New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-28
rENEMgNT HOUSES IN BROOKLYN
A MODEL TENEMENT-HoUSE IL NEw-YoRx.
YuRrpER EXPLORATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE


The Legislative Committee on Tensnen. Hcasss,.
Mr.. j. NJ. Reed Of New-York and w. !. Chsy Of Rich.
,nopd present met yesterday at 10 O'Clock IN the Csy
Hall TO continue their investigations. Aceompsaed y
the reporters Of the daily journals, the Coman:sss
nrooeeSed in carriages TO the Cfy Hail. Brooklyn, NJ
called on his Ho.or Mayor Hall, who placed the pzty
under the charge Of Captsin Vsndeveer Of the Ihfd
District Police. Thus Offered, visit wss frs; pad
70 Freeman's Hall, corner Of Amity asd Columbia =
streets. formerly occupied for various pup"ses bat
,ov used as tenant house. Tue ceilings OF ms oa
inc are at least twelve fee, high, and It's only e:sa
fss,nre worthy of note was nuthrde OF chbdrea.
Tw, ,hree-s,crv houses on Amity street, near .A
river. known Kelseys alley, next engsseo the saes-
ZION of the Con mittee These buildings have rontd
.hou, 10 feet and depth Of 200, and stand 20 Zee
spsrt. The basement formerly LEI, ou' y low o.
tirely unoccupled owing TO IFS ntoleraole dampees
The cholera one occasion made fgntiii bsvoS LIN
The dampness in fac. peryades the two over seon~
and ,ts ehects are seen in the general peehng on OF @
nisste, in many of the rooms. There are fouI my.
rays TO each building and the capacity OF eaSr nccss
is &c families, with only one room 20 =. iaun,y, im
ny;ce ~ rent rsRges fron So TO ~ 30 per month h
ffach room The walls Of the various apartments "a.
bibted the raysges Of smoke and moisture ana ccseS
Ahout az gloomy and uncomfortable as prson.een.
A fve-story house on Willow, between Amny sae
Atlantic streets was also visited. This " designedt
accommodate about 40 families in the usnai say,~rs
out regard TO ventilation space or convenience. Ia
rent varies from o. 50 to s. per month: p;s ,s u.,
s,rce, the committee took survey OF several hocs
very similar to each other m arrangement, and
about the average character "a. g.
Tha iast place examined was row OF ten foor<toy
| h,nS;,cs on state street, corner Of Furman Esek
houss is arranged to contain sixteen famnee, anu
| would not be too much TO say thai IN 'nsu neefnn
manifestations they all far less clean than' 'o' sf
| ample, the Astor House - r M
lvn rresent less repusive aspect, and seem 70 Dc es
| crowded than those in this city. There Delns
sbur dance Of room in the suburbs OF our ss'er ca
hundreds of poor families paut their shantes OUT tn
and apply the principle of squattsr Sovereignty
AS.r taking view Of all they cared about seeing
| in BROOKLYN which peitained TO their oricla cutie !
the Committee returned to New-fork, ana, IN Punui
ance of previous invitation, repaired 70 mo1el tent
| mert house on Elizabeth, between Walker AMI hesta
streets, called the Workingmen's Home lns oe
of the largest well one of the most expensive an
best.psnned ediiices of the kind in New York. Ah1
| oronino through dingy apartments, breathing dam
and pesti ential air. and smelling odors that woas
have thrown the seventy and three several etlnn
OF Cologne in the shade, 1t was truly renesnmg 70
into quarters where the free air of heaven w
breathed in its purity from cellarto garrett The Won
ippmen's Home was erected by an association
wealthy gentlemen to test the possibility OF provdat
comfortable apartments for poor people az Ivlng rs~
| Il
having q front of 81 feet and depth OF 100. TsI
building six stories high, and in It's external appeS
apce exhibits a neat and tasteful aspect The wakl
as well as every other part, are constructed IN hi
most ,ubetanta inanner-being le inches thick belev
| ard 70 inches above. At intervals OF 2s feet or k
Guiding two suites of rooms brick walls are earned
to the roof the staircases are iron, abd the hall hon
| of each story are fiagged-thus rendering the entire
building freproof, and well protected from the De
| youiipg element as ingenuity can devise. The hsk
and staircases-of which latter there are two 20 esA
i a.. ii. -. "A - x,r~L
fOorae located on the north SIDE, ana are OF amps
breadth and well adapted for all required purpcea
The ceilings of the different stories are eight feet h
inches in hight. -Four rooms, including closet, CON
pose a suite for single family. The dimensions d
the pripcipal apartment fourteen feet by eleven
Of the two next largest, eight feet by seveni aud d
the closet eight feet BY four. Every room well vea
tiated and each door has over 1t swinging window
all the rooms have inside blinds to the windows he
is Croton water every HOor and the halls are hghid
| With gas.
The number of families now in the building isnl
eomprieipg 3ls persons and all co0red There an
only five suites Of rooms vacant. The price Of rr
varies from e5 25 TO 90 80 per month, which is lee
than is paid in many old, dirty rookery for mact
less space. The arrangement of the waterclo,es
most complete Each suite Of rooms is furnished viii
of these the floor with ITSELF opening from
the hail. Every family also has separate bin in tts
cellar for fuel. On the upper floor too large ass
joining rooms, measuring together 50 by % feet, whn
can be thrown into one or disconnected a. pleasure
They are designed 10 be hired to the inmates OF h
house and others for purposes of Sunday and dg
schools, concerts, lectures &c. On the south sidee
the building, and connected with IT, a yard 20 fee
wide extends from one street TO the other, aHordns
facilities for unloading wood and coal at the varou
doors Leading into the basement. This yard Is as
used by the occupants of the house place for dry
ing their clothesthe families of each floor having s
| exclusive use of il for specified day of the week.
In the lower story on Elizabeth street is grocer
and on Mott street drugstore. with physicians one
| attached.
On the examination of this building, the Observer
struck by the neatness visible and by the air Of qua
| ness throughout. The tenant, after entering
| apartments from the hall, Is almost as secluded az
would be in a separate hon.ethe dividing W ills an
floors being deafened as to exclude noises from as
| joining rooms The floors of the halls being eos
structed of tagging, found 10 be exceedingly 90;
venient for children to play on.
| The following Of the Rules Of the Workins
mems Home, and they are strictly enforced:
l. The Superintendent will visit the apartments wed
Eomlies having children requested keep Q s,rs
wate their conduct and prevent them from hro wing stou
B. The each make such
reference to their wserose. as nav best su their con
yeBee all Of which be kept in due order Of cleanliness
Nghkeys will be furnished TO all whose occupation kssr
them out after the building clssed by applying at the suer
1 tendeDt's Office.
s. All cautioned against anything which may hsm
teneercy to reflect dscredt whatever the buidinG
glasses pictures kc but requested spply for racks n,
kc 70 the Superintendent who viii haze attended 10 - sos
| as practicable.
Each family is also required to alternate in sweeping
the bsls Of their story, and if any Of tbese rala
are peisistently violated they compelled 10 vacate
The entire cost of this building was $50, Gao and d
the lot which Il stands $50 600; il completes
| only in November last. The orignators aud owner
of the WOrkngmen's Home started the project with
view 10 solve tie problem Of providing spacous aat
well ventilated apartments, supplied with most Of M
modern conyeniences, at price within the means q
the poorer classes. Although positive concases