Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-18
The Work of Building Up a
Great City.
What J. NJ. Griffith Did in the
Dull Times.
An Editice That Would Do Credit to
New York.
A Solid Building 12oxl2o Feet, Four Sto-
ries High, With Nearly 12O
Rooms.

Griffith in his new block, known as the
Potomac, on Broadway, south of Second
street, at the formal opening of the
building. Incident to the occasion was
an elegant little collation. served to the
guests in the spacious and handsome
dining-room in the building. The meet
ing around the hospitable board, over
which Mr.. Griffith presided with his
customary cordiality, was most pleas
ant one to all present.
But pleasant as all this was, the meet
ing is not the object that calls for notice
at this time. 1t is the occasion that
brought this little party Of distinguished
Angelefios together. The Potomac block
is the topic the people of this handsome
city will be interested in. In brief, it
lies, like the celestial city of the apoca-
lypse, four-square, being 120x120 feet
area on the ground. Thatis the frontage
extends the full distance of two city
lots along the west side of Broadway, be-
ginning 120 feet south of the corner of
Second. 1t extends back 12O feet, not
quite half way to Hill street. The
tains 113 rooms, outside of the dining
room, kitchen, bath rooms, etc. Under
the whole building there is fine base
ment. The cost Of the edifice first and
last has been nearly $150,000. 1t is per-
haps the very largest, the most substan-
tial and nearly the most costly building
in the CITY, Whether it is absolutely SO
or not, it is certainly a noble pile and
does great credit to the enterprise of it's
founder, and illustrates his unbounded
faith in Los Angeles. This is
the more remarkable in view of
the fact that Mr.. Griffith has put
this building up during the past two
years when business was dull, when
faith in the future of the city was
wavering to such degree that the un-
wise were disgruntled because there was
no opportunity to sell out.
The faith of the builder OF the
Potomac block is all the more significant
for the reason that he has seen the ups
and downs OF Los Angeles for period
of nearly thirty years. He has spent
his manhood days all here, and has at
all periods been greatly instrumental in
the developing of its resources. Where
the Potomac block has just been erected
he built dwelling some % years ago,
that at that time discounted by long
odds all the residences in the city. Mr..
Griffith has seen Los Angeles
pass through periods of real de-
preston of 80 protracted dura-
ton that faith we'll might wane.
His never did. He always believed in
the future of this matchless section, and
Just as he has backed his opinion in the
erection of this noble building, so he al
ways put in money here into all sorts of
legitimate enterprises, sure that there
would be return in time. He has made
many ventures, but never one so wise as
in the building of the Potomac.
The plan of the building was made by
Curlett & Eisen, architects of this city,
who also planned the new court house,
the Sisters school on Boyle Heights and
others of the best structures in the city.
The. contractor for the erection of this
building was Andrew McNally, whose
workmanlike and honest handiwOrk is
impressed upon the city at every
hand. The Potomac well illustrates
the substantial and thorough char
acter of his work. The brick
was made in the great patent
kiln at Inglewood, and is as good mate
rial of the kind as ever went into any
buildings. The fine pressed brick in the
trimmings was imported from the east.
The stone is from the famous Sespe quar-
ries in Ventura county, and is as hard as
granite, while being of a fine, rich brown
color. One of the features of the build
ing is the finish in the interior. The
wainscoting which runs through the
entire building is all of the best Oregon
pine, trimmed with clear and perfect
ash. All the building is furnished with
steam heating apparatus, and all the
floors are supplied with hot and cold
water, bath rooms and kindred
elevators in the building, one
for passengers in the front of the build
ing, an Otis of the most approved pat
tern; in the rear is another for the
hoisting of freight to the upper floors.
1t will elevate ton weight with the
greatest ease. These elevators are run
by compressed air supplied from an en-
gine run by steam in the basement. The
exhaust steam heats the water for the
bath rooms and such purposes in the
building.
A marked feature of the Potomac is
that there are no poorly lighted or badly
ventilated rooms in the whole edifice.
The rear of the block is all open to a
large lot, and through the center of the
building extends from basement to
roof large area to furnish light and air
to the rooms. The halls are nobly
broad, and run both ways the whole
length and breadth of the building. The
windows, doors and other fnishings are
all in the best style of architecture, so
that the appearance of the rooms is
most inviting. The broad stairs in
front and rear, together with the two
elevators, afford perfect means of egress
from the building, SO that no accident
could possibly occur in case of fire, a
contingency not at all likely to arise in
structure so we'll planned and so per-
fectly executed as this edifice is.
Already the block has attracted some
of the best people in the city as tenants.
The kitchen and dining-room are leased
to very competent person, Mrs. Cook,
who conducts that department with
much success. Occupants of the build
ing may thus secure their meals without
going from the building.
1t is certain that every room in the
Potomac will soon be filled with most
desirable class of tenants. The certain
fact that the utmost scrutiny will be
exercised as to who may rent rooms i'll
the building, so that no one objection
able to the most fastidious shall find
lodging, will be sure to draw to it the
ko.f ri Tho UrO1n0 HOOr 10 Of