National Republican., 1883-05-12
GROUND AND BUILDINGS.
A Tour Among the Real Estate Dealers and
the Architects,
A Continued Active Demand for Property
in the District Reported.
Some Important TRANSACTIONS in Suburban Property
During the Week Recorded.
BulIdings Going UP and In contempla-
tion-Tho New Universalist ChurcI.

The condition of tho real estate market
during this week has been about tho same a.
last. Many of the real estate mon have made
good sales and others have important trans
actions, pending which they will be able tc
report in few days. Inquiries for property
for residents are numerous, and tho number
Of nom residents who are seeking investments
In real estate in the district Is increasing
Perhaps the largest sale during the week has
been that of block IL, on the old Stone es-
tate, which has beon disposed Of by Messrs.
A. l., Barbour & Go. to syndicate Of local
builders, who propose to at once erect a num-
ber of handsome suburban residences thereon.
| This block Is right next to the one men
toned in The REPUBLICAN, last Saturday as
having been purchased by Mr. A. +. Bateman
for New York syndicate, and contains about
| 250.000 square feet. Besides this Mossrs. Bar
hour & Go. have sold upward of 100000 square
feet of other lots on tho heights, and houses
will probably heuerccted ON them during the
| summer.
Mr.. l.. NJ. Saunders said that business had
been remarkably brisk this spring. and that
while perhaps special interest was taken in
mst .sJSs pISpery SAiG SSGS .a bs
at North Capitol street. stretching as
It does right from the capitol, with an
excellent width, good grade, and with
that immense workshop, the government
printing office bordering on it, IL should be
as fine a street as any in the city, and l think
| there is good future before IL, L have laid
of the square between X and l., and North
Capitol and First streets east, and whenever
capitalists can build u row of say eight room
houses with cellars and modern conveniences,
which can be rented for not to exceed 625 per
month, therd Is money in the venture. The
| corner of the square ON North Capital and X
streets has already been sold TO 4 church. and
a neat frame building is erected there, which
will sorve until the congregation becomes
ablo to build more pretentious editce,
Messrs. Ryon & Tracy reported that on
| Capitol hill property had greatly enhanced In
value, and that the demand was decidedly
active. Ovor sixty houses would probably be
commenced in that locality within tho next
thirty days.
| Mr.. L. A. McIntire corroboratod tho state-
ments of others as TO the continued demand
for property, and said that it had been greater
this spring than at any time since he had
been in business. He said he had recently
made quite large sale Of property in South
Washington to parties who proposed TO i'm
modiatoly commence the erection of twelve
houses thereon. He also reported that n
large number of non-residents were seeking
Investments in district real estate.
| Messrs. Francis Mohun. John A. Prescott,
| Tyler d Rutherford, Il. III. Smith Il Sons and
Alonzo A. Marr gave about the same testi-
mony as that above as to the activity of the
roal estate market.
Mr.. Page, of Gray & Page, architects said
his firm wore about to make contracts for the
erection Of eight now houses. The plans aud
specifications were drawn up, but he did not
think 1t wise to publish them until the con-
tracts were made. 49,. s...
A we'll known real estate man on + street
said that the real estate market was in a very
healthy condition. The week had boon rather
| quiet in transactions but the inquiries had
been numerous, and were principally for lots
in the northwest section Buyers do not
| seem to desire 10 go to any other section oil
| the city. The inquiries were almost entirely
made by persons wishing to build dwellings
for their own occupancy. There were no in
dications of speculation. Tho inquirers were
looking for lots ranging from seventy-fve
cents TO $1.50 foot, the larger figures pro-
dominating. He also said that numerous
parties held back from building on account of
the great scarcity of brick as ii il almost i'm
possible to secure them. Ho believed the
supply would be sufficient for all building
purposes in few wesks.
Mr.. Frazer, the architect said he had re-
Gently drawn up the plans for magnificent
residence for n gentleman who proposes TO
mako Washington his future winter home.
Il do not care to mention his name" said
Mr.. Frazer, "but am almost sure that the
contract will be made In the next two weeks
The gentleman recently purchased u lot at
u very heavy cost, and the plans l have
drawn up are for o residence which, when
erected, will be larger than any private
dwelling yet built here. 1t will be a grand
Improvement"
In regard 10 the scarcity of bricks, Mr..
Frazer said that IL was due to the fact that
the brickyards had only recently gotten to
work, on account of the late spring. "There
are plenty of fmachine-made brick" said Mr..
Frazer, but the people who want to build
are building for their own occupancy and will
have handmade bricks or none The trouble
will be shortly over, however, as the brick
yards are running full forces"
NEW BUILDINGS =,
The backwardness of tho spring has pre-
vented the commencement of % good deal of
building, but now that good weather seems
to be u settled fact plans are being made by
architects, and the builders are getting ready
to begin work. The most important improve
ment recently finished is tho
NEW UNIvERsALIsr CHURCH.
A full description of the new Universalist
church, at the corner of Thirteenth and l.
streets, was obtained from the architects,
Messrs. Cluss and Schulze and published in
TIE REPUBLICAN, at the time Of the laying of
the corner stone. 1t is now finished, and The
interior represents q departure from all tradi-
tions Of church architecture.
Tho auditorium proper is only "a feet square,
tho main vestibule in tower occupying the
northwest and the pulpit the southeast corner
This has seating capacity of 400, The floor
has an incline of 10 inches from entrance
TO platform. Two main aisles aud two
side aisles radiate from the platform
and give convenient access TO pews.
These form segments of circles, having COM
mon center In the rear OF the pulpit. In ad-
dition to the tower entrances there are 9th.
ers at the northeast and southwest corners.
On south and east sides of main room are
Sunday school rooms, each 35 by 20. SO ar
ranged as 10 open at pleasure into the main
room and form part of the auditorium. These
will seat 200 Over these rooms and sweep
ing round in a graceful line over the rear of
the main room are galleries with seats for
400. Back of the platform, on the first floor,
are the parlors, toilet room, and Sunday
school library. Immediately over these are
the choir gallery and organ, aud back of and
above the pulpit are the choir room, the
pastors study, and the ladies' kitchen, with
dumb waiter connecting with the rooms below.
The pews are from the Excelsior School
Furniture company of Cincinnati, Ohio, and
are fine in material and workmanship. The
wood is ash, trimmed with cherry, hard oil
finish The woodwork of tho interior by
Holtzclaw and Hepburn, is we'll done. The
material Is white pine, with ash mouldings,
oil finish. The gas fixtures and chandelier
are from the firm of Shedd Il Co., and are very
handsome. The fresooeing is by Forsburg 4
Co., and, though not elaborate, IL In good taste.
The organ, by Latagh 4 Kemp, New York
city, presents good appearance and IL we'll