumatic tube system, a system of vacuum-sealed pneumatic tubes that allowed for paper documents and microfilm containers to be sent throughout the building. Stations with controls were either located within the cores (sharing a cabinet with the dumbwaiter system) or in areas immediately outside of the cores. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 57)

The system, however, has long been out of use and its control cabinets have been covered with stainless steel plates.

e. Automated Dumbwaiter System: MLK Library retains its original dumbwaiter system with stainless steel control panels and cabinets. A dumbwaiter is located in each of the cores, allowing for the delivery of books between floors, with vertical shafts spanning all floors, with stops on the A level through fourth floor. The system, however, has long been out of use and its control cabinets have been covered with stainless steel plates.

f. Passenger and freight elevators: Located within the four building cores, MLK Library has eleven elevators: Four staff elevators, five public passenger elevators, and two freight elevators. Most of the elevator shafts span all floors, with stops from the A level to the fourth floor. Both freight elevators also extend to the B and mechanical levels. One passenger elevator (in the southeast core) extends to the B level only.

The elevator cabs and equipment, originally manufactured by the Armor Elevator Company, are all original. However, most of the elevators have undergone several renovations including elevator control replacement, removal of granite flooring and metal fabric panels, and the installation of replacement rubber flooring and laminate panels. Only the two public elevators in the northeast core fully retain their integrity of materials.

8. Furniture: Several of the fixed pieces designed by Mies van der Rohe continue to remain in MLK Library, including those in the first floor main lobby (Information Desk, Charge Out/Reserve Book Counter, Return & Registration Counter, Wall Cabinets, and Wall Shelves), the fourth floor administrative suite (Cabinets), and the A level meeting room (Meeting Room Panels). DCPL continues to utilize original moveable pieces of furniture throughout MLK Library, while also keeping several pieces in storage. Extant original pieces include those designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Barcelona Chairs and Stools, Tugendhat Chairs, Brno Chairs, and Barcelona “X” Table), Charles and Ray Eames (Molded Barrel Chairs, Molded Barrel Chairs with Casters, Tandem Sling Seat, and Dining Tables), Florence Knoll Bassett (Tables for Books and Periodicals and End Tables), as well as items manufactured by the Harter Corporation (Side Chairs), the Steelcase Corporation (Utility Tables and Library Tables), and General Fireproofing (Stacking Chairs), as well as several card catalogs and file cabinets. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 58)

D. Site:

1. Historic landscape design: Around the perimeter of MLK Library’s ground floor, a granite-paved plaza extends from the edge of the building, beyond the property line, to the curb. The plaza is partially located underneath the building’s covered loggia as well as the public right of way. The plaza’s Rockville granite pavers with a flame finish are dimensioned 0’-60” on center.

Brick site walls are located along the building’s north, east, and west elevations, and around the automobile ramps. The walls are of concrete masonry unit construction, with a single-wythe brick veneer laid in running bond and granite coping with a honed finish. The walls provide enclosure for the perimeter of the building and automobile ramps and also accommodate the changes in grade across the site, in some cases acting as retaining walls. Along the building’s east elevation, an original, freestanding steel railing (with non-original angled supports) extends from the south edge of the brick site wall to the end of the grade differential at the southeast corner of the site. The original painted steel flagpole (with non-original hardware, ropes, and flags) is situated immediately to the south of the building at the G Street plaza.

Historically, vegetation did not figure prominently into the original site design. The original landscape design called for seven new male Gingko (Gingko biloba) trees to line the G Street sidewalk, three new red oak (Quercus rubra) trees to line the east elevation along Ninth Street, and four new male Ginkgo trees, two on either side of the loading dock to the north of the ramps, to line G Place. Each of the trees was planted within a tree pit with a granite curb separating each tree pit from the adjacent street, with a granite curb at the pits other sides, and a circular wire tree guard. It appears that the site’s original trees have been replaced over time. It is possible that the existing Gingko (Gingko biloba) trees along the west side of G Place are original to 1972.

PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION

A. Architectural drawings:

MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the D.C. Public Library. Series 18, Maps and Architectural Drawings, 1903-2003.

B. Early Views:

Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 59)

MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the D.C. Public Library. Series 1, Subseries 01, Photographs 1903-2000.

C. Interviews:

Bowman, John. By Bill Marzella et al., July 7, 2015.

D. Selected Sources:

“1-333.05. Duties of Municipal Architect. [Repealed].” Code of the District of Columbia (Unofficial). Accessed August 12, 2015. http://dccode.org/simgple/sections/1- 333.05~P.html.

Bernstein, Fred A. “Gene Summers, Modernist Architect, Dies at 83.” New York Times, December 20, 2011, B11.

“Blagden Alley/Naylor Court Historic District.” National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Washington, D.C., 1990.

