Evening star., 1900-04-11
LIMITED TO THREE STORIES
CONGRESS SHOULD REGULATE THE
HEIGHT OF AVENUE BUILDINGS.
A New York Architect Advances q
Novel Suggestion as to- SYM
metry and Beauty,

| ence to the erection of small one-story
| buildings on Pennsylvania avenue is well
i taken,' said prominent New York archi-
| tect, who was viewing the construction Of
| two of this class Of buildings on that thor
| oushfare few days ago.
And 1t reminds me of the conditions Of
| upper Broadway between 34th and 42d
| streets, in my city, though New York
changes with such remarkable rapidity that
| conditions there can be likened to condi-
! tions existing in other cities only for the
| sake Of comparison.
This portion Of New York's most promi-
| nent avenue for years was built up block
after block with small, one-story stores,
| just such as The Star very properly objects
| to having put up on Pennsylvania avenue
| The future Of that neighborhood was a
Tenderloin, and its character had not been
nodded. Property owners were doubtful as
to the proper kind of structures to build,
SO they put up these little stores and
held on.
Now. the character of the street has
been determined. 1t is in the heart Of the
hotel and theater district, and ten or
twenty years hence will be in the heart of
| the business retail district Great buildings
| have replaced the little stores, as up town
rushes the tide Of business. When the Her.
aid building was put up there few years
ago 1t eeemed out OF the way, but the wis
| dom of the choice has been demonstrated.
No Problem in Warrington.
But on broad Pennsylvania avenue no
such problem presents itself The charac-
ter of this fine thoroughfare has been de-
termined To erect small one-story stores
on this noble avenue Is an architectural
crime, and ought to be prohibited by law,
as the erection Of buildings too tall should
be. 1t is a case of the superiority Of the
rights Of the public over the ownership of
fln 80 H. 1,~At
oSnized by the courts as existent, and one
which is enforced in different phases every
day by judicial decree.
Il note In Washington unusual and de-
termfned evidences OF a remarkable arcfli-
tectural and building Improvement; one
which Is going on in New York, too; and
property owners should, as most Of them
appear to be doing, encourage this feeling
to the utmost I consider the new Star
building one OF the best examples Of its Pc
culfar style Of architecture that I have
ever seen. 1t Is an adornment to the city,
and to erect small. one-story stores within
a stones throw OF 1t seems like an archi-
tectural Proclamation.
The Avenue q National Institutfon,
III the character Of the avenue were not
determined 1t would be another matter and
one Of individual volition. But Pennsylva-
MIA avenue is a national institution. and as
such should be respected There ought to
be law passed forthwith by Congress
limiting the minimum height of all build
ings to be erected upon that boulevard to
not less than three stories above the
ground. There should be no limit placed
upon the height Of structures on that street
1t Is SO wide and the views so magnificent
that the question OF the exclusion of the
sunlight and the air, which is an Important
problem in New York cannot arise here.
The taller the better Tall buildings, like
that OF The Star, make a magnificent per-
spective and picturesque building sky
line.
The Effect ON Individual Rights.
This suggestion is entirely feasible, and
I am satisfied will be sustained by lawyers
as one which does not abridge nor trespass
upon individual rights A man can do only
about so much, anyway. with Ias property
as he may see fit. There .s no more pop
ular supposition than that he may do as
he pleases with his own He may pro-
V1ded he does not interfere with others in
their enjoyment Of their rights. Just as
soon as You use your property In such a
manner that you trespass upon the privi-
leges of others the police arrest you or
you the defendant on a civil damage
suit. And this applies to real, as well as
to personal, property.
Structures Worthy of the Street.
THE idea is this: Property owners can
not always be relied upon to advance pub
lie interests. The new law would say in
substance: BY virtue of the fact that
Pennsylvania avenue Is a national charge,
those who own property must respect its
character to the extent that they will not
be permitted to disf1gure it with structures
OF which 1t is unworthy. 1t is decreed that
all structures of less than three stories
above the ground are unworthy and there
fore they shall not be erected thereon
Thus. II property owners did not con-
slider 1t to their interest to erect tall build
ings, they could not tear down and rebuild
less than three stories, and most Of them
would find it to their interest to build
higher"