Talk:Colross/GA2

GA Review

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Reviewer: Seabuckthorn (talk · contribs) 21:27, 28 February 2014 (UTC)
Nominator: Caponer (talk)

Hi! My review for this article will be here shortly. --Seabuckthorn ♥ 21:27, 28 February 2014 (UTC)

1: Well-written

• a. Prose is "clear and concise", without copyvios, or spelling and grammar errors:
• b. MoS compliance for lead, layout, words to watch, fiction, and lists:

WP:LEAD:

Check for WP:LEAD: Check for Correct Structure of Lead Section:  Done Check for Citations (WP:LEADCITE):  Done Check for Introductory text:  Done Check for Provide an accessible overview (MOS:INTRO):  Done Major Point 1: History "The Colross estate was originally developed as a plantation by Alexandria merchant John Potts, who began construction of the mansion between 1799 and 1800. In 1803, the property was purchased by Jonathan Swift, an Alexandria merchant and city councilman. Swift continued the mansion's construction during his ownership. Thomson Francis Mason (1785–1838), son of Thomson Mason (1759–1820) and grandson of Founding Father George Mason (1725–1792) of Gunston Hall, purchased Colross following Swift's death in 1824. Mason served as a judge of the Criminal Court of the District of Columbia and as Mayor of Alexandria. During his ownership, Mason made Colross his chief homestead and undertook substantial modifications and additions to the mansion. After a series of successive ownerships, the area around Colross became heavily industrialized and the mansion was purchased by John Munn in 1929. Between 1929 and 1932, the mansion was transported brick by brick to Princeton. In 1958, Colross was sold to Princeton Day School. It currently serves as an administration building for the school, housing its admission and advancement offices." (summarised well in the lead) Major Point 2: Architecture "The Colross mansion is a two-story brick Georgian style structure, featuring an architectural plan similar to Mount Vernon and Woodlawn, and originally flanked by two wings. The front entrance is covered by a spacious Neoclassical portico supported by wooden Doric columns. The roof is topped by a balustraded deck and further embellished by three dormer windows. The Colross property originally occupied the entire 1100 block of Oronoco Street." (summarised well in the lead) Major Point 3: Archeological excavation "Following its purchase by a real estate development company in 2005, an excavation of the Colross archaeological site began between March and June 2005 at the behest of the city of Alexandria. Archaeologists uncovered an underground domed brick cistern and evidence of slave outbuildings, in addition to the foundations of the estate's exterior walls and several ancillary structures. The excavation of the Colross site resulted in 79 condominium buyers walking away from their purchase agreements, due to the delay in construction of the luxury Monarch Condominium project." (summarised well in the lead) Major Point 4: Significant Mason family events "" (not a concise summary of the corresponding section in the body) Check for Relative emphasis:  Done Major Point 1: History "The Colross estate was originally developed as a plantation by Alexandria merchant John Potts, who began construction of the mansion between 1799 and 1800. In 1803, the property was purchased by Jonathan Swift, an Alexandria merchant and city councilman. Swift continued the mansion's construction during his ownership. Thomson Francis Mason (1785–1838), son of Thomson Mason (1759–1820) and grandson of Founding Father George Mason (1725–1792) of Gunston Hall, purchased Colross following Swift's death in 1824. Mason served as a judge of the Criminal Court of the District of Columbia and as Mayor of Alexandria. During his ownership, Mason made Colross his chief homestead and undertook substantial modifications and additions to the mansion. After a series of successive ownerships, the area around Colross became heavily industrialized and the mansion was purchased by John Munn in 1929. Between 1929 and 1932, the mansion was transported brick by brick to Princeton. In 1958, Colross was sold to Princeton Day School. It currently serves as an administration building for the school, housing its admission and advancement offices." (the lead gives due weight as is given in the body) Major Point 2: Architecture "The Colross mansion is a two-story brick Georgian style structure, featuring an architectural plan similar to Mount Vernon and Woodlawn, and originally flanked by two wings. The front entrance is covered by a spacious Neoclassical portico supported by wooden Doric columns. The roof is topped by a balustraded deck and further embellished by three dormer windows. The Colross property originally occupied the entire 1100 block of Oronoco Street." (the lead gives due weight as is given in the body) Major Point 3: Archeological excavation "Following its purchase by a real estate development company in 2005, an excavation of the Colross archaeological site began between March and June 2005 at the behest of the city of Alexandria. Archaeologists uncovered an underground domed brick cistern and evidence of slave outbuildings, in addition to the foundations of the estate's exterior walls and several ancillary structures. The excavation of the Colross site resulted in 79 condominium buyers walking away from their purchase agreements, due to the delay in construction of the luxury Monarch Condominium project." (the lead gives due weight as is given in the body) Major Point 4: Significant Mason family events "" (the lead does not give due weight as is given in the body) Check for Opening paragraph (MOS:BEGIN):  Done Check for First sentence (WP:LEADSENTENCE):  Done Colross (also historically known as Belle Air and Grasshopper Hall) is a Georgian mansion and former estate in Old Town Alexandria in the U.S. state of Virginia. Check for Format of the first sentence (MOS:BOLDTITLE):  Done Check for Proper names and titles:  Done Check for Abbreviations and synonyms (MOS:BOLDSYN): None Check for Foreign language (MOS:FORLANG): None Check for Pronunciation: None Check for Contextual links (MOS:CONTEXTLINK):  Done Check for Biographies: NA Check for Organisms: NA Check for Biographies of living persons: NA Check for Alternative names (MOS:LEADALT):  Done Check for Non-English titles: Check for Usage in first sentence: Check for Separate section usage: Check for Length (WP:LEADLENGTH):  Done Check for Clutter (WP:LEADCLUTTER): None

