Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-02
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
Comment on the Design Of the City Post
Once Building.

ONCE Building.
| TIE WIDENING OF SIXTEENTH STREET HxrINprD--
BIG HOTEL BUILDING xNTERPnIsr-rHE Pu1-
Lie INTEREST IN THE BIOLOGICAL PARK OTHER
MATTERS OF INTEREST.
| HNHE PICTURE OF THE NEW POST OF
Il fee building which was published in The
| STAR during the past week confirmed the opin-
ion that has been very generally entertained
| that the new structure would be worthy of the
location. 1t may be said that the general YER
dict is one Of approval The supervising archi-
| tect, Mr.. Edbrooke, in the selection OF the par
ticular style illustrated by this building shows
that he believes the Romanesque type Of archi-
lecture is effective in public buildings. As far
as the style Of architecture is concerned the
design Of the post Office building is by no
means an experiment, as there are a num-
Der Of other public buildings either already
built or in course Of erection in different parts
OF the country characterized by this style. The
building in this city will be perhaps the largest
public structure in the country which follows
this form Of architecture
AS Is well known, the Romanesque Is an archi-
tectural expression which means the adapta-
ton OF the main feature Of Roman architecture
struction which is marked not only by great
dignity of form and simplicity of detail but the
erect as whole il sturdy and massive. The
almost entire absence of ornamentation in such
design avoids the grounds of criticism,
which are based upon differences in taste and
makes possible especially in bdilding of such
magnitude strong massing of materials into
an effective whole. This style, which has had
pronounced influence upon public as we'll as
upon domestic architecture not only in this
hon tha tpyyy 70 d
ually giving place to the forms based upon the
classic or. to use the popular term. the colonial
style OF architecture.
THE EXTENSION OF STREETS.
The action Of the District Commissioners in
approving the awards for the condemnation of
ground to widen 18th street will allow the ex-
tension at the full width of that splendid boule-
ward beyond the city limits. 1t is true that the
widening thus authorized will be extended
only short distance beyond the stand pipe,
but it is regarded as only the beginning of the
work which will eventually result in extending
the street all the way to point in the eastern
boundary line OF the Rock Creek Park. From
this latter point the line OF 10th street extended
and that of the eastern boundary line OF the
park to the District limits il the same. 1t seems
highly probable that at no distant day this
street, 16O feet in width, will extend from the
Executive Mansion, or more properly from La
fayette Square, all the way out to the District
line. Perhaps by that time all the city streets
will be similarly extended or at least the au-
thority of law given for such extension pro-
vided for in bills that have been introduced in
Congress-
PROPOSED HOTEL BUILDING.
II the plans now in contemplation are carried
out by the time 18th street is widened as far as
the top Of stand pipe hill a splendid hotel
building will be in course of erection on the
| east side Of the street overlooking Boundary
street. MIR. L. Z. ROessle, who Is interested in
this enterprise, states that by the LIST of March
| 1t will be definitely decided whether the pro-
posed hotel company will be organized. They
have the refusal of the ground until that time,
and II the enterprise is determined upon build
ing operations will be begun by the LIST OF April.
As has been stated, it is proposed to erect on
| this elevated site a building 400 feet square
and ten stories in height fire proof through
out This structure will be built about central
court about 100 feet square, and will contain
| about 1900 bed rooms. The proposal cost
| OF the building and grounds Will be
| about S2,Ceo.000 and it will have the best feat
ures OF the finest hotels, not only in this coun-
| try but in in Europe. Perhaps hotel Of this
character may seem at first thought to be on
| rather colossal scale. but it should also be re-
membered that Washington is now a great city
and is every year increasing in importance and
wealth As they say out west, this city is get
| ting there with both feet"
POPULAR SUBURBAN RESORT.
When the weather is at all pleasant some five
or six thousand people visit the Geological
Park every Sunday. The tide Of visitors dur
ing the week does not reach such high aver
age and in the winter season it is natural that
mere should De some falling on In the number
al SUNDAY s,sitors. put sun It's very evident
'nat lne Parh ~ one Vi tne attracIons IN the
SUBURBS; anu: III sPl.e OF the rack OF laciiities
iot reacnihs IL, az ieast LOT people VINO DO not
Keep carriage. the PuDac interest has ex-
ceeueu al expectations. Inc approach to the
pa.h aoet seheraiiy useo Is the quarry road,
a. lnaI rs nearest 10 the I1th street cars. The
guar! rpau IS no. an loeaI approach, although
~ is Hucn Detter than when the PARK was hrst
oPeneu. II - very narrow and the grade Is
qui.e s.eep. me District commissioners have
asheo Ior an appropriation OF S4,OOO to improve
the ROAD. some think that 1t would be better
70 eApena mat money In extending kenesaw
avenue tnrougn 10 the park. That thorough
iare crosses l4th street one square north Of the
Junction OF ooiumDia road with l4th street 1t
now opened ior some distance west OF l4th
street, ana Mr.. ID. Walbridge. who owns a
large tract OF lahd between the present western
terminus OF henesaw avenue and the park,
oners 10 donate strip OF land ninety feet wide
the commissioners will open the avenue
that in this way new and much needed an
proach to the park will be provided. For those
ta asii.lS .ne PaLA on Ioot hehesaw avenue e1-