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| THE CALIFORNIA BUILDING - The great structure
erected by California stretched along the western side of Jackson
Park, beginning just north of the Woman's
Building, and but a short distance west of the Illinois. Its area was four hundred and
thirty-five by one hundred and forty-four feet, with three stories, a
Moorish dome one hundred and thirteen feet high, and a roof-garden
which was decorated with semi-tropical plants. On the whole, the eye
came to admire the sombre and impressive mission-house idea which was
represented in this edifice. Its southern porch was classic, but
there was no other architectural inconsistency apparent to the
layman's eye. Of all the buildings in Jackson Park, "staff" best
became the Spanish ones. The stucco of this fabric, and of Rabida, and of the Spanish Building, looked right; and, looking
right, there resulted a certain beauty not to be denied. Let but a
company of monks in cowls come from these low portals, and the
illusion had been complete. Catholic missions at Santa Barbara, San
Luis Rey and San Luis Obispo furnished to Mr. P. Brown, the architect
of San Francisco, the characteristic features of a native building,
and the gorgeous displays and generous distributions of fruit within,
contrasted as strongly as possible with the exterior humility of the
proud and wealthy State, thus offering to the Eastern visitor the
manners and atmosphere of the Golden Gate. This house, like the
Illinois and Washington Buildings, was
devoted to State exhibits, and was always full of visitors, who
looked with interest on many curious, useful, and beautiful things.
Cost, $100,000. |
