THE SITE

The building stood on the brow of a hill, the land sloping off gently to
the north, and faced upon a broad plaza, through which ran one of the
most frequented highways within the grounds, known as Commonwealth
avenue. For its neighbors were the buildings of Kansas, Iowa,
Massachusetts, Ohio, Wisconsin and Oklahoma, while westward, at the foot
of the hill, was located the great cage erected by the United States
government, which held the exhibit of live birds from the Smithsonian
Institute.

To no state, with the possible exception of Missouri, the home state,
was so large a site assigned as to New York. Its extent, the undulating
character of the grounds, and the presence of many beautiful, stately
trees, afforded countless opportunities for landscape effects. From the
opening day the grounds presented a charming appearance, the well-kept
lawns giving place here and there to large beds of nasturtiums, poppies,
cannae, and rhododendrons, while at the lowest point on the grounds,
near the northeast corner, was located a lily pond. It was filled with
the choicest aquatic plants of every variety, which were furnished
through the courtesy of Shaw's Gardens and the Missouri Botanical
Society. During the season many beautiful bouquets of varicolored
blossoms were gathered and its surface was almost entirely covered by
odd shaped leaves from which peeped here and there the buds of pond
lilies.


TRANSFER OF SITE TO THE STATE

The site was formally turned over to the Commission on October 1, 1902,