The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-25
TIE BUILDING LAWS.
~~~~~~~~>>~e~c~->~~>-~~~~
The Department for The Survey and In
spectiOn Of Buildings.
~.~>~~~~>~~~-~~~~
How Permits Are Granted for
Wooden Houses.
~~~~-~-~>~-~~~~
A just Complaint---Too Many
Frame HulkS.

Wherever one looks about him, from the Battery t.
the Harlem river, and TO Spuyten Duyvil. from the
East 10 the North river, everywhere the marks Of
Improvement OF growth Of expansion, are seen, In
the opening OF new streets, the widening and adorn-
ment OF old ones IN the tearing down OF the small,
narrow dingy buildings OF past era and the erect
ing large rOOmy palaces In their stead embellshed
BY the most refined art Of ornamental architecture.
And often was 1t also necessary to refer to the
steady change Of the physOgn0my Of certain parts Of
the city, how the retail trade creeps slowly upwards
TO the north on all the Streets encroaching upon the
private residences OF our citizens. driving them, as
WERE before to seek other homes In the more quiet
'alttudes"- this term, but its sense and ap.
propriateness evident-0f the "Island OF the Man
hatt0es'' how the wholesale warehouses, in which
the products OF all climes and OF all continents ia
stored and exchanged on its part again trenches
daily more and more upon the dominion Of the
retail trade, pushing 1t up and up before 1t and
forcing it to recede northward All this has often
been described ana facts and figures we're detailed,
from which The intelligent reader could draw his
own conclusions and trace by his own measure the
road New York has travelled and the rapid progress
~ has made.
CLASSIFICATION OF PROGRESS.
There yet remain many things TO be said. The
essays Volumes might be written upon it, and yet
IL could not be covered In all Its dimensions. One
X susk wn tine sana
and the peculiar features 1t assumes in regular sue
cession at each stage Of graduation. AS the popnla-
Of this migration, observe small frame or wooden
dwellings arise on what was vacant or a barren
waste but week or so before. This is especially
town. east Of Fourth avenue. The frame
dwellings, are soon after followed BY brick
structures along the avenues designed for stores and
residences at moderate charges. These are hardly
nlled with . busy and thrifty population when the
with more bTcR Or even brown
stone mansions, commonly the latter. inviting
o population from among the Weather classes
classified the progress Of New York. by which-and
the young man lives to-day who WIN see it be-
exception perhaps, Of that edge of the more noun
famous HUDSON river, known as Washington Heights,
WA be covered with dense mass Of solid buildings,
inhabited by several millions OF thriving, busy,
THE BUILDING LAWS FOR THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
building up Of sucn vast growing city should be
regulated by proper legislation The cupidity Of
capital, the greed Of land owners, the careessness
or avarce or both OF builders might cover the town
material Of unhealthy construction lily ventilated,
mates to the danger OF disease ana death. In ali
countries in Europe such laws have been enacted
and are strictly enforced and the example has been
stsss '0u0wed IN 'n'S anu 0'hef cities OF the United
The earlier statutes Of this State are full with vari
%p u @ New 09 York passed se
comprehensive act, being chapter $50 Of the
laws Of that year, comprising and regulating the
whole matter In no less than ffty-six sections. By
the forty-hfth section OF this act 1t is provided:
There hereby created in the city of New York; under
70 IL %
vey and Inspection Buidngs IN the City Of New York"
Of Perform
ssssed 5y he city New Yors And said
department shall Be provided with Office room and ~ The
IN other
partments in said city.
the superintendent Of Buildings;' he Is to be APP
pointed by the Mayor. by and with the advice and
Of a s &c
4 not sooner removed for cause; + Is
ments passed subsequent to the date named
that Mr. James NJ. Macgreg0r and his subordinates
atng this department prescribe minuteiy the duties
and powers Of the superintendent, his deputy and
inspectors and the ffty.nltn section repeats .'al
especially '.chapter 470 of the laws Of the state Of
New York for the year $780, entitled An act to pro-
acs took eec On The Of Ss
The first f0rtyfour sections OF 1t regulate the man.
ner Of building, prescribe the thickness Of wallis
party front or rear, Of all kinds Of structures; en-
joins that all 'ouisde or party walls shall pc con-
structed Of stone brick or iron, and all such walls
shall be built to o line and be carried up plumb and
straight with close jOints' in fact tbs act provides
TO- the minutes parts Of each building prohibits the
er@ti0n OF wooden buildings and is now substan-
TIA in force, with but few and slight amendments,
except one.
This one amendment, however, is Of itself the
cesfsst proof Of the unparalleled growth 81 the e, city
act Of 1862 was confined to "al that portion OF the
city Of New York lying south OF line drawn east
north Of the northerly line Of Fifty-second street
This, IN subsequent years. was found to be TOO con-
tracted, and experience showed the necessity Of ex-
tending gupecV9iOn OF buildings. under the
powers OF the department Tor the Inspection and
survey Of Buildings" to the northernmost limits of
the city. Hence, section 81 OF chapter S73 OF
the laws Of 1866 was amended by the Legislature Of
1Ses ana the concluding part OF that section reads
York lying north and west of line running easterly
from the North Hudson river, 100 feet north VI the
northerly line OF Eighty-sxth street to the westerly
line of Eighth avenue, and thence, running north
erly along the westerly side OF Eighth avenue to the
Harlem river is hereby excepted from the provisions
OF this act"
1t was, OF course the intention Of the Legislature
10 subject the whole city to the superintendent OF
Buildings" excepting only that portion lying west
the major part OF which Is known as washington
Heights But in his report Of last February to the
Board Of Supervisors superintendent Macgreg0r
complains OF the wording Of this section % uncer
tain and loose, and SAYS
had been passed pFeviou; session Of the tsSs
except on from this
@ so,s no
within The Limits ne but owing 70 ths careless word
the clause OF the city mentioned
totally exempted from the supervision Of this department
and the benefits TO be derived from proper
sanitary building iawa will be seen, therefore, that
great amount Of injury be inflicted this district with
out any means ri hand whereby the evil may be ayerted
The superintendent may be right In his opinion o.
10 the operation OF this clause and It might be pro
per- perhaps, to 80 amend It o. to submit even tina
exempted portion OF the city to "salutary building
buildings II properly and safely constructed.
FRAME AND WOODEN BUILDINGS.
AS will have been seen by the above the erection
OF any frame or wooden buildingn is forbidden in
this city, except on permits from the Department Of
Survey and Inspection Of Buildings. These permit:
are only granted upon special application made Il
the superintendent by the owner, IN the following
iOFm:-
SPECIAL APPLICATION.
NEW YORK, -, 1856.
The undersigned, In Of the provisions Of chap
ter S Of the laws Of 1856 gives notice that desres
erect on premises -. The TO be OF - stories
roof and 70 be occupied al therefore respectfully
The Survey and Inspection Bulldinga and narm