Evening star., 1901-05-04
Progress Of improvements in Various
Parts of the District.
HOUSES BUILT TO SUPPLY 4 DEMAND
Large Additions to the Present
Apartment House Facilities.
THE MARKET CONDITIONS

Equitable Building Association, on the
west side of the electric road, about mile
and half north of Bethesda, Nd. 1t is
the intention of Mr.. Reside to have his
home there during the summer The prop
erty is portion of the tract of 300 acres
which Mr., John JOY Edison bought some
time ago. Mr.. Edison has now under con-
sideration plans for the erection there of a
house for himself which he will make his
home during part of the year
On the opposite side of the railroad is
the property of Mr.. James F. oyster, on
which he intends to erect a house for his
own use. Farther to the south is the land
recently acquired by company, and where
several houses will be put up during the
present season. Among those mentioned
as thinking about building there are Mr..
Clarence L. Norment and Mr.. Daniel Fra
ser.
Some improvements.
Twelve three-stOry houses are to be built
on Road or L street between Both street
and Avon place by Geo. W. Mont tgomery
from plans prepared by Geo. S. Cooper,
architect. These structures will be apart
ment houses, and each floor will contain a
suite.
Two cottages being built by Geo. O.
Root in University Heights a subdivision
WHICH duJOlnS BfOOkldnu on the north.
A house is to be built by p. r. Salters
in Congress Heights, above Anacostia.
James NJ. Carrick intends to build three
three-story apartment houses on Spruce
street, lie Droit Park.
On Washington Circle.
Plans are being prepared by 7. F. Schnei-
der, architect, for the erection of a large
apartment building on the south side of
Pennsylvania avenue at the intersection of
Washington Circle. The new structure
which is to be erected by the Plaza Apart
ment House Company, will have a frontage
OF 13i feet, partly on the avenue and partly
OH the circle. The depth will be about 100
feet and it will rise to height of seven
stories. In this great building there will
be fifty apartments of suites ranging in
size from three to five rooms, including in
each case kitchens with pantrieS and of
course, bath rooms The construction is
to be tire-proof. All the main halls will
have tile floors, while the woodwork will
be oak. The interior finish of the rooms
Will be white enamel An elaborate fea-
ture will be the entrance hall, which will
.be finished with marble, the lines being
relieved with columns.
A handsome bronze grille will inclose
the elevator shaft Stone of a light shade
and brick and terra Gotta will be used in
building the outer walls The exterior of
the main entrance will be effectively treat
ed with columns and porticoes. The design
mated cost of this Improvement is $500, 600.
The president of the company which will
erect this building is Mr. Schneider with
Emmons S. Smith, vice president; R. E.
Bradley, secretary and treasurer and F. II.
Duehay and Leo Bergmark, directors.
Three large apartment houses designed
by Mr.. Schneider are now in course of
erection i'll this city. One known as the
Albemarle is at the corner of 17th and T
streets, to cost S16J,OO0; one known as the
Sherman. at the corner of 18th and l.
streets, to cost $4,000 and the Virginia
on G street between 2lst and 22d streets
TO cost S41,ODD Mr.. Schneider is designing
another building of this character which
IS to cost $3.50 600.
Extension of Streets
The long-expected decision of the United
States Supreme Court in the street extern
sion cases was handed down during the
week, which sustains the judgment of the
Supreme Court of the District. The i'm
portance of this action to the general pub
lie lies in the fact that the obstruction to
further progress in these cases has been
removed, ana the securing of the land
needed for the continuation of the streets
OF the city can go on as Congress author
ICES. The uncertainty in regard to the
future of the localities along the lines OF
designated streets has been such that prop
erty owners felt it was not wise to make
improvements based on a probable action.
Now, however, that the course of the
future streets is definitely known there will
be no more hesitation.
AS is well known, the damages In the
cases already passed upon by the court
have been paid, but the benefits due from
the property owners remained unsatisfied
pending this decision When the awards
shall be settled unless some specific appro-
priation is made, as in the case of 18th
street and other streets, nothing further
will be accomplished except the fixing OF
the lines of the streets and the securing
to the public of the right of way.
The Advance of the City.
The Improvement Of the streets will
come only when the money has been pro-
vided for that purpose. These thorough
fares are to be opened up as the needs OF
the city seem to warrant, and it is recog-
nized as a great step forward that in this
way a beginning has been made in the
systematic subdivision of that section OF
the suburbs which is still in acreage prop
erty. 1t is estimated that over a million
of dollars will be used in simply acquiring
for the public the right of way in the
cases now passed upon by Congress, and
as there are many other streets to be open
ed up, it is likely that the total will reach
still larger proportions. However, the
growth of the city is such that these i'm
proVementS are recognized as a necessity,
and it is hoped that the legislature of the
District will see the justice of the general
government sharing with the people of the
District in this expense as is done in other
local expenses connected with the govern
ment of the District and is stipulated in
the organic act
Progress in Building.
The spring season, which is now In its
last month. as we'll as was the early part
Of the winter season, has been rather un-
favorable for out-of-door work, although
the extent to which that has been the case
| is not, perhaps, generally appreciated. How
ever, Mr.. w. B. Upton of the Brennan Con-
struction Company has had record kept
beginning the 18th of January last and ex-
tending to the 18th ultimo, of all days when
owing to rain or cold it was impossible to
do outdoor work such as laying concrete
According to this data, MIR. Upton says,
counting holidays and Sundays and also
| those days when the weather conditions
| were unfavorable, that out Of total OF
| ninety days within that period there were
| 1fty-three days when work could not be
done.
! In spite of these figures, the building year
thus far is considered as having been q
fairly active one. There has been a good