WP:LAYOUT:

Done Check for WP:LAYOUT:  Done Check for Body sections: WP:BODY, MOS:BODY.  Done Check for Headings and sections:  Done Check for Section templates and summary style:  Done Check for Paragraphs (MOS:PARAGRAPHS):  Done Paragraphs should be short enough to be readable, but long enough to develop an idea. (WP:BETTER) Fix "According to the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, 79 condominium buyers walked away due to the construction delay." in the Archeological excavation section. Check for Standard appendices and footers (MOS:APPENDIX):  Done Check for Order of sections (WP:ORDER):  Done Check for Works or publications:  Done Check for See also section (MOS:SEEALSO): None Check for Notes and references (WP:FNNR):  Done Check for Further reading (WP:FURTHER): None Check for External links (WP:LAYOUTEL): None Check for Links to sister projects: None Check for Navigation templates:  Done Check for Formatting:  Done Check for Images (WP:LAYIM):  Done Check for Links:  Done Check for Horizontal rule (WP:LINE):  Done

WP:WTW:

Done Check for WP:WTW:  Done Check for Words that may introduce bias:  Done Check for Puffery (WP:PEA):  Done Check for Contentious labels (WP:LABEL):  Done Check for Unsupported attributions (WP:WEASEL):  Done Check for Expressions of doubt (WP:ALLEGED):  Done Check for Editorializing (MOS:OPED):  Done Check for Synonyms for said (WP:SAY):  Done Check for Expressions that lack precision:  Done Check for Euphemisms (WP:EUPHEMISM):  Done Check for Clichés and idioms (WP:IDIOM):  Done Check for Relative time references (WP:REALTIME):  Done Check for Neologisms (WP:PEA): None Check for Offensive material (WP:F***):  Done Check for WP:MOSFICT:  Done Check for Real-world perspective (WP:Real world):  Done Check for Primary and secondary information (WP:PASI):  Done Check for Contextual presentation (MOS:PLOT):  Done

WP:EMBED:
None Prose is preferred over list (WP:PROSE): Check for Tables (MOS:TABLES):

2: Verifiable with no original research

• a. Has an appropriate reference section: Yes
• b. Citation to reliable sources where necessary: excellent (Thorough check on Google. Cross-checked with other GAs)

WP:RS:

Done Check for WP:RS:  Done Cross-checked with other GAs: Virginia Argus and Hampshire Advertiser, Confederate Memorial (Romney, West Virginia), Wirgman Building, Wappocomo (Romney, West Virginia), Christian Streit White, Valley View (Romney, West Virginia), Alexander White (Virginia), Francis White (Virginia) Check for the material (WP:RSVETTING): (not contentious)  Done Is it contentious?: No Does the ref indeed support the material?: Check for the author (WP:RSVETTING):  Done Who is the author?: Brown, Charlotte (Arcadia Publishing) Chapman, S M F & et al. (Richmond, Virginia) Combs, George K. & et al. (Arcadia Publishing) Cook, Alice H. (The Feminist Press) Crew, Harvey W. (United Brethren Publishing House) Harrison, Mrs. Burton (C. Scribner's Sons) Lee, Marguerite du Pont (Genealogical Publishing Company) (Rogers and Manson Company) Taylor, L. B. (Stackpole Books) Willcox, Orlando B. (Kent State University Press) Smith, Leef (The Washington Post) The Metro Herald Terry A. Necciai (Alexandria City Government) Melissa Castro (American City Business Journals) Does the author have a Wikipedia article?: What are the author's academic credentials and professional experience?: What else has the author published?: Is the author, or this work, cited in other reliable sources? In academic works?: Check for the publication (WP:RSVETTING):  Done Arcadia Publishing Richmond, Virginia The Feminist Press United Brethren Publishing House C. Scribner's Sons Genealogical Publishing Company Rogers and Manson Company Stackpole Books Kent State University Press Check for Self-published sources (WP:SPS):

WP:MINREF:

