Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-05
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Completion Of the Work of County
Property Assessment.
REPORT TO Be MADE ON MONDAY
Washington Architecture as Viewed
by a Visitor.
SIDEWALK REG UL ATION

Property holders in the county are ex-
pecting great things from the new assess
ment. which will be returned next Monday.
The last assessment contained many inc
qualities and was considered excessive
That section of the District is the most
difficult to assess. Not only are some sub
divisions difficult to find, but the lots, which
only exist upon paper in many instances
must each, according to law, be viewed
and assessed So that the assessment of
county property has been a hard job.
Often an entire day was given up to locat-
ing and assessing single piece of property.
The assessors have spared no pains to
make their work complete in every detail.
1t took the assessors thirteen months 10
complete the assessment of the city. 1t
was originally intended by Congress to
kave the entire assessment for the District
completed in one year. After g. short eXpe-
rience the board decided that ii would be
absolutely impossible to make a complete
assessment in the time specified. Upon
this statement of facts Congress extended
the time and postponed the payment OF
taxes on county property until May 1891
when the whole tax to be paid in one
sum. The board concluded the city assess
ment in April last The following June ii
began the county assessment, and since
that time has been engaged in the work
According to the law, this must be fin
ished next Monday. On that date the board
Will make its return to Assessor Trimble
and then the property holders will have an
opportunity of examining the books Ap-
pealS from the assessment will be receiv ed
and acted upon up TO November !, when
the books will be finally closed and the
clerks in the assessors office given charge
of them to post. 1t will take some time
to complete this work and no taxes based
upon this assessment viii be due or re-
oevable until May, 1897. when. as stated
above, they will be due in one lump sum-
With the completion of this assessment
the hrSt new assessment under the per.na-
nent board of assessors will be finished
1t will be three years before another is
made. The board, however, has authority
at any time to change an assessment ana
correct errors.
About Sl1yscrapers.
When asked what had impressed him the
most since his arrival in this country, the
great statesman of China, who is just
closing his visit to this city. is reported to
have enumerated, among other things, the
tall buildings which he saw in the cities
through which he passed. 1t is not likely
that this impression will be deepened by
what Ii Hung Chang saw in this city, for
Washington. fortunately, in the opinion of
many, has so far escaped what is regarded
as necessary evil in the business centers
of large cities.
AS an economical method of securing a
large amount of floor space. and in many
cities the only available method the mod
ern SkyScraper is certainly a success, but
there are many disadvantages that in
nearly all the places where they have been
erected restrictive building regula tons
have been enacted so to limit the height
of ri her jS
such provision forming a part Of the
building regulations, and 1t was put IN
force so promptly after this species of
building came in vogue that with a few
exceptions, all structures erected by private
enterprise are within the required limits.
The economy of this style Of building ap-
pealed 50 strongly to members of Congress
that when that body was asked to provide
an appropriate shelter for the city post
office provision was made for the erection
of a ninestory building covering entire
square. AS the city post Office would need
only TWO or three stories, and as there was
pressing necessity for one two addi
tional buildings to provide room for the
clerical force of the executive departments
now in rented buildings it was concluded
that it would be cheaper to continue the
walls Of the city post office building five or
six additional stories higher than to erect
separate buildings for the use of the execu-
tive departments.
Uncle Sam. as a property holder at the
nations capital, is rot subject to municipal
regulations, and therefore he is at liberty
to indulge in erecting skyscrapers, when
similar privilege is forbidden to the ordi-
nary private citizen.
A Variety in Architecture.
If the distinguished visitor from China
could not feast his eyes upon the jagged
skyline effects which is seen nowadays in
the average American city, he could If he.
was interested in such matter, note the
many admirable srccimcns Of the different
styles of architecture which are found so
abundantly in this city. If his taste pre-
fers the severe he can look upon the pat
ent office, which is one of the finest mod
ern examples of the plainest types of Greek
architecture. From this extreme, passing
through nearly all the different styles OF
ancient and modern times, as exemplified
in private and public buildings, he could
look upon the Congressional Library build
ing, which. especially in the interior. repre-
sents the highly decorative school Of archi-
lecture and of ornamentation.
Owners of Vacant Lots.
While so much has been said about the
dIscomforts of the brick sidewalks which
are now rapidly being replaced the aver
age citizen is forcibly reminded especially
after a rainstorm. that a sidewalk built of
modern material is not very desirable when
it Is covered with mud. But this is the
condition of sidewalks all through the city
for wherever there is vacant lot the
earth Is washed from the parking and runs
on the sidewalk. 1t Is understood that
there is a regula ton of the city which re-
quires owners Of vacant lots to keep the
sidewalks in front of their property clean
not only when the snow falls, but from
mud and dirt. For some reason this regu-
lation does not seem to be enforced, and so
the really fine sidewalks which the city
authorities are laying down in various
parts of the city are rendered at times use
less by the failure to compel the owners of
vacant lots to comply with what Is regard
ed as a good regulation.
Some Improvements.
Improvements and interior changes will
be made In the Metropolitan Hotel building
by Charles A. Langley.
Plans have been prepared by Richard r.
Rothwell, architect. for two dwellings. to
be erected at 1913 and $50 10Th street south
east. The structures will be two stories in
height, and constructed of brick, with front
bay windows.
Warehouse building.
Mr.. Edward ]: DeLacy is just complete
{rr fn> "