St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-04
CITY IMPROVEMENTS.
A New Apartment House Modelled Upon
the Plan of the --latest French
Style.
The Premier Flat House," Corner of
u Peter Street and College
Avenue.
Arranged With the Comforts and Con-
Veniences of Elegant Private
Homes.
superb Accommodations Provided
for Eight Families All Under
One Roof.
Description ofthe .Preu,

When that faithful servant OF all work,
the sun. looks down with calm serenity
upon the great West and Northwest he
cannot discover as far as his beams can
reach more beautiful city than St. Paul.
or one where greater activity prevails in
every department of human life and in
dustry. An enlerprising, intelligent COM
munity possessing all OF the comforts and
advantages OF cities that are older by many
centuries; city peculiarly favorable 10
commerce, manufacture and health, with a
variety OF position and scenery absolutely
unequaled; a site that painter would have
chosen for its beauty and shrewd me-
chanic for the utmost facilities of building.
of water and of drainage. Surrounded by
an extensive, populous and prosperous
country, 1t cannot be wondered that as a
result OF such immense resources its growth
has been rapid in wealth and population.
Never before in its history has such prog
ress been witnessed as is seen to-day.
Imposing blocks, stores and dwellings are
rising so rapidly that they crowd the way
and many of the busy citizens have not
even time to note the accommodating i'm
prOvements.
The stately building that crowns ST.
Peter street at the intersection of College
avenue, and which. during its construction,
has attracted such marked attention, has
just been completed and opened as an
apartment house, the most complete of its
kind ever erected in st. Paul. The build
ing is owned by NJ. ID. Miller, ESQ.,, the
well-known real estate and insurance agent
of this city.
The fiat house combines many of the best
features OF hotel and private residence
combined. 1t has many of the best conven-
/ nd 90 "a. al.
privacy and homelikeneSs of the latter, but
they are peculiarly and attractively suitable
for small families who do not desire to
assume the responsibility and care of an
entire household.
The Miller building consists of four
stories and basement, and is i'm reality a
double house arranged to provide for the
accommodation of eight families. The
basement and first story is constructed of
Bayfield, brown stone, the superstructure is
of the best quality of pressed brick. The
design is elaborate without ostenstatiOn.
and embraces large eXtra-siZed windows of
French plate glass and double bay windows
reaching the height of three stories on the
front and side. The entrance is enhanced
by porticO supported by pillars of the
Corinthian order constructed most taste
fully of the same material as the lower
roof is ornamented with tower and tower
gable. surmounted by ornamental iron rail-
ings and fancy galvanized iron work.
Entering the large, roOmy vestibule
through heavy oaken doors with great
trans0n of stained glass, in which the num-
Der Of the house. 562, is wrought, we find
the floor laid in small particOlored orna-
mental tile. A graceful lamp swings from
the center of the ceiling. On either side
are four sets of speaking tubes and electric
bells leading to the different apartments or
suites, also letter box with lock and KEY
for each nat and receptacle to receive the
name Of the inmate. All of this work,
tubes, bells, letter boxes, ETC., is finished
in the highest style and ornamentation.
Before us stands door of special design
replete with the latest elegancies of work.
manship in ornamental colored glass, inter
spersed with cut glass jewel work. This is
beautiful specimen of this class of work
and attracts great attention. Passing these
doors with their richness of bevel plate and
ornamental glass we find ourselves under
the influence of rich subdued mellow light
shed from the colored glass windows in the
main hall. with large, roomy staircase on
the left, the handsOmely-carved newell post
of which Is decorated with a four branch
light candelabra OF exquisite design made of
polished silver and brass. The woodwork
of the hall is of oak with trimmings of red
oak and cherry.
The first fiat on each side of the house
consists of two floors, in each of
which there are no less than eight different
rooms or apartments.
The entire floor throughout the base
ments are laid in four inches of concrete
and cement, so as to make them absolutely
impervious to rats and other vermin. Upon
this cement is laid in the halls. kitchen,
etc, cOlOred tiles made expressly for this
building. In the dining and other rooms
the floors are of hard wood-oak and black
walnut highly polished. In the kitchen are
elegant ranges for cooking, and refriger-
ator-Toom lined with lead, stationary wash
tubs with hot and cold water, and dumb
waiter communicating with every floor.
The parlOrs throughout the house are Of
ample size. and are fitted with handsome
open fireplaces and ornamented with ele-
CANT mantels, the ornamentation and carved
work Of some reaching almost to the ceiling.
Four light chandeliers of graceful pattern
are hung in all the principal rooms. The
ceilings and halls are frescoed throughout.
Ascending the easy staircase to the upper
stories we find ourselves in main hall as
on the floor below. AT the termination of
this hall and at each side are doors leading
to a private hall for each fiat. Each
fiat or suite of apartments of the upper
floors consists of front parlOr and alcove
room which latter may be used as chamber,
library or sitting room. There are in each
fiat besides the two rooms named, a dining
room and two other apartments which may
be used as sitting-rOoms or chambers, be-
sides bathroom, kitchen and servants room.
Between the joists on every floor mortar
h,c kaa,, lat 60 DO n A..
contributes to render the building fireproof,
but there are fire escapes also provided on
the exterior of the building leading from
every floor.
The views obtained from the windows of
the upper stories are wide and extensive,
the house standing on the highest and
healthiest part OF the city. Taken all in
all, 1t Is one OF the handsomeSt and most
substantial Improvements recently made in
st. Paul, and is a credit to its owner aud
all concerned in its construction. Among
the latter it is appropriate that those who
did the main work should be noticed In de-
tail.
THE STAINED GLASS WORK.
In ancient times stained glass was of such
an artistic and decorative style of ornamen-
tation that its employment was almost ex-
clusively confined To the great churches and
cathedralS. Such progress has civilization
made in our day that this most beautiful of
all arts is now freely introduced into the
homes of refined and educated people
Messrs Young 81 Brown. whose stained
glass works are at Is, II and 10 North Third
street, Minneapolis, designed the work in
stained glass done in the Miller building.
which for tastefulness of design, harmony
of color and general execution, compares
favorably with any work i'm decoration of