Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-27
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
Two Rather Notable Sales and the
Good Values Obtained.
PRICE OF THE SHEPHERD PROPERTY
Not Hanging Gardens, but Roof
Gardens Are the Thing.
SOME ROVEM ENTS

There has been no sale of property in this
city that has attracted so much attention
within the past twelve months as that of
the Shepherd residence at the northeast cor
ner Of Connecticut avenue and K street
The price obtained has given general salts
faction and in the comment which is heard
In real estate circles qualification is ex-
pressed that the result of the offer of this
property at public auction has demonstrated
that property values have been maintained
and that prices remain firm. The property
Is one of considerable consequence, and, ow-
ing to the conspicuous position, the ample
extent of the house and the area of the
ground 1t belongs to a class of property
which. as a rule. has quite a limited mar
ket. The price obtained S1O2. OOO bears out
this estimate of the rating of property.
Independent of the present condition of
the market and the character of the times
in business circles, the price obtained may
be said to have been an excellent one. The
house has frontage of some 43 feet on X
street and the lot extends back with an
average depth Of 1O7 feet. widening out on
the rear party line to 100 feet. At a con-
sentative estimate the house. which was
built some years ago. is valued at 600. On
this basis the sum of So. 600 was paid for
the ground, and, as the latter contains s, 466
square feet the per foot price is "a little
over 81. As has been announced, 1t is the
purpose of the purchaser of this property
Mrs. Washington McLean) to make such
changes and Improvements in the house as
will make 1t suitable for her home.
The Encroachments of Business.
In the discussion that has been caused by
this sale a good deal has been said about
the locality, and the assertion is made by
some that 1t can no longer be looked upon
as purely a residence locality. The K street
front is said to be still Of that character,
but Connecticut avenue. continuing as 1t
does the line of 18th street from H street or
Pennsylvania avenue, is very generally con-
ceded to be now practically given up for
business purposes. Even in the contingency
that this movement should continue and the
residences should be sull further replaced by
business houses, the owners Of residences
have no cause, 1t is said, for uneasiness
respecting the value of their property, for
1t Is claimed that such a change always re-
suits in an appreciation of values. In this
view of 1t the owner of a residence will be
amply repaid in the enhanced value of his
property in case that the encroachments of
business should compel him to abandon
his residence for some more suitable To-
cality.
There was another sale during the past
week that deserves mere than a passing
notice. 1t was private sale in distinction
from property disposed of at auction and
involved a transfer of the old-time resi-
dence owned by the Travis heirs and To-
Gated at the northeast corner of 18th and
l streets. The fact that the purchaser was
Mrs. Harriet Lane Johnson who presided
at the White House during the admnistra-
ton or PRESIDENT Buchanan and is to make
her home again In this city, is of course an
important one in the social world But of
more immediate interest to those who are
the owners of real estate is the price that
nounced that the consideration in this trans
fer was $4,000.
Also a Good Price,
The house has a frontage of forty-six
feet on / street with a depth of ninety
three feet. There is back ground which
opens on an alley, and is improved by a
stable, and contains fifteen hundred and
thirtysix square feet. The house as it now
stands il said to be worth about $4,000.
Taking this valuation from the total
amount paid for the property. the per foot
value of the ground, including the back
ground is about five dollars and half
This, too, Is looked upon as a very fair
price for the property. Certainly there is
no indication based on this sale that real
estate values have gone off in the general
financial depression which has prevailed
A Big Building.
The apartment house which Mr. T. F.
Schneider proposes to build on Q street
between 10th and 18th streets is to be the
largest structure of the kind in the city
1t will have frontage of some 40 feet on
Q street and extend back about 100 feet
1t Is to be ten stories in height, and the in
terror plan is such that there will be prac-
tically no waste room. In lieu of the in
side court which is generally a feature of
such large buildings, in order to provide
necessary light and air, the side walls will
retreat from the party lines on each side
so that the end or rear of the building Will
come to something like a point, although
ra Their blunt one. The cafe is to be on the
top floor and there will be kitchens
attached to the suites of rooms. The roof
is to be fiat, and it is the intention of the
designer that ii should be used as sort of
a summer garden a place where the occu-
pants of the apartments can sit and enjoy
the air. The sides will be protected by
parapets and the roof can be adorned with
flowers and plants so that it can be made
to have something of the appearance OF a
really truly garden.
1t is wonder that this custom of enjoy
ing the pure air and the freedom from the
noise of the streets which is found at such
height is not more general in this
,ity The climate is certainly favorable to
this feature of tropical countries, and in
many respects the roof has more attrac-
lions than the front steps of the average
house. 1t is not meant that such use oil
the roof would be practical in most private
residences because of the long climb that
would be necessary in order to reach the
elevation above the fourth or fifth story.
But in buildings where there is an elevate:
there is no more exertion required to go to
the top of the house than there is to step
out on the front steps.
| Mr. Heurich has finished the roof of the
new house which he is building on New
Hampshire avenue in this way. OF course
| there is an elevator or lift in the house.
| Such retreat is available during the day
as well as night. as the roof can be covered
with an awning.
The Building Record.
| The record of the building inspectors
! office for the week shows a total of seven
new permits issued. asgregating in cost
| $925O.
L. F. Dudley has commenced the cree
| ton of frame dwelling at Takoma Park.
! Fred. Brinkman has broken ground for
the erection of a neat three-Story and
cellar brick dwelling at 1883 Ohio avenue
northwest. T. f. Ettinger & Bro. are the
| builders.
A new frame dwelling is being erected by
| Mary Fisher on lot 6. Congress Heights.