Booz, Allen & Hamilton. A Study of Central Library Facilities in the District of Columbia. Washington, D.C.: The National Capital Downtown Committee, 1961.

Borden, Jeff. “People.” Crain’s Chicago Business, January 9, 1999. Accessed August 25, 2015. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/19990109/ISSUE01/10001699?template=pri ntart.

Bostwick, Arthur E. The American Public Library. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1910.

“Buildings and grounds.” Folger Shakespeare Library. Accessed March 30, 2017. http://www.folger.edu/buildings-grounds.

Cosentini Associates. “About Cosentini.” Accessed August 26, 2015. www.cosentini.com.

De Caindray, William A. “The Washington City Free Library.” In Records of the Columbia Historical Society Washington, D.C., Volume 16, compiled by The Committee on Publication and the Recording Secretary. Washington, D.C.: Columbia Historical Society, 1913.

“Deep Roots in Design.” Real Estate Weekly. February 12, 2003. Accessed August 26, 2015. www.thefreelibrary.com. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 60)

District of Columbia Department of Transportation. “North-South Corridor Planning Study: Historic Resources Study.” Prepared by EHT Traceries, Inc. 2014.

“Downtown Historic District.” National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. Washington, D.C., 1990.

EHT Traceries. DC Public Library Survey. Prepared for the DC Preservation League and the DC Historic Preservation Division. Washington, D.C., 1997.

“History.” American Library Association. Accessed March 30, 2017. http://www.ala.org/aboutala/history.

“Jack Bender Dies at 59, Head of Building Firm.” The Washington Post. December 9, 1966, B18. ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

Jencks, Charles. Architecture Today. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1982.

Jordy, William H. American Buildings and Their Architects, Volume 5. New York: Oxford University Press, 1972.

Khan, Hasan-Uddin. International Style: Modernist Architecture from 1925 to 1965, edited by Philip Jodidio. London: Tashen, 2009.

Kiplinger Collection, Historical Society of Washington.

King, Margaret L. “Beginning and Early History of the Public Library of the District of Columbia, 1896-1904.” Master’s thesis, Catholic University, 1953.

“Lafayette Park National Historic Landmark Nomination.” National Park Service, 2014.

Lavoie, Catherine C. “Free Library of Philadelphia, Central Library.” Written Historical and Descriptive Data, Historic American Buildings Survey, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2009. Accessed March 30, 2017. http://cdn.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/pa/pa4000/pa4067/data/pa4067data.pdf.

“Merger Creates Full-Service Architectural Company.” Solid State Technology, February 1 1999. Accessed August 25, 2015. http://electroiq.com/blog/1999/02/merger-creates- full-service-architectural-company/.

Mertins, Detlef. Mies. London: Phaidon Press, 2014.

MLK Library, Washingtoniana Divisions, Archives of the D.C. Public Library. Series 3, Subseries 01, Carnegie Library, Mt. Vernon Square, 1907-1970.

------Series 3, Subseries 02, Martin Luther King Memorial Library, 1950-1975. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 61)

------Series 4, Director Files, 1905-1975.

------Series 8, Board of Trustees Records, 1896-1978.

National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 66, Records of the Commission of Fine Arts.

Robinson and Associates, Inc. DC Modern: A Context for Modernism in the District of Columbia, 1945-1976. Prepared for the District of Columbia Historic Preservation Office. 2009.

Robinson, Judith H. and Stephanie S. Foell. Growth, Efficiency and Modernism: GSA Buildings of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Prepared by Robinson and Associates for the General Services Administration. Washington, 2005.

Schrag, Zachary M. The Great Society Subway. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006.

Schulze, Franz. Mies van der Rohe: A Critical Biography. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1985.

Scott, Pamela and Antoinette J. Lee. Buildings of the District of Columbia. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

Statutes at Large, 69th Congress Session 1, Chapter 98, Volume 44, p. 229, 1926.

The Evening Times Archive, Newspaper.com.

“Transcript of Proceedings.” Washington, D.C.: U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, February 15, 1966.

Twombly, Robert. Power and Style: A Critique of Twentieth Century Architecture in the United States. New York: Hill and Wang, 1995.

Van Slyck, Abigail A. Free to All: Carnegie Libraries and American Culture, 1890-1920. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1995.

Washington Evening Star Archive, NewsBank.

Washington Post Archive, ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

Wilson, Richard Guy. “High Noon on the Mall: Modernism versus Traditionalism, 1910- 1970.” In The Mall in Washington, 1791-1991, edited by Richard Longstreth. Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 1991. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL LIBRARY HABS No. DC-887 (page 62)

“Zevel Berman.” Chicago Tribune, July 10, 1986. Accessed August 25, 2015. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-07-10/news/8602190050_1_civil-engineer- berman-associates-mr-berman.