Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-18

| east corner of Pennsylvania avenue and 18th
street. now occupied by the Palais Royal By
September it is expected that the entire build
| Ing will be available and the work OF trans
formation will be rapidly pushed. The pro-
jectors OF this enterprise propose to conduct
there frst-clsss hotel and the choice Of this
location Is an interesting one from more points
than one 1t occupies an important corner on
fennsyivania avenue and it's projectors hope to
make 1t one Of the leading hotels in the city.
ferhaps the fact that the city post Office build
ing is being erected on the opposite square has
something to do with the selection OF this site.
At any rate it may be the beginning of the
| changes which are inevitable in the future de-
yelopment Of Pennsylvania avenue il that
thoroughfare is to keep pace with the rest Of
| the city.
/ This hotel project Is unlike most Of the
| others that have been started in recent years
from the fact that its location is in distinct
| lively business section Of the city. The major
| lty OF the modern hotel buildings have been
| erected In the residence sections and it is
claimed that now there are too many hotels
But 1t is probably true Of hotels as of the pro-
! fesslons, that there is always room at the top
No doubt if a new hotel building is erected in
most any section Of the city and is run by a
| competent man that good business will re-
suit There is wide difference of opinion as
| to competency in this line. There is some talk
OF acquiring a large block of land on 14th street
| u DO useu as the site OF MOTEL building, and II
| this project mAterializes this will be a bran
new addition to the list of hotels in this city.
STATESMEN AND REAL ESTATE.
| 1t is understood to be the intention Of Sena-
tor Proctor to erect a row of houses on the
ground he recently purchased on the north side
Of P street between 18th and 18th streets He
| Intends to erect a fine residence for his own
use at the corner of Vermont avenue and K
street, and altogether he Will before long be-
| come pretty well interested in the material
! welfare of the handsomest residence city in the
country, If not in the world. Senator Proctor
| Is not the only member of the upper house that
indorses in this practical wav the value of this
| city as a place OF residence There are also
| members of the lower house who own their own
| homes here. To the growing attractiveness Of
Washington as place for homes is perhaps due
as much so as to any one cause the change in the
habits of public men and IN political methods
For instead Of being away from home when
| they are discharging their duties as legislators
| members Of Congress are, as a rule at home
Here they have their wives and families and
! about them are thrown the Influences of the
| domestic circle. which have just as wholesome
| influence on statesmen on the humblest citi-
zens The commitments of members of Con-
gress ought to. rejoice whenever they learn that
their member or Senator has set up his house
| hold gods In this city. for then they have a
hostage, as it were, that their business will re-
ceive that degree Of attention which its impor-
! lance deserves.
| PRICES OF LOTS
Some sales of lots on 14th street extended
were made recently at prices which indicate
that values are not wasting away exactly in that
| section. Two lots at the northeast corner of
i4th and Princeton streets, 150xl75 feet,
brought s165 per square foot For an inside lot,
lO0xls1 feet, fronting on 14th street between
Roanoke and Yale streets, $3.50 per square foot
was paid.
ARCHITECTURE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
| bill that the architects Of the country are
very much interested in has been passed by
Congress and is now a law. 1t empowers the
Secretary Of the Treasury to employ architects
to furnish designs and plans for public build
ings which are authorized to be erected in
| various parts of the country. This measure
has been before Congress for several years. 1t
| is Endorsed by the leading architects of tine
country and it is believed that the effect of the
| law Will be to bring about an improvement in
| the architecture of the public buildings of the
| country. Ali this work has heretofore been
done In the Office of the supervising architect
of the Treasury Department.
HrGH-cLAss RESIDENCES.
just now there is good deal of inquiry for
| high-class houses, and it is evident that there
are quite number of prospective purchasers
| in the field. The marke. for property of this
kind is necessarily limited one, and it there
| fore must be gratifying to the owners Of resi-
dences of this kind, especially if they are
| anxious to sell. to find evidences of a more ex-
tended interest on the part of the public. The
| recent sale of residences of this character are
| not numerous in point Of numbers. but still it
| is not common to record the sale of two high
! class residences within a period Of as many
| weeks. That Is the record, however. The
| Grafton house. at the corner of Massachusetts
| avenue and 18th street. was purchased by
Bishop Hurst for $4,000, while Rev. Dr.
Mackey Smith, who has recently come to tho
city as the rector Of st. Johns parish. has
| bought the fine residence of Col. A. T. Britton
| on 10th street Just above Scott Circle The
consideration in the latter case is stated to be
| S95. OO0
While these figures may seem to be large yet
they are regarded as fair prices for the prop
| erty. 1t would probably be impossible to
| duplicate either one for the sums mentioned.
Judging from the prices quoted for houses Of
| this class 1t is possible to secure a stylish
home in q fashionable section Of the city for
sum ranging from $4,000 to $4,000. OF
| course. there are houses which are held by the
owners at much higher prices. There are
number Of houses that have cost more than the
| highest figure named, but there is no record Of
purchaser of single residence exceeding six
figures IN the price paid for the fee simple title
to such piece OF property. However, that
record does not count for much nowadays.
| OUR BUILDING RECORD.
| The city of Baltimore, says the Building
Register with population of 500, 900, is prid-
ing itself on the fact that it expended about
el5000, 900 last year in the construction Of
| buildings. On this showing it would seem that
the District of Columbia has a right to regard
itself as one Of the prosperous communities. for
with an urban population not half 20 large as
that Of Baltimore it expended over $4,000, 900
in buildings.
| HOUSES IN ROWS.
The north side Of Washington circle between
2Sd and oath streets will soon be improved by
the erection Of two dwellings for Daniel Shan
nahan, from drawings prepared by John B.
! Brady. architect. Each of the houses will have
| q frontage OF IS feet inches, running back 60
| feet. They will have finished Easements and
| three stories above. The fronts will be faced
| with pressed brick and Hummelstown red
| stone.
B. Stanley Simmons, architect, has planned
three three-story and basement houses, TO be
built on F street northeast between Sd and 4th
They will have fronts Of press brick and Hum
melstown brown stone. The center house will
have a square bay running to the roof the
other houses having bays reaching to the third
floor, terminating in balconies ~ith pediment
| finish. Eight rooms and bath constitute the
interior, which Is finished in soft wood.
NIB. EAsrERDAY's REsIDKxcK.
Plans have been prepared by E Wolff,