Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-18
THE POST OFFICE SITE.
Testimony Taken Today - to the Value Of
the Ground.

tne 0founO.
At the meeting yesterday Of the commission
-Messrs. Lehman, Hamilton and Thompson
to appraiss square s2s, the city post office site,
Mr.. John A. Baker, the owner Of lots and 4,
continued his testimony after TEE SrAR's re-
port closed.
Mr.. Baker did not think there Was Is much
to be feared from overfows now owing to the
harbor improvements. Twelfth street was now
the main business artery from the wharves.
Sixth street was destroyed by the railroad. At
7th street teams encountered the steam rail-
roads at two points and on 18th street but once.
Mr.. Baker spoke of the business enterprises
in that section, the Farmers Hotel, &c. He
regarded property in the neighborhood Of
square 1923 as worth 40 to 50 per cent more than
that near square 255 (the power house site.)
Mr.. Baker noted that from some cause not
explainable property on the north side Of the
avenue and the west side of certain streets was
worth more than that on the other:
This rule held good on 7th and
9th streets, but from 10th street westward the
east s'de was the most valuable. He thought
his property, exclusive of improvements. was
worth from S12 to s14 per foot, but if the
Nailor property is the criterion it should be
worth SIS per foot. He Was amazed at the
prices recently paid for piece of @
street property within a few months increasing
from 5000 to $4,000. He valued the i'm
provements at $4,000 to $4,000. He also
claimed that the alley taken from lot was Of
value to him and he would be entitled to con-
struct vaults, &c.
The government noted an exception.
ToDAY's sFssIoN.
This morning the commission resumed its
sessions. After further examination of Mr..
Baker, Mr.. Perry, representing parcels IL and
IS. fronting so feet on 18th street. agreed to
submit them on the testimony already in. Mr..
augustus Lepreux, owning parcel 16, fronting
70 feet on 18th street, also submitted.
ON THE d STREET FRONT.
Parcels II to % inclusive (the northwest cor
ner of the square), owned by the Independent
Ice Company and G. L. Sheriff. represented
by j. j. Darlington, were next consid-
cred. Mr.. A. A. Brooke testified as to the
title. Mr.. G. L. Sheriff valued parcels
20 to 22-40 feet front-at $500 per
month rental and at S25 per foot He was
contemplating, he said, the erection of bust
ness block when stopped by the post Office
project. He had four coal yards, he said, and
this was his principal place of business. es-
pecially for orders. He considered the section in
the business part of Washington and, in setting
his price, he considered recent sales, the pros
poets and the value of the property to linn as a
business place
Frank Hume stated that he had bought lot
on the south side Of C street between llth and
18th streets last August at sc per foot and
thought he got it cheap. In the same square a
piece had been sold at SO per foot and an offer
for a corner lot south of Rernans Theater of
$40 he understood had beer refused. He
would not sell at $40 per foot
MR.. cHURcH's TESTIMONY.
Chas. B. Church Of the Independent Ice Com
pany stated that they held parcels IL to 10, 40
by 100 feet on 18th and d streets. on which
they were projecting improvements when a
number OF offers were made them and they
stopped. The property was worth to them
S23. S24 and S25 per foo.. When he started to
look for site he found what property was
worth 1t was a valuable place to them. and
could not be duplicated for their purposes al
SIS per foot.
Mr.. Church presented the written proposition
to sell him Baier's corner, opposite, for
$50, 900, less than 2, 400 feet which would make
the average about S28 per foot.