Evening star., 1894-11-03

one Of the notable and 1t might also be
added one of the historic structures of the
city, will disappear. 1t was erected about
the year 1850 by the late Mr.. Shanks, the
father Of the present owner, who was one
Of the well-known business men and large
property owners Of the city. For a number
of years the building was popularity known
as Shanks' Iron Hall, a name which was
probably suggested by the material used in
the construction of the front. There was a
large hall on the second floor, and here
some Of the well-known actors Of former
years appeared before the Washington pub
lie. Forrest, the distinguished tragedian,
played there, well as other notables In
later years 1t became the home Of the legis-
lature of the District under the old form of
government, and there that notable body,
"the feather duster legislature" sat until
1t was legislated out Of existence. OF late
years the building has been devoted entirely
to business purposes, and the later genera
ton are not familiar either with Shanks'
Iron Hall, or as 1t came to be known later,
Metzerotts Hall
An Important Land Sale.
A sale of considerable interest was con-
summated during the past week. The
American Security and Trust Company pur-
chased lot abutting on their property,
having a frontage Of 80 feet on the west
side Of 14th street between G and New
York avenue. and an average depth of
about 107 feet The price paid was over
$4,000, and the rate per square foot was
about SIS. These figures afford another
illustration Of the growing Importance Of
that business section Of the city. The
tendency toward the expansion of the buss-
ness area on each side of + street and
especially toward the north is familiar to
those who note the progress and develop
ment of the city.
The process of transforming @ street
from residence street into one given up to
business has gone ahead so rapidly during
the. past few years that 1t Is now practi-
cally accomplished. A similar change Is
taking place on what are known as tine
side or connecting streets from 7th to 10Th.
and the trend of the movement Is plainly
still further to the north. and already sev-
eral squares along H street are showing
evidences of this transformation. The fu-
ture progress of this improvement toward
the north is freely predicted by conserva-
tive men, and there Is also a growing con-
viction that the business area will also go
westward.
The skirmish line, as 1t might be termed,
has already reached Vermont avenue along
H street on Its western march and passing
over the squares fronting on Lafayette
Park has planted some outposts on 17th
street and along Connecticut avenue es far
north as NJ street There Is a difference Of
opinion as to whether the interval of the
Lafayette Park frontage will continue in
the future. Some maintain that 1t will al
ways continue as a barrier to business en-
croachments, while others are equally as
confident that even this choice residence
section must give way before the growth
of the business interests of the city.
Building in the Suburbs.
Reference has been made In this column
to the building activity which prevails
throughout the section on each side of
14th street extended. While this region
cannot any longer properly be classed un-
der the head of suburban, still as 1t is out
side of the old bounds Of the city II prob
ably is still officially under that designa-
ton. There is more or less building going
on in other sections of the suburbs near
and remote to the bounds of the city. At
Chevy Chase q number of new houses have