The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-04-26
FOR A NEW ART GALLERY.
THE FINE SIZE PURCHASED uY THE
CoRCORAN GALLERY TRUSTEES.
The Purchase Likely to Greatly AcceIer-
ae the Improvement of the Section
South and West of the White House
Grounds.

The extensive purchase of property which
the trustees of the Corcoran Art Gallery made
the past week is of great interest to real es-
tate men as well as to all art lovers and public
spirited citizens. 1t assures to Washing gton
in the future an art gallery much more
spacious in dimensions and more imposing in
appearance than the present struct ure at the
corner of Seventeenth street and the Avenue.
and the interior of the gallery will be con-
structed in the light of the latest experience
so as to display to the best advantage
the noble collection of pictures and
sculptures which has resulted from Mr..
Corcoran's benefcence, and which is being
added to from year to year by the trus-
tees of the fund. The Corcoran Gallery was
established by its founder for all time and
its endowment is sufficient to insure, by the
regular additions made to It from time to
time, magnificent collection of works of art
in the course of years While the present
building has served well the purposes for
which it was constructed. it some time ago
became evident to the trustees that new
building would soon be needed. About two
years ago the project of purchasing larger site
was formed and after taking plenty OF time to
look around the trustees recently settled on the
ground at the intersection of New York
avenue, Seventeenth and E streets az offer
ing the most favorable features. This is CEN
tra], and the slope Of the plot and its loca-
tton will give every advantage in the way of
ample light and freedom from close conti-
guilty to other buildings. When the new gal
lery is erected it will make an important ad-
dition to the cluster of fine buildings in the
neighborhood OF course it is likely some
years will elapse before the erection Of the
new gallery will be begun, as for the present
the old building is still ample for the colec-
tion. But the trustees felt it was wise to Sc
cure the site at this time, because the rapid
and constant rise In real estate prices in the
central part of the city would soon carry
them to point where the purchase OF suffi-
cientIy large plot of ground would prove
very heavy drain on the trust fund.
In real estate circles the purchase has at
tracted much attention. 1t shows the remark
able manner in which real estate values have
advanced in the section south and west of the
White House, which only couple OF years
ago was the most neglected part Of the city.
1t is estimated that the ground which the Cor
coran Gallery trustees bought the past week
for Sl54, 600 could have been had two ears ago
for little over 100000. The trustees in
making the purchase dealt with Mr.. NJ. M.
Parker, the well-known real estate broker.
Most of the land Mr.. Parker bought over
year ago, paying $1.75 foot for it, For other
smaller parcels bought recently he paid S4 and
$5 foot The average price which Mr.. Par
ker obtained from the gallery trustees was
1926 foot. The entire area of the ground
purchased is 6S,37 feet.
The knowledge that within few wears
beautiful art gallery will be erected on this
site is bound to still further enhance the value
of real estate in the neighborhood. There is
no good reason why this section should not be
one OF the most beautiful residential regions
of the city. Its central location, contguity
to the White House and uptown departments
make it very convenient, and when the river
front improvements are completed with the
park on the made land. drives, pools, and so
forth, its attractions will be still further in