Evening star., 1901-07-27
Improvements in Progress in a Bust
ness Section of the City.
POST OFFICE At MT. PLEASANT
House Construction Suited to Hot
Weather Conditions.
MATTERS OF INTE RES T

The only ground on 14th street between
F and g streets northwest which remains
vacant is to be improved by the erection
of business building. The property,
which belongs to William Stone Albert, has
a frontage of nearly % feet and a depth
of 1GO feet, and the proposed building,
which has been designed by Glenn Brown,
architect, is to cover the entire space. The
front, which will be plain in detail, but an
interesting contribution to the business
architecture of the city, will be built OF
brick Of light shade and terra Gotta. The
first floor on a level with the street, will
be used for store purposes, while the up
per story will be arranged for office pur-
poses.
As to Private Stables.
The stable which Is attached to the
Bates residence, at the northeast corner
of 18th and N streets, is being removed.
The proposed change is a welcome one to
the residents on that street, not because
of any positive nuisance from that source,
for the stable has not been used for sew
eral years past, but because structure
of that sort Is not in the least ornamental
and it is not easy to reconcile persons TO
living next to a stable, even though II
should happen to be, as in this case, an
inoffensive neighbor. 1t would be impos-
sble to replace that structure, for In two
the building regulations. unless the re-
vision now being made changes them IN
this particular.
1t is not permitted nowadays to erect
private stable within five feet of the build
ing line where there Is a door opening on
the street, or within twenty feet of house
This stable stands directly on the build
ing line of the front of the lot, with doors
onening directly into the street, and it is
less than twenty feet, not only from the
Bates house. but from the adjoining mouse
which is now being erected 1t Is quite
clear that 1t will be impossible to utilize
this ground in the future for Similar
purpose However, the owner no doubt
considers its room more desirable tnan It's
company. for the space thus .deas cieareu 6an Gan
more attention Is being paid to placing
large private residences In ample grounds,
such a consideration Is not unimportant.
Next season the house will be occupied Dy
Secretary Root, while on the adjoining
property a large house Is being finished Tor
the use of Mrs. Slater. This latter house
sets In the center Of lot with ampie
frontage SO that there are spaces on eacn
side and the house stand detached.
Hot weather Architecture.
II is rather remarkable that hot weather
discomforts arising from defective plan
ming or construction Of houses are not
borne In mind when people come to build.
It seems, however, the average man or
woman regard other considerations as OF
more Importance and the result Is that
they build practically the same kind OF
house that their neighbOrs do. When the
winter season rolls around they suner boln
in pocket and In person because the walls
are not thick enough to effectfvefy excluoe
the winter blasts, or the WINDOW trainings
are put in SO carelessly that the cold air
passes freely In. The occupants OF the
house are used to 1t. for all the residences
they know about have the same defects.
When the summer comes with its usual
temperatures. such people bring their BEDS
down on the parlor floor, because the neat
of the upper floor Is unbearable.
There is no adequate air space provided
above the upper story OF the average
house. and while some provision OF TINS
| sort is usually made yet the ventilation is
not sufficient and the space does not do
| what 1t Is designed for. The obvious rea-
| son is that as the air space is an obscure
| thought, about for that matter until the
extremity of the weather and the discom-
| forts Of the house forces the subject on the
attention, 1t can be slighted In the building.
To Suit the Market.
The average person who buys or rents a
house pays much more attention to the ap-
pearance Of the exterior than to whether 1t
| is well built or not, or whether the air
space next to the roof is adequate for the
work intended. 1t Is natural therefore that
a man who has money to invest in the
erection of houses which he hopes to sell
| at some profit should provide what would
please the greatest number OF prospective
buyers Hence 1t Is that plate glass storm
doors are found in houses offered for 81 600,
and even tiled vestibules and also electric
annunciafors and electric lighting devices.
Hardwood mantels are In the rooms and
| the walls are covered with paper that is not
| always the cheapest. Then again the
| front steps are apt to be Of stone and the
| trimmings throughout the front of the
| house are Of the same material As likely
/ as not the roof will be covered with tile,
| while as a matter of course the bath room
| will be tiled. both floor and sides.
/ In other words there is not q feature
| hardly to be found In any expensive house
that is not also reproduced in what are