Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-18
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
The Development of Large Suburban
Enterprises.

Enterprises.
GROWING GEoRGETowN-SoME OF THE HANDSOME
IMPROVEMENTS VOW BEING MADE IN THAT
TowN-THE PETwoRTH sUBDIvrsroN-NEw
HOUSES AND OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST.
The owners of "Petworth" have decided to
grade a portion of that tract of land A
contract has been male with Mr. Albert
Gleason to open the streets through fifty
acres OF the southern end of the property.
This portion has frontage on the Rock creek
road, and extends along the It'll street road for
several hundred feet. tits proposed to expend
$4,000 in preparing the property for immediate
settlement. The streets and avenues are on
the same line, and of the same width as the
streets in the city. They will be brought to
grade, and the squares, circles and triangles of
ground that will be formed by the intersection
of streets and avenues will be one of the attrac-
tive features of this place. The civil engineer,
Mr.. H. X. Viele. has endeayored in fixing the
the various lines in the subdivision for grading
to preserve. far as possible the natural advan-
tages afforded by the high location Situated at
the luncture of the 1thstreet road with the Rock
Greek road extensive views may be had from
the heights of Petworth of the Soldiers home
grounds, the city lying at the foot of the hills
and north are the wooded slopes bordering on
the picturesque valley of Rock creek. 1t seems
rather improbable that streets of the city width
and city lots are to be found far from the
bounds OF the city. The SchuetZen park used
to be considered quite a journey into the coun-
try and Petworth lies beyond the park. But
the enterprlsing men who purchased this prop
ertv year or two ago when it seemed to be
farther in the country than it does now are
going to spend large sum of money in laying
out this part of Petworth and later on they
Will complete the work by opening up the en-
tire tract. which comprises over two hun
cred acres. In the meantime the
woods and green fields of the uudisturbed part
will form pleasant background for the homes
OF the new residents. Petworth does not seem
to be SO far from the city as il did short time
ago, because the town has been gradually grow
ing out that way, as it has in other directions
In the course OF a few months it will be brought
quite close to the city. for the Brightwood
street railway company is now engaged in
laying tracks on the 7th-street road from
boundary all the way to Brightwood. The
president of the railway company, Mr.. A. A.
Thomas. is also one Of the owners of Petworth
and as he is giving city streets and city facilities
to the future residents of Petworth, he thinks
that they ought to have street cars among the
other modern improvements The owners of
Petworth, among whom are such men as B. H.
Narder. B. II. Warner, N. NJ. Parker, A. A.
Thomas, Z. u. Pearson and Joseph Paul. are
confident OF the success of this enterprise in
which they have taken another step. They
contemplate spending over 100000 in sub
dividing and grading the entire tract. and they
believe that the demands of the population and
the necessity Tor new homes will justify the
completion of the work in the style in which it
has been begun.
EXTENSIVE GRADING OPERATIONS.
MIR. Albert Gleason, who has the contract for
grading Petworth has just completed similar
work on Ka,orama heights As is we'll known
the latter property adjoins the western bounds
OF the city at the extension of Massachusetts,
avenue, while Petworth lies over a mile from
the northern bounds of the city. Any one who
has not visited kalorama recently would not
recognize 1t Ill its present condition. The old
house with the winding drive way UP from the
porter's lodge beneath the shade of the forest
oaks has disappeared Across the face of the
spacious lawn sloping towards Rock creek, are
now weli-detined city streets and city squares
The streets are being rolled and leveled and
the seed sown In the squares is now covering
them with green. 1t is impossible to find the
deep gullies, the hooks and glades, which
marked this place. There is now broad,
smooth roadway leading from Boundary over
kalorama and Belair heights to the
new bridge across Rock creek and
then beyond to the Woodley Lane
road. With equal ease you can turn your horse
to the east from Massachusetts avenue, and
passing over new Out smooth art ROADS YOU
reach the picturesque cluster of villas and
cottages known Washington Heights. CO.
lumbIa road Is near at hand and is gained after
rolling over the smooth asphalt pavement of
this luxurious suburb. 1t won't be many weeks
when there won't be any necessity of going to
the Columbia road III order to reach the
WOodley Lane road. You will then be able to
drive over the new road, as the great ravine
which now separates Washington Heights from
the Woodley lane will be filled up. Any one
familiar with the irregular character of the
country just described will be surprised to
learn that roadways now extended all through
1t. He would be still more surprised to learn
that there was any way of leaving the Woodley
Lane road before reaching the top Of the hill
after crossing the bridge. In short
time the valleys and the odd freaks and fancies
OF nature in the way of ravines and gullies that
mark this spot will all be transformed into a
level plain. Col. George Truesdell, who has
an elegant residence in the immediate vicinity,
and who has really been the founder of WASH
ington Heights as it is at the present day. has
said that the roadway must be built, and any,
one who knows him is aware that this is equiya-
lent to its being done.
DIR. HAMMoNDs RESIDENCE.
Perhaps the largest private residence ever
built in this city is one now being erected for
DR.. VIM. A Hammond ON Columbia heights.
1t is about 100 feet square and is three stories
high. The style is Of that substantial charac-
ter which distinguishes the designs of Mr. A.
b. Mullett. the well-known architect. The ex-
terror walls are of brick, with brown stone
used as trimmings. Towers and projections of
different shapes are introduced to give variety
to the design and, at the same time, to add to
the appearance and comfort of the interior,
Everything is on large scale, and yet the
house is so well proportional as not to give
mere size undue prominence. The entrance
hall Is large and spacious, leading into a mag
niicent central hall forty feet square. There
is a domed ceiling which extends to the top of
the house, where an opening in the roof gives
light. gallery, which is reached by a staircase,
extends around the hall, and from this gallery
access is had to the rooms on the second floor
One of the features of this hall is an i'm
mense fireplace. The woodwork is oak, and
the same material is used in the entrance hall
and In the dining room. One of the largest
rooms in the house is the library, which con-
talns almost as many square feet as a small
house. This room will be finished in the Egyp-
tan style, the lotos and other Egyptian en-
blems being carved in the woodwork. The
latter will be chestnut. The spacious saloon
Will be finished in white. All the details of this
great house will have the same attention as in
a smaller house.
Dr. Hammond's sanitarium is Q large and
handsome structure, which he recently built
some distance to the north of his residence, on
l4th street extended. When his residence is
completed he will have invested some $500. 900
in that locality.
NEW BUSINESS BUILDINGS.
Mr.. James II. MARI is having plans prepared
FOR the erection of an Office building on g