Evening star., 1901-08-24
Progress of the City as Shown by
Suburban Development,
ROWS OF HOUSES ON FARM LANDS
Street Car Facilities Influencing
Direction of Improvement.
NJ ATT E RS OF INTERES ST

Plans have been prepared by C. L. Hard
ing, architect, for eleven two-story houses
which are to be built at the corner of 4th
and streets, lie Droit Park Nine of
the houses are to front on 7 street and
the balance on 4th street Brick and stone
will be used in constructing the fronts and
variety will be given to the interiors by
change in the arrangement, that one
house will not be exactly like another.
The site of these new structures Is the
lawn about the residence formerly occupied
by the late Benjamin Butterworth, and now
owned by his estate, which is to make this
Improvement. The old house is left stand
ing and is a reminder of the days mot long
past, when that locality was in the coun-
try and the houses were surrounded by
lawns and the environments were rural
LIE Droit Park has become a part Of the
city, and the green places are sites for
rows of houses, and only suggestion is
preserved here and there Of the original
appearance of the place.
Active Building Operations.
To the west of and north is the scene of
the most active building operations noted
near the city during the past year or two,
SO that what were formerly farm lands,
stretching away from the park, are now
city streets, lined with rows of houses.
Changes of SO radical a character, and
taking place in such a short period of time,
afford a striking illustration of the growth
of the city. The fact is that the develop
ment is so rapid and general that all sec
tions about the city are affected, and it is
difficult to realize the extent of operations.
The Suburban Growth.
The close of summer marks the end Of
what is usually looked upon as the period
when the interest in suburban property Is
at it's height. OF course more or less dur
ing the entire year those who have saleable
property in the country and those who are
looking for homes naturally find purchas-
ers and property. AT the same time spring
and summer are regarded as bounding the
season of activity in this class of property.
From this point of view 1t is possible at
this time to get some idea of the results
Of the season in what may be termed the
suburban market
There has been no boom and In that re-
Spect there is unanimty of sentiment
among those who have to do with this de-
partment of the real estate business. The
demand has been neither large nor active.
and there is no one place where marked
development has taken place. For this
reason it may seem at first that the sea-
son has not been a very successful one.
Owing to the fact that the progress made
has been spread over a large territory, in
fact, covering the entire area of the SUBJ
urbs, the substantial nature of the advance
in the outward growth of the city may be
overlooked. Houses have been built here
and there, the aggregate representing quite
a large addition. The growth has been
naturally along the lines OF the electric
street railroads, and they now extend to
remote points from the citys center in all
directions.
A Remarkable Change.
The progress thus far made is remark
able, when one calls to mind the conditions
of only a few years past when the over
flowing population was struggling under
adverse conditions to get out and beyond
into the roomy regions lying about the
city's center. Then the street car service
beyond the old bounds Of the city was in
adequate and but partial
Now the facilities of this character are
probably superior on the whole to those
which are found in any other city, and
covering an area which Is fully equal to
the present needs Of the city's expansion.
Sewers. water mains and other facilities Of
modern living are also being extended be-
yond the old urban bounds, so that 1t is
possible to go a long distance out and at
the same time build a house that will have
all the conveniences found in the average
city home.
This latter consideration seems to be a
controlling one with those who go out into
preference which goes a long way In ex-
planning why the style of house that is
selected for the suburbs does not follow
that which Is usually chosen for a country
house.
The detached house, with roomy grounds.
does not seem to be the favorite style Of
home In this locality, and on this account
our suburbs present quite a different ap-
pearance from those found in the vicinity
OF the average American city When il
happens that man gets more ground than
he actually needs for placing his house, he
SO locates the dwelling that in the future
II the opportunity comes, he can sell off
the balance Of the ground for a building
site.
Some New Houses.
Mr.. w. e. Wright, real estate broker, In
connection with Mr.. James w. French, has
just completed two two-story and three
three-story brick dwellings on 18th street
northeast adjoining Lincoln Park, which
makes very handsome addition to the
new residences now going up in that sec
tion OF the city. These houses will have
concreted cellars, with cold storage rooms,
furnace heat, tiled vestibules, fireplaces
and bath rooms, porcelain bath tubs, mar
BILE washstand, electric gas lighting, cabi-
net mantels, etc. They contain six and
eight rooms respectively.
They have also just started two houses
similar to the above on Kentucky avenue
between B and streets southeast.