The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-12-13
A MODEL TENEMENT.
DESCRIPTION OF A BIG APARTMENT
HOUSE AT GREENPoINT, L.

Convenicnccs and Interior Arrangement.
Bedrooms and Par,ors--Lectmre Room.
Chiilron'a Playground.
Among the buildings erected for the
purpose OF supplying comfortable, decent
and economical dwellings, at very mod
crate cost, that put Up in Greenpoint by
Charles Pratt is worth noting. 1t is to
accommodate l!G families, ana is q six
story structure Of such massive proper
tons as To attract attention from the
river, which it faces. 1t extends 200
feet on franklin street, 13J feet on India
street and IS feet Oh Java street. The
chief material used is brown stone, brick
and terra Gotta. There are bay windows,
artistic cornices and gables so that its
effect Is not mOnotonous. There are
really six separate buildings, which
would have in them when quite full
about 100 persons each.
On the Franklin street side there are
twenty-one families, who use one en-
trance, nineteen families use a second
entrance, and seventeen families a third
entrance. On the India street side
twenty-six families use one entrance
and twenty-one families another. On
the Java street side eleven families use
one entrance. Each house is separate
from all the others. All the halls are
tireproof. The steps are heavy blue
stone slabs, inserted in brick walls. The
staircases are nicely proportioned low
risers, with broad steps. The turns are
made on square platforms, with ample
light at each platform. These staircases
are kept heated, lighted with gas, and
cleaned without expense to the tenant.
ROOMS AND THEIR RENT.
The rents range from $3.50 to $50 per
month. For $50 there are suites of seven
rooms, every room with window in it
opening on wide air space, giving two
parlors, sitting room, two bedrooms, a
dining room, kitchen and scullery.
The scullery goes with each set Of apart
ments, and its completeness is great
feature Of this building. 1t contains an
washtub, with hot and cold
water, large sink and an ash chute, in
which all refuse may be emptied, lead
ing to the cellar. Each family has a
separate water closet, with a window in
it opening into the scullery. Each soul
lcry is ventilated by an opening into
iluc built for the purpose, leading to the
roof. Each kitchen has range and lot
water boiler. Each tenant has a separate
coal and wood bin in the cellar, a sep
drying clothes, and has access to an Gle
vator which can lift 200 pounds at q
time.
There is folding table in each living
room, and closet to nearly every room.
OH fc ror fN
There arc galvanized iron boxes on the
window siIls for flowers. Picture mold
ing8 are secured to ell The walls, and the
tenants are supplied with hooks, SO that
there is 10 temptation to mar the walls
with nails. The rooms average 14O
square f1~.. Each closet has shelves and
h03i:s enough 70 meet the wants of the
I~~c:4- c!o~>t wol1::.; ping natrcn.
The plumbing work Ct tho building is
Il vas: network CT pipes. The heaviest
iA"t2"i.l il l>;il ard iron pipe was used
: ..tpv>l t......,1, ilot>:i:lg 5000 gallons of
water Oh t.!> roc, supply the three upper
floors, G::,l c2n be used also for the three
lower floors il case the pressure is not
sufficient from the city pipe.
C.,LI-AR AND BASEMENT.
The lc;igoocn3 and pariors are trimmed
with white wood, fixed, vanished and
rubbed. GreG: pains have been taken to
secure g perfectly Dr.. ola. and base
.ne12t. The Foundation r-"l!S TEST on Il dry
grave! bottom. They ere covered with
asphalt ;,;l ! nave tituGlon damp course
IN the basement there arc cotHmoiiious
bath rooms for tho use of the tenants
They are heated with Steam, and have
marble floors and wai2scoting. The
wood work is polished cs!.
There j. :; ...,.E.i.!.T v.~ :, CT lecture
cooln, on Java street i0r the free use OF
the tenants. II is lighted, heated and
supplied with the leading newspapers
and periodicals.
The suites OF four rooms rent for SIS
per month. They comprise parlor. bed
room, dining room, kitchen and scuilery.
Some Of these four room flats are rented
as low IS $3.50 per month. The three
room suites rent for from 50 to $3.50
per month.
Children are not permitted to play on
tie sta.Icascs or III the Railways, but
they have grand ronping place in the
| IL yard, which covers {; bout {, GOO square
feet Of open space. Although the build
ii,s5 arc substantially fireproof, there are
lire escapes connecting each floor with
the ground. =" buildings we're erected
FOR him, &H3 arc now managed by a
building company. Before the plans were
completed there was q thorough study of
Tie model apartment houses OF London,
built by George Peabody, the Baroness
ljurdctt- Coutt3, Sir Sidney Waterlow
and others, Is well as later structures in
New York and brooklyn. The aim was
to secure the maximum of comfort and
safety at the minimum OF cost. 1t has
attracted q class of permanent careful
tenants. The building has never been
full, hut il Is filling up rapidly. 1t is pro-
posed to give a few courses of lectures in
thc reading room this winter. When the
apart mcnts are all filled the investment,
which is about $3.50, $50, will pay, after
meeting Tie expenses, about 5 per cent.
The income of this building is an endow-
ment by Mr.. Pratt OF the Pratt Institute.
The original plan comprised the estab-
Iishmant of Cooperative stores similar to
the plan Of the l.ochdale stores in Eng
LAID, but this has not yet been developed.
New York t,ui,