Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-23
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Needs of People Who Are Looking
for Suburban Homes.
WORK DONE BY LOCAL ARCHITECTS
Buildings Going Up in Various
Parts of the District.
OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST

A this season of the year a good many
families are struggling with the question
of home arrangements for the summer
This is especially true in households where
the children are young, for which, as well
as for other reasons, it is believed to be
desirable that some place should be select
ed outside the limits of the city where they
can spend more time out Of doors than
Is apt to be the case VIXEN they live
in the city. Practically in each household
this question has a different phase or Is
approached from a different point of view.
Leaving out of consideration the class OF
people who are able to maintain a home In
the city and at the same time keep up a
place in the country. and also those who
are not narrowly bound down by considera-
ton of cost, 1t may be said that many
would be glad of the opportunity to secure
a home near Washington, and within con-
venient reach of their business, where they
could put up q modest house for the use
of the family during the summer months.
Some of the Conditions.
Broadly speaking. the conditions which
would meet such cases would be a piece
of land not exceeding an acre which could
be bought at such a price that the entire
outlay, including the expense of putting VI
a small house, would not reach a large
figure. 1t should also be added that an
other requirement would perhaps be wa
ter and sewer facilities.
1t is believed that If land along the lines
of the electric roads connecting with the
city We're laid out in plots above indi-
Gated, and supplied with the conveniences
for home life. an active market would be
found, and numerous additions would be
made to the resident population in the
suburbs
New School buildings.
The increase granted by Congress in the
appropriations for school buildings will
it is thought, enable the Commissions
ers to proceed with the construction
which should have gone on last year,
but which was abandoned because the
money provided was not enough, owing
to the advance in the prices OF building ma
teral. 1t is believed the money now avala-
BILE is sufficient for the purposes intended
and that therefore the work of construction
will be begun promptly. Those who are
familiar with the needs of the public
schools of the city recognize that there are
none more important than the increase in
the number of buildings.
AT present a large number of the schools
are overcrowded. and there also half
day schools. and as these conditions apply
almost exclusively to the schools attended
by the children in the first five or six
EiZed as still more pressing. 1t is well
known that a large percentage Of the chill
dren attending the public schools are oblig-
ed, for various reasons, to abandon theil
books at an early age, so that they may
begin to earn their own livelihood. If, there.
fore, owing to the lack of school buildings
the children in these grades are not given
the proper facilities. it is evident the schoo
system fails at a most important point.
Local Architectural Talent.
1t is not surprising that the talent among
Washington architects was given such a
notable recognition the other day by the
choice of the design of Messrs. Horn
blower & Marshall, architects. for the pro-
posed custom house building which the
United States intends to erect in Balti-
more, at a cost of 81, 5OO,OOO All those who
are interested in the profession as it is
locally represented are gratified that the
result was reached by competition, and
that 1t was the unanimous opinion of the
committee which examined the drawings
without knowing from whom they came
that the one submitted by the Washington
firm the best
The prize was sufficient to enlist the In
terest of some of the best men in the
profession in this country, and, no doubt
the new building will not only be credi,
to the government, but another justification
for the law which has made 1t possible tc
secure the services of the best architects
be said. in passing, that the architecture OF
the city is much admired because of its
diversity, and its freedom from the monot-
ony that comes from the custom which
prevails elsewhere of erecting uniform
blocks of houses and buildings, so that the
average city street has the appearance OF
being lined with what has been likened tC
giant dry goods boxes.
More Variety Here.
Here, however, has been good deal OF
individual building, and the consequence
is much variety in FORMS This has such
an influence that even in recent years
when the practice of erecting houses ir
rows has grown, generally an effort has
been made to prevent the tiresome repeti-
ton of the general lines and of the details
which mark the old-time buildings.
AS the large proportion of the buildings IL
the city have been designed by residen
architects, it is evident that practically al
of the praise which is awarded to the char
acter of Washington architecture belong:
to the local members of the profession
While some of the private residences a:
we'll as business buildings have been plan
ned by outside men. the number is extreme
| ly small. 1t may be said that in mos
every case where other than resident archi
tects have been called in to plan building
although they may have achieved repu
tation in their homes for meritorious ant
| striking work, here they have disappointe,