Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-15
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Biggest Apartment House
Ever Undertaken Here.
TWO ACRES OF LAND
CURRENT PRICES FOR SITES IN A
BUSINESS SECTION.
Realty Holdings Acquired for the
Use of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad.

| What bids fair to be the largest enter
| prise yet attempted here in the way of
| apartment houses will be started next
week, when workmen will begin the eXcava-
| ton for the foundations of a building to be
| erected by the Ontario Apartment House
| Company, of which Prof. Chas. D. Walcott
is president. This company has acquired a
| plot of ground containing over two acres
| and fronting on three streetS-Ontario, Pop
| lar and Summit-to the west of Columbia
road and north of Cincinnati street. 1t lies
| on the brow of the hill overlooking the val
| ley of Rock creek, which at that place is
included within the bounds of the zoologi-
| cal Park. On account OF the commanding
position, as well as other features of the
location, which is still just beyond the line
| of the closely built-up portions of the city,
1t has been decided to treat the ample space
| as park.
The proposed structure, as planned by
| James G. Hill, architect, is to stand in the
| center of the ground, and will be an trreg-
ular mass with wings The different parts
| of the building will be SO related to each
| other that the maximum of light and air
| will be available for all portions. BY this
| system there will be no part of the building
| that will not be exposed to two different
points of the compass, and some three.
In harmony with this PLAN the general
| treatment of the structure will be colonial.
| The exterior walls in the lower stories will
| be built of brick of a light shade, while the
| upper portions will be finished in what is
| known as pebble dash stucco. The suites
| of rooms will range in size from three TO
seven. The entire building will rise to the
| height of six stories, and the construction
will be fireproof. The main portion of the
building will 'front.' to the south, overlook
ing Ontario street. Only one section Of it
is to be erected at this time.
Old Riggs Bank Site.
1t is perhaps entirely within the bounds
of the facts to say that no recent sale Of
Washington realty has aroused much in
terest as that Of the old Riggs Bank site at
the northwest corner of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and 18th street Up to within a year
or SO ago it had been a business location,
dating from the early years of the city.
Then change was made in the site of the
Riggs Bank, and ground purchased
adjoining the corner on the west, and
handsome new structure was erected, which
is now the home of that institution. The
corner has been looked upon for years past
one of the most valuable IN the business
section of the city. Still the $50 per foot
paid for the nearly 1000 square feet in
cluded within the limits of the lot is re-
garded by some as to a certain extent a
fancy price. 1t is certainly the highest
price ever paid for a considerable piece of
property in the business section of Wash
ington.
But little comparison can be made be-
the latter have by no means been few in
this general locality, especially during the
past year. Some of the corners further
south on 18th street would be regarded as
furnishing a fairer basis for comparison
than any other realty in the vicinity, but,
unfortunately for such a purpose, there
have been no transactions in recent years
in property along 18th street between New
York avenue and Pennsylvania avenue.
Prices Paid for Property.
west, the one where the bank building
is located, was purchased by the bank
about three years ago, and the price paid
was 500 per square foot for an area of
about the same dimensions as that of the
corner lot. In March last the old Y. NJ. C.
A. property, 1909 New York avenue, was
bought by a Philadelphia life insurance
company, which paid for the fftysiX feet
front, with a total area of 1892 square feet
the sum of S120, $50, which was at the rate
of SIS per square foot About the same time
the series of purchases which was one Of
the features of the spring market of prop
erty on the south side of New York avenue
between 18th and 14th streets were closed
by the purchase of piece of property for
$50, 900, which contained over $500 square
fest.
In February the highest record for per
foot price was reached in the sale of the
property al the northwest corner of 14th
and G streets. The price paid was $40 per
square foot, but there were only l,15o
square feet in the lot, the dimensions of
which were IS by 43 feet. Across the street
the site of the Foundry Church was bought
in February, and the price paid for the
/ ,321 square feet was $l8 per square foot
A few weeks later the new owner of the
church property, Mr.. Thomas F. Walsh
wanted 10 get an adjoining piece on 18th
street. and he paid $50 per square foot for
lot IS feet inches by depth of 104 feet
Still later the property known 1909 G
street was the subject of several sales, and
the present owner paid SIT per square foot
The ground has a frontage of % feet
inches and contains 9, IA square feet
Bought by a Railroad Company.
During the past week a large number of
deeds have been placed on record transfer
ring to the improvement company which is
supposed to represent the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad various parcels of land lying
along the proposed line of that road on
Delaware avenue. The scene of this series
of purchases comprises the squares on both
sides of Delaware avenue between c and L
streets They were made some time ago,
but the deeds are just now being placed
record. 1t is estimated that the railroad
company has expended about three-quar
tiers of a million dollars in acquiring the
land which has already been decided to 1t.
There are, of course, various parcels in the
squares within the area mentioned which
are still in private ownership and in regard
to which it is evident that the owners and
the railroad company could not come to
an agreement. Under the law the company
has the right to avail itself of condemna-
tdon proceedings.
Homes Of Two Senators.
Repairs and alterations are being made
in the residence of Senator Allison, 1924
Vermont avenue while some changes are
being made in the house on Connecticut
avenue near Q street which was recently
bac nv Senator HOar and will ha
cupied by him as his home during the ses-
sions of Congress.
A Carlyle Anecdote.
From the London Daily Chronicle.
An unpublished anecdote of Carlyle was
| yesterday told at meeting of subscribers
| to the British School at Athens by Thomas
| Hodgkns, D. G. L., having reached him by
| oral tradition; an anecdote which should
| endear Carlyle to those ex-school boys who
| have nothing but dour and dolorous recol-