Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-06
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
The Welcome Which the Average
Mansard Roof Extends to a Fire.
LIGHT AND AIR IN PRIVATE HOUSES
One Way to Impart Artistic Beauty
to a Back Yard
SOME 1MPROV EAIEN S

The peril that lies in the form Of con-
struction which is known as the mansard
roof has SO frequently been demonstrated
by destructive fires that 1t seems that
there Is not much more to add on this SUBJ
ject. However, the fire at the Hamilton
House recently is a case In point. AS 1t
happened the flames were conquered be-
fore very much damage was done. If
strong wind had prevailed or the fire de-
partment had been less efficient the column
of losses would have footed up a much
larger total. Even under the favorable
conditions which prevailed a strong and
determined fight was required before the
fire was subdued and this may be entirely
attributed to the fact that the roof was
built in the manner it was. 1t may be
doubted II the fire would have started at
all II 1t had not been for the abundance
Of dry timber which formed the roof. A
pile Of extremely combustible material was
awaiting the slightest spark to at once
spring into flame. The character Of the
material is shown by the fact that the
origin Of the fire is attributed to such slight
cause as a match carried by a mouse or rat
into the roof and there by some means
ignited The dried wood was like so much
finder and famed up with the slightest
spark. From the same cause arose the
difficulty experienced by the firemen in
putting out the fierce flames.
The fire ran with great speed from one
end Of the roof to the other, almost like
the spread OF flames through a field of
stubble. This would not have happened II
such excellent material for a fire had not
been provided in abundance. 1t will be re-
called that several Of the fires In late years.
especially those that have broken out in
private residences. have been directly trac-
ed to the Undertook character Of the roof.
Fortunately this style of roof is no longer
fashionable and therefore. is not often in
troduced as one of the featl res Of a modern
house. but still the number is being added
to. 1t is cheap and has the other qualities
| that mark that grade.
| As to Back Buildings.
There Is another form Of construction Of
he modern residence, or perhaps it would
more properly be called a part OF the plan.
which is rather singular that it has not
come into use in this city This is the
style which is 50 common in Philadelphia
and In other cities Of erecting the back
| buildings of houses face to face. Here it is
| the general custom to plan the back build
| ings SO that the doors and windows look
out upon the blank wall of the adjoining
building. which Is on the party line. This
| gives to each house on an average an area
| for light and air Of some four or five feet
in width, whereas, II the back buildings In
| each pair of houses were turned toward
| each other the width of the area would be
doubled. There Is disadvantage IN this ar
arrangement for the reason that the windows
look into those of the adjoining house at
| sOmew hat close range, but that after all
is only a matter of curtains. The advantage
Of such an increased supply OF light and
lot htnh frnv hn atar lei,
in the area Is, of course, appreciated by
every enc who lives in a house with a
| back building, as II rot only makes the
dining room lighter and peasanter, as well
as the other rooms but 1t improves the
back rooms in the main building. In cases
where the lot Is narrow and the area space
Is necessarily restricted such change
would have additional advantages.
| Beauty in Rear Yards.
There is another change in the custom
| that prevails here that would be of ad-
vantage to the occupants of the average
house and that is the substitution of an
| open-work fence Of some sort, either wire
or wood. for the high. close wooden fence
which separates back yards This change
1t is thought would result not only in bet
ter care Of the yards, but in giving an
expanse of lawn in the rear Of houses. in
stead Of the uninteresting and cherries
grouping of lumber yard exhibits. The
| open effect which would be achieved is
| not the least Of the advantages of such a
| change. A great deal has been done toward
making the front of houses attractive and
pleasing and there is no reason why some
| attention should not be paid to the space in
| the rear which is attached to most resi-
| dences in this city. The outlook for the
| rooms most used by the family is apt to be
on the back yard. and In the cases Of
| houses on the south side Of the street espe-
| cially this Is the best part Of the house dur
ing the winter season.
The Location and the House Plan.
The bearing which the points of the COM
las, have or ought to have on the interior
arrangements Of houses Is too seldom re-
garded by architects in their designs.
Rooms which have a southern or a western
exposure. for example, are looked upon by
some people as having advantages over any
other part Of the house. This is especially
the case when the residences are designed
mainly for winter use. In spite Of these
considerations the average house is planned
mainly with reference to the street on
which 1t fronts. 1t Is the custom to place
the best rooms Of the house so as to front
on the street, and in carrying out this
idea it frequently happens that the most
desirable outlook Of a house is lost to the
family A notable illustration of adapting
the design of house to the locality is
found in the Tuckerman house at the
southwest corner Of 18th and I streets In
stead of having the principal rooms front
on / street, which would be the ordinary
arrangement, they are all in what might be
called the rear. But they have the south
ern exposure and overlook the deep yard
as we'll as the Corcoran garden. which ad-
Joins the property on the west. The main
entrance to the house Is on / street front
but the windows in that front are used to
light the principal staircase and hall and
the servants staircase. The ordinary ar.
rangement, which is regulated by the
street frontage. would place all the princi-
pal rooms on the 1 street front and leave
the desirable southern exposure to gladden.
the staircase and the hall and the servants
lQuarters.
Some New Houses.
Plans for a block of twenty-five two-story
dwellings Banes & Simpson will build or
Oak and Hardwood avenues and Elm
street, LIE Droit Park at a cost of $55,OUU
have been prepared by George S. Cooper
architect. They will have bay-window
fronts Of press brick and Ohio stone. White
pine trim, latrobes, cabinet mantels, cleo
trio fixtures and speaking tubes will bt
used.
The same architect has completed plan.
for three handsome residences that +. s
Carmody will build for himself on LIST stree
northeast between d and f streets, at
| e a IN no fxyn ra,