Existing comment:
Taft Moves Forward:
In 1926, while Chief Justice Taft worked to secure funding from Congress, he also began working privately with Cass Gilbert to develop plans for the building. Working without a contract, Gilbert revised an earlier design started by the late Henry Bacon, but soon changed the building into his own classically inspired "Temple of Justice." Once the Building Commission was formed, its first action was to officially name an architect. At the suggestion of Taft, Gilbert was appointed in 1929. Shortly thereafter, a plaster model and conceptual plans were unveiled and approved by the Building Commission and the Fine Arts Commission. While negotiating his contract for architectural and engineering services, Gilbert insisted that two other members of his firm be included on the contract: his only son, Cass Gilbert Jr., and his longtime associate, John R. Rockart. |