Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-12
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
Value to Property Holders Of Proposed
Steam Railroad Improvements.
DEPOT ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE
Prospective House Builders and the
Selection of Plans.
SOME NEW BUILDIN GS

VI SdllSldCtiOli the special OlSpdCcn from
Richmond, Va, which was printed in The
Star the other day, giving the details of the
bill which has been introduced for the pur-
pose of incorporating what is known as
the Washington Terminal Company 1t is
proposed to turn over to this company the
railroad station in this city, where the
cars of the Pennsylvania railroad and the
other roads using the tracks of the COM
pany come into the city, as well as the
tracks leading from the depot through the
city to the Long bridge, and over the Long
bridge into Virginia.
The capital of the company is stated to
be $2,5OO,OoO and the special interest which
people in this city have in the proposed
scheme lies in The fact that it is supposed
to be a method of raising money TO meet
the expense of bringing the railroad tracks
Into this city by depressed and elevated
system, according to the plan which has
practically been agreed upon by the Off
Gals OF the Pennsylvania road and he Dis
trict Commissioners. 1t is. Of course Il
matter OF great Importance, not only to
property owners III that section of the city
through wnien the lines of the steam road
is now situated. but to a certain degree to
those all over the city, as it is be-
leved the removal of the surface tracks
and grade crossings will result in many
improvements, ana also in increasing the
facilities of intercourse between, the differ
viz SSSeicHS "a Tic CITY.
Another Consideration.
There Is another consideration which
makes this move on the part of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company and the allied
lines of considerable consequence, and tina:
is the early beginning of this much-needed
improvement in the Washington terminal
will bring out in more striking contrast
the facilities offered 10 the public by the
terminal of the Baltimore and Ohio and
the other line using that road to get into
the city.
baltimore and Ohio there Is some Cisposi-
ton to further delay this much-neede,i i'm
provement. because Of lack of funds, and
it may be that the method OF what NAV no
called hnancering such an enterprise on
the part of the Pennsylvania railroad NAV
prove to be a fruitful suggestion to the
principal competitor of that corporation at
the nations capital.
What is in ContempIatfon.
IT Is said the improvements contemplated
py the pennsylvania company OF the pro-
posed corporation not only include the
elevation and depression Of the tracks
within the limits of the city, but also
the enlargement of the present depot build
ing on 9TH street. In addition to the
business of the Pennsylvania companv
four other railroads gain access to the CITY
over the PENNSYLVANIA line. These COM
and Ohio the Atlantic Coast Line and the
Seaboard Air Line
In this connection it may not be uninter
esting to note that rumors have been rife
OF late ana OF very persistent character
to the effect that the Pennsylvania com
pany had purchased or intended to pur-
chase the square of ground Pennsyl-
wanna avenue between 1872 and 18th streets
the site of the power house of the Capital
Traction Company which was DESTROYED
by fire last fall. 1t is said however
rumors, and that the Pennsylvania com
pany has no intention of buying this site
either for the location of depot or for
any other purpose. 1t is. however thought
very probable that the company may de-
sire to acquire the property on the south
side of Pennsylvania avenue between 9th
and 9TH streets, which is directly in front
of the present depot. 1t is belived If the
plans are carried out for an enlargement
of the depot building, and if, as proposed.
the trains are brought into the depot by
elevated tracks, that they could be con-
tinued over street to the square directly
north of the depot building to new struc-
ture where the passengers could be landed
directly on Pennsylvania avenue. 1t is not
known positively whether such a feature
is a part of the plans now under contem-
plation by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany, but if 1t is i: will be carried out
along with the rest of the scheme of i'm
provement by the new company, a charter
for which, as stated above, has just been
asked Of the Virginia legislature.
Planning and building.
There are not as many people who are Civ
ing attention to plans for new houses as ar
chitects, builders and even real estate agents
would like, but still there is hardly a time
in the year when something Is not being
done in this direction. There comes a time
in the lives Of most people when they are
brought face to face with the problem of
house planning and house building and it
is perfectly safe to say that every one who
Is thinking about erecting house, and
especially home, is anxious to have one
as attractive as possible, and one, too,
which will compare favorably with the
homes Of their friends. There is always
plenty of advice given to prospective house
builders. and they are frequently told that
the mere expenditure of money does not
always give effective and artistic results,
in house. On the other hand, it is stated
that good taste is required to make an at
tractive house. That sounds well, and at
nrst thought 1t really seems to cover the
entire matter, but a little closer thought
leads right up to the stone fence of a diff
Guilty which is practically insurmountable.
and that IS, What is good taste? What
constitutes good taste?
Difference In Taste.
1t may be said there are as many an
swers to this question as there are fndivid
uals. although that is rather broad way
of putting it. There may be a standard in
SUCH matters, Dut IL Is not one generally
recognized, and so 1t happens that a de-
sign OF house exterior or the arrange
ment of the interior which is pronounced
by some people artistic and pleasing is
thought by others to be ugly and unattrac-
tive. 1t may be said also that the neces-
sity of the profession of architects or of
decorators is not generally admitted, and
1t Is common enough to hear people say
they designed this or that feature of
their house. or perhaps the entire house
itself, admitting, however, they employed
some architect, but they claim he merely
acted as craftsman to make the neces-
sary drawings. There are men who never
studied architecture in any Of its branches
and who never gave much thought to house
building until 1t became a personal matter
with themselves. who consider they are
perfectly competent to make design for
a house or to instruct an architect as to
how 1t should be designed Most architects
recognize this as a weakness on the part
OF their clients. and humor them in the
belief that they are simply following their
ideas.
A Block Of Twenty-Six Houses.
VIM. I. Mcclure will begin work at once
on twenty-six dwellings,, to be located on