Done Check for inline citations WP:MINREF:  Done Check for Direct quotations:  Done "well proportioned width" … [4] "at a game of cards" [6][9] "famous 'bounty jumper'" [6][9] "the grounds included a whole square block and were enclosed with an ancient brick wall ten feet in height."[9] "never stay locked more than three days" at a time.[9][15] "giggling, singing, and talking" … .[9] "fine house and ground and the chief residence of the Masons of Alexandria, much frequented by officers of the army." … "hospitality and civility of the head of the house," [14] "had no gaslights, and running water only in the kitchen," … "stood in the midst of railroad tracks." … "elegant plaster ceilings" … "great oak doors" [17] "largest and most beautiful mansion ever erected in Alexandria."[20] Check for Likely to be challenged:  Done Check for Contentious material about living persons (WP:BLP): NA

• c. No original research:  Done

WP:NOR:
Done Check for primary sources (WP:PRIMARY):  Done Check for synthesis (WP:SYN):  Done Check for original images (WP:OI):  Done

3: Broad in its coverage

a. Major aspects:

Done Cross-checked with other GAs: Virginia Argus and Hampshire Advertiser, Confederate Memorial (Romney, West Virginia), Wirgman Building, Wappocomo (Romney, West Virginia), Christian Streit White, Valley View (Romney, West Virginia), Alexander White (Virginia), Francis White (Virginia) Check for Article scope as defined by reliable sources: Check for The extent of the subject matter in these RS: Check for Out of scope: Check for The range of material that belongs in the article: Check for All material that is notable is covered: Check for All material that is referenced is covered: Check for All material that a reader would be likely to agree matches the specified scope is covered: Check for The most general scope that summarises essentially all knowledge: Check for Stay on topic and no wandering off-topic (WP:OFFTOPIC):

b. Focused:
Done Check for Readability issues (WP:LENGTH): Check for Article size (WP:TOO LONG!):

4: Neutral

WP:NPOV:

Done 4. Fair representation without bias:  Done Check for POV (WP:YESPOV):  Done Check for naming (WP:POVNAMING):  Done Check for structure (WP:STRUCTURE):  Done Check for Due and undue weight (WP:DUE):  Done Check for Balancing aspects (WP:BALASPS):  Done Check for Giving "equal validity" (WP:VALID):  Done Check for Balance (WP:YESPOV):  Done Check for Impartial tone (WP:IMPARTIAL):  Done Check for Describing aesthetic opinions (WP:SUBJECTIVE):  Done Check for Words to watch (WP:YESPOV):  Done Check for Attributing and specifying biased statements (WP:ATTRIBUTEPOV):  Done Check for Fringe theories and pseudoscience (WP:PSCI): None Check for Religion (WP:RNPOV): None

5: Stable: No edit wars, etc: Yes

6: Images  Done (PD)

Images:

Done 6: Images are tagged with their copyright status, and valid fair use rationales are provided for non-free content:  Done Check for copyright tags (WP:TAGS):  Done Check for copyright status:  Done Check for non-free content (WP:NFC):  Done Check for valid fair use rationales (WP:FUR):  Done 6: Images are provided if possible and are relevant to the topic, and have suitable captions:  Done Check for image relevance (WP:IMAGE RELEVANCE):  Done Image 1 (Colross Alexandria VA 1916 05.jpg): Relevant. Image 2 (Colross Alexandria VA 1916 06.jpg): Relevant. Image 3 (Colross Alexandria VA 1916 04.jpg): Relevant. Image 4 (Colross Alexandria VA 1916 02.jpg): Relevant. Check for Images for the lead (WP:LEADIMAGE):  Done Image 1 (Colross Alexandria VA 1916 05.jpg): Appropriate & Representative Check for suitable captions (WP:CAPTION):  Done Caption 1: "Colross, photographed in 1916" succinct and informative Caption 2: "The front portico and main entryway at Colross." succinct and informative Caption 3: "Architectural drawing of the front elevation of Colross." succinct and informative Caption 4: "Architectural details of Colross." succinct and informative

I'm glad to see your work here. The prose quality in particular is meticulous and engrossing. As per the above checklist, I do have some insights that I think will be useful in improving the article:

• I think the lead can be improved in order to provide an accessible overview and to give relative emphasis for the Significant Mason family events.
• I think the layout needs to be fixed.

Besides that, I think the article looks excellent. Caponer, please feel free to strike out any recommendation you think will not help in improving the article. All the best, --Seabuckthorn ♥ 20:26, 4 March 2014 (UTC)

Thank you for taking the time from your schedule to conduct this review, Seabuckthorn. I've addressed both of your concerns, so please re-review and let me know if this requires any additional edits or fixes. I added a paragraph to the lead to account for the final section, and added the hanging sentence in the archaeological section to the second paragraph. Thanks again! -- Caponer (talk) 04:25, 5 March 2014 (UTC)

Since the issues have been addressed and Seabuckthorn has disappeared, I'll pass the article. Wizardman 02:24, 24 March 2014 (UTC)