Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-01


buildings being placed by him at about 1 500.
THIS would make the average cost of each
dwelling about 90. 900 remarkably healthy
! growth of the city is thus indicated, and
the showing made is one which few
cities even in this rapidly growing
country can make Another pleasing feature
| of this showing is the fact that the north
eastern section OF the city, section most need
ing development, has been developed almost
beyond the widest expectations Of those inter
ested The records Of the Office Of the in
specsor of buildings show that the growth of
this section has been during the past year little
less than miraculous. the majority of the dwell
ings erected having been built there.
WHAT THE BUILDING INSPECTOR SAYS.
Said the inspector Of buildings to q reporter
Of The STAR a day or two ago.: II never saw
anything like 1t in all my experience. Why,
they seldom build dwelling houses there singly,
but almost invariably in rows q square long.
And the averagecost is fur from low, Is, 500 be-
ing about the figure. But the erection Of dwell
ings has not by any means been confined to the
northeastern section Of the city, for al
most everywhere throughout the entire District
dwelling after dwelling has been put up. In
fact have wondered time and time again as
saw them being built where in the world they
would find people TO put in them. But almost
as soon they were finished they would be oc-
cupied, and I think you will find il rather
difficult thing to find vacant houses anywhere,
whether they are in the city or outside Of it. "
A CITY OF HOMES.
An inquiry among the real estate dealers
during the week developed the fact that there
was quite an active demand FOR houses by peo-
pie who desired to rent. And it was also dis
covered that there was no small demand by peo-
pie who desired to purchase homes. One dealer
stated that his experience had taught him that
Washington was peculiarly a city of homes, and
that this was each year becoming more and more
characteristic of it. He thought that the records
would show that not less than three-fourths
or the money expended during the past year or
so was used in the erection of dwelling houses.
Fortunately, he remarked, the existing condI-
ton of affairs here made it possible for the man
Of small means to own his home, and that fact
seemed to be no small factor in the really re-
trict. On the other hand, people Of wealth
were attracted here by the delightful climate
and the less delightful social atmosphere of the
national capital
SCHOOL HOUSES AND THE cITY's GROWTH.
Speaking Of the erection Of school houses
Prof. Powell, the superintendent of public
schools, remarked to a reporter Of The STAR
the other day that he had observed that the
erection of public school house invariably in
creased the number Of dwelling houses in its
vicinity. He had seen public school houses
|
hardly to be seen, yet in q wonderfully
! short period Of time the school houses
would be surrounded on every side by
row after row of dwellings. He hardly knew
how to account for it, but it was fact that
nothing no quickly built up q neighborhood as
the erection in it of public school house. Yet
he had seen the erection Of public school houses
objected to on the ground that they would re-
| tard the building up Of the neighborhood in
which they were to be placed The officials Of
| tf..N a. l.a % h.,tfI
| the same experience. One of them stated that
| il might be due to the fact that the District
| almost invariably improved the streets where
| school houses were erected. and that. Of course,
attracted those who desired to build. They
instanced the building Of two public schools in
the northeastern section of the city, which
| when completed stood alone, with hardly a
| dwelling house in sight Yet in less than six
months time the neighborhoods in which they
stood had been almost completely built up.
| Building operations are little dull Just now,
\ as they generally are at this time of the year,
but with the return to town Of those whose cap
ital Is mostly invested in such operations il is
expected that quite boom in building circles
| will take place. Another significant fact in
connection with the almost marvellous growth
/ of the city is shown in the statement that dur
ing the year 1877 the amount of receipts Of the
| Office OF the inspector of buildings was just
| S5l1. Last year the receipts were S12 900.
| This Office Is one of the few under the District
| government which is now more than self-sup-
porting.
HOUSES EASILY RENTED AT FAIR RATES.
member Of large real estate firm that
handles good deal of rented property told a
STAB reporter that they had no trouble what
ever in renting houses at fair rates. The houses
most in demand were of the kind that rented
/ for from s25 to $50 month. When a house
could not be rented easily, he said, ii was be-
cause there was something wrong with the
house or with the amount of rent. There were
plenty OF people who wanted houses. The IN
usually large increase in the number of dwell
ing houses in the city, this real estate man as
serted, had been no greater than suficed to
supply the demand. Improved railroad facilities
had brought locations once considered too far
| from the center of town for convenience
within the radius Of convenient distances, and
so new houses far out toward the limits Of the
| city were quickly taken up. The increase Of
population by addition Of newcomers, the divi-
sion Of families by marriages, TO-, and the
tendency OF persons who had been living in
hotels or boarding houses to 60 to housekeep-
ing were all influences that helped make the de-
mand for houses equal to the greatly increased
supply