Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-28
GRACEFUL ARCzrITDCrzDE. mtr
Handsome ResfaenceSs AesE .,Kseimg
Erected zla the City.

SPECULATION IN 1872 AND THE CALIFORNIA
| SYNDICATE-THE MARCH OF IMPROVEMENT
QUIET But sTEADY-sOME OF THE MECHANICS
| COMPLAINING OF A FALLING OFF IN THE WORK
"A DESCRIPTION OF FINE RESIDENCES RE-
GENTLY BEGUN IN THIS CITY.
Some of the real estate men and builders are
complaining that business is getting slack in
the way OF building. The brick makers also
state that they do not find the ready sale for
their bricks that they ought. judging from past
seasons. This is accounted for by most Of the
business men 10y the fact that this is the '.ofF
! year for business. and the ION year for poll
ties, and not much more heavy building is ex-
pected to be done until another year rolls round.
The rate OF mechanics wages remains high and
! Dficklayers are getting II per day on govern
ment work, and $50 on private work. 1t is
/ stated on good authority that there are many
/ brlcklavers seeking employment at this time.
the work already being scarce, and also that
brickiayers prefer to secure work on the PEN
/ sion office at a. than to run their chances on
| private work at 81 30 per dav.
/ THE OPERATIONS OF THE CALIFORNIA SYNDICATE.
| The transfer OF the remainder of the property
/ held by the California Syndicate during the
/ past week. the details Of which were given in
/ HE STAR at the time recalls very interesting
| period In the history of the city. The large
tracts of land owned by the syndicate were pur-
/ chased in the spring Of 1872. The wear before a
boom had been started in real estate on account
OF the comprehensive plan Of improvements in
| augurated by the board of public works and
speculation In corner lots amid the brick yards
| and Wild wastes of tie West End was extremely
lively SyndicateS were formed that bought Zip
| large blocks of land. and one organized at that
time still exists, and controls about thirty
acres of land on the crow of the hill near 10Th
street, which intended as a site for the
presidential mansion. The Real Estate COM
pany. afterwards known as the Real Estate
! Pool, was then buying property largely their
purchase being mainly confined to the squares
III the neIghborhO0d OI Dupont Circle. Another
syndicate invested largely in land about Iowa
Circle, while still another made extensive invest
mcnts in the locality where New York avenue
lntefsects with Virginia avenue west of the
State department. Attention was directed to
this nei@hborhoOd by the proposition OF Gov
shepherd to build wharf along the river front
north of the Long bridge. and to make the
/ Washington channel nayigabe.
ABOUT tins time Judge Sunderland. ex-Sena-
Tor stewart, then Senator. and Judge Hillyer.
formerly residents of California determined to
! invest in land i'll this city. At first they in
| tended TO buy land on East Capitol street, be-
iieVInf that the future OF that locality more
promising. Subsequently, however, they con-
Guided TO invest in the northwest and began
| the series OF purchases, which resulted in the
expenditure OF between six and seven hundred
| thousand dollars The three members of the
"tlc Hot Interested. H1llyer
ana stewart put in quarter each of the money
| invested and Sunderland halt. Both Stewart
ana fiiliyer made private purchases in addi-
tion ana both erected houses for their own use,
which are still standing and occupied by the
original owners. Afterwards Senator Stewart
became involved financially and disposed of his
share IN the property of the syndicate to Judge
sunderland. who then owned three-quarters OF
the whole
The prices paid by the syndicate varied. but in
MOI hon ~ 6,-.
foot paid for the land, which Is now regarded as
the most desirable in the city, The average
price was twenty and twenty five cents per foot.
IInrty-hVe cents was paid for the square where
the ElltiSh legation is now located and the part
now occupied by the legation building was soon
afterwards sold to the British government for
hity cents. Forty cents was paid for square 114
winch fronts on Dupont Circle to tine southwest,
"csto New hampshire avenue, but eight months
afterwards the owners sold it for dollar per
foot. For square 115 which is on the opposite
S!de Oh New Hampshire avenue. fronting or
dupont Circle. forty cents was paid. This land
Is now, after lapse Of twelve years valued at
| Tour and i've dollars, and the prevailing price in
his locality Is - per foot, and generally higher
! figure is asked
| The highest price paid by the syndicate was
| seVenty-hye cents. and that was for square 1875,
| on Scott circle, where Senator Cameron's house
| now stands. Ten cents was paid Tor square Isl
| which is between 18th and 18th and and u
| streets. and 2o cents for squares 6tj and %
which lie between Q and II, lust west of Con-
nectlcut avenue. large portion of these two
squares has recently been sold Tor = per foot.
| For square l55. on New Hampshire avenue be-
tween and = streets. 2. cents was paid. The
/ figures quoted above give some idea of the real
| estate market 12 years ago.
| ROW OF SPLENDID RESIDENCES
fine Improvement has just been begun on
/ J. street, between 18th and 14th. In the form of
three elegant residences for Thos j. Fisher, E.
}. Stellwagen and Thos NJ. Gale. of the firm of
mos J. Fisher It Co., real estate brokers. Each
! mouse has a frontage of "a feet by a depth of
! 10 feet. with basement and three fun stories
anG with pitched terra Gotta tile roof. The
| ircntS. which will rank with the handsomest in
| the city, are OF pressed brick and brown stone
/ The bay windows of the two end houses will
| extend two stories and have open balconies
| enc having iron railing. the other a brick and
| stone balustrade. The east house or Mr.
! Fishers. viii be finished with Queen Anne
gable. having stone balcony with iron railing
projecting from the windows forming a very
/ pretty feature. Under this is triple window
with brick piers. stone lintels and an orna-
mental arch above. The entrance is wide and
! has piaSters with stone caps supporting hand
some peiiinent. All the windows of the three
/ fronts nave borders OF small panes with colored
9iass- Mr. Gales front will finish above the
| bay window with handsome gable with Null
| lion triple window and pane! above of terra
Gotta MIR Stellwagens house is In the
/ CENTER ana has tower which starts
oval. falls back to Octagon. forming
/ balconies on each side. and becomes semicircu-
lar at the second story. and finishes with a conf
cal root covered with terra Gotta tiles like the
other roofs. The cOrnice is of brick and iron
with q frieZe OF terra Gotta. The entrances are
all wide. having stone steps. feature of this
block is that the houses are of entirely different
| design. while n certain harmony il preserved
The interiors OF the houses are somewhat DIFFER
| emit, but the principal features are the same
! The halls are seven feet wide in front aud widen
| TO nine feet in the rear. and have elegant plat
! form stairWays. lighted from above by a large
! skylight of cathedral glass. All the rooms on
the first floor have double sliding doors. which
throws the parlor, library and halls into one
The front and back hall are separated by arches
| The fireplace in one Of the houses is diagOnally
across the corner of the library. and the library
Is lighted by a large triple window with cOlored
| glass transom above. The pantries are fitted I'D
| with dumb walters. sinks, &c. The entire finish
OF interior will be in hard wood. The plumbing
| will be done by separate contract BY Mr. c. G.
| Thorn, and will be of the very best The fixtures
| wiz be of the finest obtainabe-English porce-
lam bath tubs. sinks and laundry tubs The
| heating will be by furnaces put in by HAYWARD
Il Hutchinson. The cost will be $4,000 T. F.
| Schneider is the architect, and Mr. Wm P Lips
comb is the builder
| MR.. GULICK's RESIDENCE
| Mr.. John s. Gulick is about to commence the
erection of a handsome residence on street.
between 18th and 18th. It will be IS feet front
! and SO feet deep with an elevation of 40 foot