The Portland daily press., 1892-07-12


ing a Popular Dwelling Place in these
Days-Progress of Building this Year
Rise of Real Estate in the Last Five
Years.-The Hill Awakes from Its Ietbar-
gy.
For along time the Eastern portion of
the city seemed to be very backward in
its growth. The Eastern promenade is
in natural beauty in no way inferior to
the Western. Many think it superior on
account of it's combination of ocean. bay
and inland scenery, extending in broad
sweep from the open ocean beyond White
Head Passage around to a glimpse of the
White Mountains on the left. But the
idea has been generally accepted that
cities grow towards the West; and while
building operations have marched steadi-
ly toward the Western Promenade, the
Eastern has been left to sweet-fern
bushes, cows and goats.
But within five years an unobtrusive
but steady change has been going on
In that portion included in the Eastern
/ promenade, Beckett, Vesper and Morning
streets real estate has been rising steadily
in value, until it is selling for from 80 to
40 per cent more now than it brought
five years ago. On Morning street lots
that sold for 10 cents foot then bring
20 ors25 cents now. On Vesper street
the rise has been from 10 or II cents to
| Is or is cents; on Beckett street from 10
| f,,.1 te - II
Promenade from Is or 20 cents to 25 and
IS cents.
/ There seems to be little doubt that at
an early day there will be row of fine
from the Cleaves monument towards Fort
Allen Park. 1t certainly might be made
one of the finest avenues in the world in.
all those respects which depend upon
beauty of location.
The Portland Railroads extension in
the direction of Fort Allen Park has I'm
doubtedly helped this portion of the city
and the people there are looking for still
further extensions at no distant date.
with electric power substituted for
| horses.
The Promenade itself has been greatly
improved by the changes in the roadway
which has been moved over between the
rows of trees, while the borders have
been laid off into lawn. This work was
begun last year and continued this.
About thirty-five houses have been
erected ON Beckett, Morning, Vesper and
Eastern Promenade streets within five
years; and there is more building this
year than ever before. Mr.. Enoch G.
Richards who is considerably interested
in real estate in this part of the city, has
built 20 of these houses.
This year is marked by great deal of
activity in real estate. Lots have changed
hands quite briskly, and much building
has been projected. Most of the houses
range in value from $500 to $1,000, al
though Mr.. John Randall is building at
the foot of Vesper stseet on the Eastern
Promenade an elegant house that will
probably most fifteen or twenty thousand
dollars. Some of the best of the smaller
houses are Miss Rebecca Bowels, on the
corner of Vesper and Congress streets,
Mr.. Everett Johnson's, now being built
on Congress street, and Mr.. Alpheus
Grifin's at IS Congress street.
The extension of Morning street, which
is now being made towards Congress
street is .affording opportunity for con-
siderable building. Comfortable houses
of two and two and a half stories, costing
from $250o to $4,000 are going up on this
street. the owners being Mr.. Geo. F.
Lord, Mr.. Jas. Weber, Mr.. Enoch C.
Richards, James E. Flanagan and Miss
Young. Miss Young's house is to be
Queen Anne On Beckett street Mr..
John Chisholm has underway two and
a half story house. On Congress street
Nh. Peter Watts is building fine two
and half story house; Albert Perry
handsome two story house; Enoch
Richards two and half story and
Everett Johnson new two and half
story house.
On Beckett street David Murdoch has
built two and half story house. On
this portion of Congress street Mr.. Alfred
Richards has completed two and half
story house; and within year the large
Blake house on the Promenade corner
has been completed.
All the progress on the Hill has not
been confined to the regions bordering
on the Promenade. Below the Observa-
tory, in the vicinity of Warren street,
dozen new houses have been built in the
course of the last two years.
Upon the whole the Hill is the boom
ing portion Of the town just now.