Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-06
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
The New Assessment Of Property in the
District.


REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
The New Assessment Of Property In the
District.
SOME rRAysACTIoysoF IMPORTANCE IN spBURDAS
PRoPERTY-NEw HOUSES AND IMPROVEMENT
NOW BEING BUILT IL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
cIrY-oTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST.
place Of considerable interest Just now to
real estate men is the new school building in
Arthur place, near the District building. Here
may be found the books showing the newly
assessed value Of property. The work OF the
assessors, who have been inspecting the real
property of the city since the second Monday
of March, is found here, neatly tabulated. in
books convenient for consultation. The real
estate men. for themselves and their clients,
have been busily engaged in getting out lists OF
the new assessments and comparing them with
the last assessments. The assessors books have
only been accessible during the past week, and
only few of the large owners Of property or
agents of large interests have so far succeeded
in ascertaining what the new assessments are.
II il therefore not possible, as yet to reach
any conclusion TO the general character OF
the work of the assessors. One of the leading
reporter that he had procured list of
the property standing in his own name with
the new assessed value. He found that in COM
pairing these values with the assessed value of
three years ago that there had been in
crease of from 40 to % cents On the square foot.
Nearly all Of his property is located in the
northwest section and he said that if the same
ratio of increase was maintained in the assess
ment of the entire District thar the revenues
would be greater than the needs of the city
demanded.
II hope" he added, ''that the footing I'D of
the totals will not show any such increase For
several years past all the revenue raj sed by
taxation in the District has not been expended
There is now nearly million of dollars of the
money Of the District in the US. treasury. The
revenues Of the city have now reached a sum
which, with the fifty per cent contributed by
the government, is considered by Congress
more than ample to meet all the proper ex-
penditures. II our revenues continue to in
crease largely Congress may conclude that il
is no longer necessary for the government to
and the entire burden may again be thrown
upon the shoulders OF the people. For this
reason. as well as because 1T is wrong to raise
by taxation more than is needed for public use
believe that the tendency ought to be to keep
taxes down rather than the reverse"
WHAT THE ASSESSOR SAYS.
Assessor Williams told STAR reporter that
the recent assessment Changes, he said, were
liable to be made, as the board would remain
In session until the 9Th of August From what
he knew of the work of the assessors he thought
that there would be an increase. He was of
the opinion that the increase would not be as
large as many imagined.
1T should be borne in mind" he continued
''that during the past year the value of the
new buildings erected and improvements made
20 old buildings, asreported by the building in
Jpect0r, Is about "a 900. All these i'm
Drovements have been assessed, in addition to
the property already taxed. The value of
property assessed three years ago was over
Sos 100000. In the year 1888 this amount was
increased by the addition of new buildings to
nearly Sl12.CO0, 600, and for the year 1889 it was
over S115,00O. 900. Naturally the new assess
ment will show an increase, but from what
know of the methods of the assessors. and from
what citizens have told me who have compared
the new assessment with the one made three
years ago, am of the opinion that the in
crease Is not excessive and will not be so con-
sidered- For instance, such men as Mr. Ed
ward Temple and Mr.. John Z. Herren ex-
pressed their entire satisfaction with the new
assessment as far their own property is
concerned The books of the assessors have
only been open during the past week for public
inspection, and so far comparatively few COM
plants have been received alleging unreason-
able charges"
Mr.. Williams said that the assessors were
compelled to assess upon what they considered
to be The true value of property" This term
;.as generally construed to mean what property
would bring at forced sale. The assessors,
he said, were under oath and bond to faith
fully perform their duty, and they could not
a.pieasure. increase or decrease property values
except upon the basis above mentioned. Mr.
Williams said he thought that while the assess
ments would show in many instances an in
crease N the valuation of land, he thought
thai the practice had been generally followed
Of rating improvements at a decreased valua-
ton, which was generally acknowledged to be
right and just.
SUBURBAN NOvEMENTs.
Enoch Maris and others have purchased a.
tract of land lying to the east of the subdivision
of lexington 1t is known as the wales-Hub-
bard tract. and contains 22JS acres. The owner
was Mr.. Geo. A. Provost, and the price paid
was about $4,000. The property was purchased
with the intention Of making a subdivision
MIR. Marls has subdividcd a tract of some 60
acres which he owns in Montgomery county.
Nd, to the north and east Of TakOma Park
1t hes between the Sligo and Long Branch and
sdioins Tskoma Park. Mr.. Maris has given the
name Of Sligo Heights to this property. and he
intends TO do some work in grading and laying
out streets.
Messrs. H. W. Copp and R. B. DERRICK have
purchased $50 acres OF land at Rockville. Nd
The place Is known as the Seminary property.
IL Is well situated for building purposes and il
Il understood TO be the purpose Of the new
owners TO make subdivision of the land into
building lots
Nr. Francis Shanabrook, who owns quite a
large tract Of land beyond College Station. on
The Washington branch OF the B. and o. road
Is having subdivision made of some los
acres. The land lies across the railroad from
Charlton Heights. where number Of improve
nents are now IN progress. Mr.. Shanabrook
has built number Of houses in this vicinity.
and has sold several building sites. He, how
ever now proposes 70 lay out and grade addi-
nonal streets. and will call the place Central
Heights.
b. H. WARMERS HOUSES.
Ground has been broken at the corner Of 18th
and streets preparatory TO the erection Of six
houses for Dir. b. II. Warner from designs pre-
pared by i. F. Schneider. The corner house
viii front on 18th street IS feet and will be
three stories high, and will have a high slate
wide Roman arches resting on clusters of
columns with carved capitals form porch. and
on one OF the archers a tower rises to the roof.
Tue front viii be OF stone and brick. On the
corner Of the house there viii be a circular
tower, and on the left Of the entrance
square bay viii extend to the
third story, terminating in a balcony
The interior 10 to be handsomely arranged and.
finished. In the center OF the house will be a
large square ball. with staircase screened from
the 'front.' On the right is to be the parlor and
on the left the dining room and pantry. In the
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