Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-11
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
The Prospects for an Early Building
Season Favorable.
THE new CITY POST OFFICE BUILDING.
A Recent Instance of the Use Of
Stucco on Exterior Walls.
SOME IMPROVE MENTS.
THE new CITY POST OFFICE BUILDING.
SOME IMPROVEMENTS.

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If the coming winter proves to be what is
known as an "open winter then 1t Is pre-
dicted that the prospect for an early revival
Of the building trades Is a favorable one
In other words. it is thought highly prob
able that II the weather is at all suitable
for building operations the opening Of the
usual spring season in the building line will
occur some time during the winter. In this
climate such an experience Is not unusual
as there have been years when outside work
has been possible practically all through the
winter. An early start in building opera
tons. II one Is made, will be especially ac-
ceptable to all classes engaged in the build
ing trades. for the reason that there is COM
paratively no incomplete work to tide the
men over until the spring. There was but
little done during the height Of the season,
and SO in consequence there are few ''jobs
OF work" to be finished up during the cold
weather. The plasterers the inside finish
ers and the other workmen engaged in the
other trades that can be carried on inside a
building find that this season, which is
usually busy time with them, offers but
few opportunities for work.
The material men in common with the
mechanics feel the dullness in the building
business. SO that the situation at present is
that both labor and material is seeking a
market, and 1t is natural to suppose that
inducements can be held out to investors
1t would seem that circumstances have
made this time especially favorable for in
vestments In buildings. Each week relieves
the financial strain which has acted as q
check on business. and as money becomes
more plentiful and loans easier then capital
will seek investment and the promising
prospects Of remunerative investments in
real estate will no doubt receive q fair
share Of the attention Of capitalists.
The New City Post once.
1t Is said that work on the building for the
new city pest office. which has been resum-
ed after a suspension of some three months
will be carried on during the winter as the
weather permits The delay, in part at
least. Is said to have been occasioned by a
change Of the plans which mainly provide
for basement beneath the building instead
Of a cellar. as it is stated, was proposed in
the plan as originally prepared. 1t is un-
derstood that this change has been made
and u that Is the case 1t will undoubtedly
be possible to make further changes and al
ing erected in this city in recent years the
location Of which Is as conspicuous and
commanding as that OF the proposed build
ing. In view Of this fact II is thought that
1t would be wise to have the design and
plans, which were prepared, thoroughly ex-
amined with the purpose of making such
notifications, II such are found to be neces-
sary, as will make certain that the new
structure will be an ornament not only to
the locality, but to the city. 1t should be
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reputation for artistic as well as natural
beauty, and 1T will never do to have the
visitor of the future, whose taste has been
stirred by the scenes Of architectural
fair, to look upon the new post Office build
ing with rising feeling Of discomfort that
1t is below the ideal of what such an i'm
portant building should represent.
Utility and Beauty.
1t is Of course all very we'll to sneer at
artistic beauty in buildings Of this char
acter, but at the same time It should be
borne in mind that the American people, or
at least a good proportion Of them, learned
at Chicago this summer that utility and
beauty could go together. and that 1t was
possible to have architectural merit In a
building intended for purely business pur-
poses. It might be well without pronounc-
ing upon the question as to whether the
present design of the post office building is
worthy of the location to examine the de-
sign now, before the work Is so far ad-
vanced that changes cannot be made except
at great expense. The only expense that
would be involved in making over the
present design or getting out an entire new
one is the cost Of the work OF the draughts-
man, and the brain work of the designer,
and, as those persons draw their stipends
regularly from Uncle Sam, the expenditure
would not be a direct one.
objection has been made to the proposed
height of the building as unsuited for the
use Of the post office. The extra six or
seven stories which are to be piled up are
intended to furnish accommodations for
other branches of the service belonging
to the general government. the purpose
evidently being to get as much as possible
for the money. This city is certainly large
enough and important enough. 1t is main
tanned, to have a building solely for pest
office purposes other cities less import
ant have. If more room is needed by the
general government for its clerical force
additional buildings should be erected in
stead of spelling one building in the vain
attempt to make 1t do the service of sew
eral
Variety in building Material.
The treatment Of brick walls is illustrated
in q variety of ways. The monotony of
the smooth surface which is presented in
a wall laid up in press brick is relieved in
some cases by stone trimming. The red
select brick, mainly because its rougher
finish is supposed to give more character
to q wall, is used very generally. and fur
Their variety is introduced by the employ
ment Of nodded brick Of all shapes and de-
signs Mortar of different shades is util-
lied to enhance the color treatment and also
stone in combination with the brick. Gal
vanized iron work, with its wide range of
designs, is also largely employed to attain
that variety and uniqueness which seems
to be SO largely the aim Of modern archi-
lecture The material for building, which
the architect finds at hand, while limited,
especially in city, to brick and stone
is capable Of numerous combinations as
an examination Of the buildings in this city
would demonstrate.
StuccO Brick Walls.
Now, as 1t happens, 1t is the fashion to
battle the exterior of your house in yellow,
and so the exterior walls are painted that
shade, or are constructed Of yellow bricks
Another effective treatment Of plain brick
walls may be seen in the house Of the Cos
mos Club. which is being enlarged and i'm
proved. The walls have been given a stucco
finish. The mortar which is spread or
thrown upon the walls is not made to look
like cut stone, as a great deal of what is
known as stucco work does, but is a SUBJ
stantial and undeniable covering for the
bare brick walls which proves to be very
effective. There is an impression that this
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