Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1872.djvu/30

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Congress, by an act approved June 1, 1872, created a board of commissioners, composed of the Secretary of the Interior, the governor of the District of Columbia, and the chief justice of the supreme court of said District, with full power to carry out the provisions of the act approved July 25, 1866, entitled "An act authorizing the construction of a jail in and for the District of Columbia," and the acts amendatory thereof, and directed that the plans and designs for said jail should be prepared by the supervising architect of the Treasury Department; the work to be done under his supervision, subject to the approval of said commission.

The board of commissioners met in July last, and decided that it was inexpedient to have the jail erected on the site theretofore selected. At a subsequent meeting a portion of reservation No. 13 was selected as a new site for the building, this being deemed by the commission the only available public reservation in this District fit for the purpose. The reservation is situate on the western bank of the Anacostia River, and is bounded on the north by B street south; on the west by Nineteenth street east; and on the south by G street south. The northern portion of the reservation was selected, embracing a tract of ground 600 feet in width, and running back over 1,000 feet to the Anacostia; about one-third of the entire area of the reservation. Abundant room for the building is thus secured, while the contiguity of the site to the river will be of manifest advantage in the transportation of materials for its construction. At a later meeting of the commission certain plans, designs, specifications, and estimates, prepared by the supervising architect, were approved, and the proper steps taken for the early commencement of the foundation-walls. The architect is of the opinion that the building can be completed during the ensuing year. During the coming winter the necessary excavations will be made, the foundation laid, and materials prepared for beginning the superstructure at the opening of spring.

By the act of Congress approved March 5, 1872, all the powers conferred and duties enjoined by existing laws upon this Department, relating to the reform-school and jail in the District of Columbia, were transferred to the Department of Justice. A subsequent act, however, approved May 15,1872, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to purchase a new site for said school, to be selected by himself and the board of trustees, on which buildings for the accommodation of three hundred boys shall be erected under the supervision of said Secretary, the board of trustees, and the architect of the Capitol, for which purposes the sum of $100,000 was thereby appropriated.

A new site for said school has been selected on the farm of Thomas