Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-26
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
Large Tracts Of Land Reserved for Parks and
Universities

THE APPRAISED VALUE OF ROCK CREEK PARK con-
PARED WITH OTHER LARGE REAL ESTATE PUR-
cHAsES-A FINE House TO BE ERECTED by Mr..
BoARDMAS-PEIcEs PAID FOR SOME CHOICE
RESIDENCE SITES.
IT is NOT OFTEN THAT THE RIGHT OF
Il eminent domain is exercised to the extent
proposed in the case of the Rock Creek Park.
IL the report Of the commission OF appraisers is
confirmed by the Supreme Court Of the Dis
trict and receives the approval Of the Presi-
den. the title to about !, $50 acres OF land will
pass from individuals TO the government. This
body of land, great in extent and rich in nat
ural beauty, is to be reserved perpetually as a
public park and pleasure ground. Following
the line Of Rock Creek from tho Klingle road
to the bounds Of the District, an area Of land
will DC acquired that is nearly one-third Of the
area Of the land comprised within the limits Of
the city. For this land the commission has
awarded the sum of 81. .000 which is an
average price per acre OF S6S6. Regarded
merely as n real estate transaction il will be the
largest that has ever taken place since the first
deal in the local history Of Washington, when
the government went halves with the property
owners for the land comprising the site of the
future city in consideration of the capital city
being located here. a million and three hun
dred and forty-fvo thousand dollars Is a good
deal of money to pay for real estate in one
lump. but large this amount IL, the d.
mansions are not such as to throw all previous
transactions quite in the shade Washington
real estate. especially in the suburbs, has of
late years increased enormously in value and
the prospects of the future are such as to lead
shrewd capitalists to buy il up in large or small
quantities whenever they can get hold OF 1t. The
purchase Of the land for the Rock Creek Park
fnds fitting parallel in the purchases made
by the Chevy Chase Land Improvement Com
pany. In the spring of 1880, not quite two
years ago and about a year before Congress
gave the necessary authority for the acquiring
Of the land Of the Rock Creek Park, n series of
purchases were made by individuals subse-
Quently organized as a company along the line
OF Connecticut avenue extended. Between $50
and 200 acres Of land we-e purchased almost as
rapidly as the titles could be examined and
were transferred to the new owners. who paid
for this land the large sum of So33, 900, an
average of nearly Il, 200 per acre. The strip
OF land thus acquired on each side OF Ccnnec-
ticut avenue extended from Woodley Park to
the District line was not quite equal in the num-
Der of acres to the Rock Greek Park purchase,
but tie average price paid per acre was a good
deal more. The character Of the land IN the
two tracts amply accounts for this difference,
rs, however beautiful TO the eye for park pur-
poses the Rock creek country Is 1t Is not so avail
along Connecticut avenue extended. In both
cases. however, the scale Of prices was in
creased by the circumstance that the land was
acquired not so much because each individual
owner wanted to SELL but for the reason that
the purchasers desired the land and was will
ing To pay something additional as a compen-
sation 20 owners for parting with that which in
some cases they preferred to keep
THE MARYLAND PURCHASE.
In addition to the land acquired within the
bounds Of the District the capitalists Of the
Chevy Chase Company went beyond in Mary
land and bought about ]. 600 acres. so that Con-
necticut avenue has been extended two miles
through their property from the District line.
The entire purchase comprised about l, 700 acres
within $50 acres of the entire acre tgs proposed
10 be included within the Rock CreeIi Park. and
the average price per acre paid fo- the whole
was about s776- The land in Rock
Greek Park will cost Sl,345,OOO while
the holdings Of the Chevy Chase Company rep
resent an expenditure of S1.315, 00O. As far as
the amount invested IN land is concerned, the
Rock Creek Park purchase. big as 1t is. does
not stand forth as prominently as might be
supposed There are other large and valuable
holdings of suburban property-perhaps. how
ever, none that represents such extensive
original investment as the one Neutrality-suspicious.
II an estimate could be made of the money that
has been invested in suburban property within
the past four or five years the total would
those who have been actively identified with
this movement
PARKS AND UNIVERSITY PROPERTIES.
There is q feature about the development OF
the suburbs that has a highly important bear
ing upon the future Of property values. The
creation Of public parks and the acquiring Of
large tracts Of land for the location of great
universities has the effect of diminishing the
area Of land available for residences and nat
ms llx-a ham ths vra11, a.0ff oh
mains. The proposed Rock Creek Park with its
$50 acres JOINS the Geological Park with its loo
acres, thus forming a Continuous body of land
IN each side of Rock creek from the Woodley
road to the District line. total of 2. 1i6 acres
Then there Is the Methodist University site,
comprising 100 acres, the Episcopal Cathedral
site, which will contain tweLty-seven acres aud
the grounds of the Catholic University. sixty
dve acres. In addition the new naval observa-
tory property has some seventy-swo acres of
ground
HANDSOME RESIDENCE TO BE ERECTED.
Some time in the early spring the erection
Of fine residence will be begun. to cost in the
neighborhood Of 100000. 1t will be located
on a spacious site at the northwest corner of
18th and p streets. just opposite the little
church, which occupies a triangular square,
and has frontage on Massachusetts avenue
and Dupont Circle. This ground was recently
purchased from Mr.. John I. Arms by Mr. VIM
H.
Ohio. MIR. Boardman is now retired from ac-
tive business and intends to make his future
home in this city. He has been looking around
Tor some time for suitable location. and his
choice finally fell upon this lot. In addition to
Its admirable location the Dimensions are
such that the owner will be able TO erect there
u commodlous and elegant home. This he in
tends to do The lot has a frontage Of 50 feet
on street and 1872 feet on 18th street and
contains 1862 square feet. The price paid
was $4,000. which Is nearly S5 per square foot.
This may be regarded as u pretty large sum to
pay for single building site, and il undoubt-
ediy Is. but prices go this city it Is not an
extraordinary price. A short distance to the
west may be seen the walls of the large and
handsome residence which is being erected by
Mr.. l.. z. Letter. For this building site which
contains 100 square feet. Mr.. Letter paid the
round sum Of Sl09.S $50, which Is considerably
more than was ever before paid for a single res
ldence site in this city. There will. however
be ample lawns about the house, and this is a
fashion which ID becoming more general here
In spite Of the increase IN the values of land
some Of the recent residences which illustrate
this tendency are those OF Mrs Chandler at the
corner OF 10th and h streets Mr.. Alexander
Graham Bell and Mr.. Charles ]. Bell on Con-
neetieut avenue Just south OF Dupont Circle
and Miss Grace ID. Litchfield. On Massachuse It's
avsnne adjoining the Blaine house.
HIGH PRICED BUILDING LOTS.
The large sums paid for building sites are. of
course confirpi N cbCi,a Ioo.t,on.