Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-13

affects not only the interior arrangement, but
the exterior design. Houses that were looked
| upon as elegant q few years ago are now plainly
! out of style. OF course, it is not possible.
owing to the expense, to pull down or re-
model ones house every now and then. but ii
1t was possible marked changes would no
| doubt be made. At one time the French. or
mansard, roof was quite the thing and nearly
| every house OF any pretensions was laden down
with q roof more or less burdened with a mass
Of decoration. Then came the Queen Anne
| style, with its odd shapes, queer windows,
projections and tiled roofs, and everybody who
| could AFFORD it fastened to have a house mat
was as extreme in this style as possible. After
| while the Romanesque came IN vogue and
ightness and airiness was abandoned for the
heavy arches, the strong lines and the massive
details Of this school
| In the meantime various notifications of
these styles came in use and there was and ID
yet strange tumble of all styles and all schools,
In fact anything that would cause q house to
have an appearance different from its neigh
bors. Perhaps in no city in this country has
there been greater freedom given to architec-
| turl designing than in Washington. Here,
perhaps, more generally than elsewhere houses
are built for individuals, and are not put up by
the wholesale by some Spectator. People who
| live here seem to prefer to erect houses for
themselves rather than to buy those already
| built. The result is that the streets have a
variety which monotonous houses built in rows
one just like the other would not impart.
THE COLONIAL.
Just now q new style is working its way to the
front. 1t is called the colonial, and sometimes
the designer Of a house feels that he has recog-
nized the prevailing fashion sufficiently when
he employs buff or light colored brick in the
front. OF course, there is more in this type of
architecture than the mere color Of the brick.
1t is founded on the classic school Of architec-
ture, by which is understood the Greek, and this
latter is conceded to be the simplest, yet the
most natural type that has ever been
devised. The Capitol is an example of a rather
elaborate form Of Greek architecture, while
the patent Office represents the pla&hest. When
the form and lines of building are plain the
effect depends on the harmony Of the proper
tions and its appearance as a whole. 1t re-
quires skill to make plain house attractive,
while lack OF skill can be concealed beneath the
ornsmentation and the various forms which are
stuck on to the exterior of the average city
house.
MR.. LETTERS HOUSE.
The great house which Mr.. Letter is building
and which might almost be called a palace on
account Of its size is one of the handsomest
houses in the city, and yet it is one of the
plainest. There is absolutely no Ornamental
ton about the house. unless the not at all
elaborate cornice could be called ornaments
Of the porte cochere are finished with ionic
capitals, thin and plain pediments and the
other details are quiet and simple. Yet the
house is without doubt an imposing and pleas
ing structure and is an illustration Of what can
be done by an intelligent massing Of materials
in accordance with the rules Of a refined taste.
ANOTHER TYPE.
Quite different in style is the house which is
being erected on the same square by Mr..
Whittemore. This house is built Of notified
brick and is a study in browns, while in the Letter
house the bricks are cream colored, with white
| stone and terra Gotta trimmings. The White
more house is good example Of the effective
use of spaces. The architect has evidently not
felt the necessity Of sticking in a window or a
panel or something of the sort because he did not
know how to handle blank space. The bane of
| cant space and this tendency results in loading
down houses with all sorts of senseless devices.
Some houses really look as if the fronts we're
liable to fall over from sheer fatigue in being
obliged to hold up the weight of so many
oriels, projections, columns and other grim
cracks II the revival of the colonial STYLE of
architecture is going to last any time there will
no doubt be q return to the simpler, purer
forms of architecture, which will be an advan-
tage in many ways.
PROBABLE CHANGE IN STREET PROPERTY.
The death Of Mrs. Stone, whose long life in
this city formed connecting link between the
early years Of the citys existence and the
present. will be followed by the distribution of
the estate. She was the owner Of a large and
valuable business block at the corner Of 14th
and streets, and the probable change in the
ownership OF this property is more or less
talked about in real estate circles The di-
vision Of this property and its passing into
other hands will it is thought, result in changes
and improvements which will add to the APP
pearance Of that part Of the city.
SOME OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES.
One Of the results Of the growth and prosper
ity of the city may be seen in the enterprises
which have been started to develop some of the
resources of the country in its immediate vicin-
ity. This il especially true Of the plentiful de-
posts Of building stone, marble and other nat
ural resources with which this region abounds
Warrington may not have Q great reputation as
the center Of such industries, but nevertheless
II il fact that there are numerous deposits of
excellent building stone all around this region.
There il, for example, the Potomac blue stone
or gneiss, also called Rock creek stone, which is
one Of the most enduring stones that can be
used for building purposes. There are ample
deposits Of this stone all along the Potomac and
. number Of quarries are In operation. 1t Is an
exceedingly hard stone to work, but 1t il ever
| lasting. 1t has been used in the construction OF
such buildings the Georgetown College, the
Catholic University, St Dominic's Church and
In other large ana expensive structures. II Is
| q favorite stone for use in foundations when
strength and durability are demanded. Above
| the Great Falls another stone is found which il
quite largely used in the building operations Of
| this city. II 10 the Seneca red stone. and when
dressed, or even undressed. makes an attractive
and handsome building material. Along the
river . quarry Of still another variety Of stone
has been opened and worked for several years
past. Il 70 o Mght-colored stone, somewhat
similar TO the Ohio stone. The walls and tower
Of the Church Of the Covenant are faced with
this stone. It il known a. the Barber stone
from the fact that Mr.. A. L. Barber first began
/ quarrying the stone. He made use Of it in
erecting his hne residence ut the head Of 14tt
| street.
| STONE AND MARBLE.
There 10 q brown stone quarried at Bull Rur
and everybody 10 familiar with the marble
found in Maryland which was used in facing thu
| Washington monument. Then there Il an album
dance Of sandstone In the vicinity of Aquil
creek, which the early builders Of the city usec
in the erection Of the old front Of the Capitol
the White House and . portion Of the interior
Department building. The breccia or '.pud
ding stone" columns in the statuary hall wert
quarried near Aqua creek. In edition TO thu
deposits Of stone and marble gold has beer
found in Maryland and some extensive plants
have been built 10 mine the ore and 10 extrac
the gold. Quite recently large vein O
marble has been discovered near Wythe
vile, Va, and Warrington capitalists hav,
placed the product upon the mar