Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-21
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
improvements in Progress in
Various Sections.
THE VALUE OF LAND
RESIDENCES TO BE ERECTED DUR
ING COMING SEASON.
Conditions Which Indicate a Prosper
GUS Period Of Activity Along
All Lines.

ALI Lines.
The Mount Vernon apartment house at
the southwest corner Of New York avenue
and 9th street is to be enlarged. The own
ers have acquired, through Ben. B. Brad
ford, real estate broker, about forty feet
frontage adjoining the property on the west
on New York avenue. 1t Is the purpose to
remove the old buildings from the ground
and erect an addition to the apartment
building, which will be uniform in design
and height with the present structure. The
completion of the proposed improvement
will give the Mount Vernon apartment
house frontage on New York avenue Of
lit feet and on 9th street Of LA feet.
The work of removing the structures at
the southwest corner Of 18th and L streets
Is now in progress. When the site has been
cleared 1t Is the purpose Of the owner Of
the property. Mr.. T. F. Schneider, to erect
an apartment house The new structure
Is to be about one hundred feet square and
seven stories In height 1t will contain
s1xty-three apartments Of from one to five
rooms each. The entrance hall will be
deliberately finished in marble, and the
staircases Of the same material will branch
in two directions. The building is to be
ready for use the coming fall
Proposed Church Edifces.
The congregation Of the lexington Pres
bytertan Church. at the corner of North
Capitol and Q streets, has outgrown the
present building. Plans are being consid-
cred, so that the present conditions may
be relieved and the congregation may have
the space its numbers justify. Use Is be-
ing made Of what may be termed the chap
Ell, as that structure was put up a few
years ago with the view that when the need
arose church building could be erected.
The present structure does not stand on
the corner. Space was left for the church
building to the south. The growth of the
church has been such as to realize the ex-
pectations Of the founders, and now it is
thought the time has come when forward
movement may be made and a church
building put up.
A similar project Is under consideration
by the congregation Of the United Brethren
Church, whose property Is at the corner of
North Capitol and r streets. If the plans
in view are carried out, a structure costing
about $4,000 will be erected some time In
the near future: What has come to be
known as Bloomingdale Is in the same gen.
eral section, adjoining lexington on the
north, and the recent remarkable develop
ment OF that property has led to active eff
forts to supply church facilities. An Epis-
that locality to the east Of LIE Droit Park,
and recently there has been organized q
Catholic Church, and also one by the Meth
odist Protestants.
Building as an Investment.
remarkable phase of the real estate
market Is the continued demand for house
accommodations and also the ample man
ner in which the attempt has been made to
supply this demand. A large number of
houses have been put up, and the apart
ment houses have Increased each year, until
now the supply is quite a notable one es-
pecially when it is considered that a few
years ago practically no structures of the
latter sort were in use. People who have
noted this activity in building have also
been apprehensfve that the market is being
overstocked. This was the fear last year.
and again the same thing is heard this
year. Still the building goes on, and it is
quite as probable that people will be as
ready to take the new accommodations as
they have been in the past. 1t Is quite evil
dent the population is Increasing, and there
appears to be no reason why it should not
continue to do so. At any rate, that seems
to be the feeling of some investors who
have been putting their money in bricks
and mortar for some years past.
There are some men who are interested in
department house property who seem in
clined to go a little slowly in undertaking
further enterprises Of this character, in or
der that they may be sure Of their ground.
1t is not thought even by the most con-
servative Of f1at.builders, that this line has
been overdone as yet. although such fear
going ahead they propose, If possible, to be
able to see a little more clearly into the fu-
ture. So far apartment houses have proved
to be good income producers, and 1t Is no.
tlceable that the men who have such in
vestments seem to be inclined to add to
them. All such buildings are filled up, and
in most cases there are long waiting lists
The applications for suites in new struc-
lures indicate that there are still people
who want such quarters. OF course GER
tain percentage Of the occupants Of new
apartment house are those who have left
said, the places of the latter are taken and
SO the effect Is not what might otherwise
be supposed.
To Meet the Conditions.
While to certain extent these structures
may be regarded as competitors of separ-
ate houses, still it Is noted there is no COM
plant Of an unusual number of vacant
houses. In fact the general testimony is to
the effect that there has seldom been sea-
son when SO few houses for rent are vacant
Men who build houses for sale note these
conditions. and one of the strongest evil
dences Of the state of the market is the
fact that in several cases they are making
their plans to begin during the coming
spring the erection of houses which are to
be placed on the market for sale. Whether
a man puts up row Of houses or a fiat, in
most cases he does it on borrowed money
so that such enterprises require not only
the approval Of the judgment Of the man
who is going to be the responsible head Of
the enterprise, but Of those who have the
money to lend.
1t Is quite evide2t there must be q mar
ket for additional house accommodations,
and also that during the coming season
good deal will be undertaken in that line.
1t Is also safe to conclude that the UNDER
takings projected will be carried out, which
is another sign that the money expended
in this direction is not being thoughtlessly
invested by men who are misled by their
hopes rather than guided by the substan-
tial leading of their judgment
Mr.. Towards Home.
Mr.. Clifford Howard will soon begin the
erection Of a residence at Chevy Chase
from designs prepared by Appleton p,
Clark. jr.. architect. The site is a COM
manding one. situated on terrace 'front.'
Ing on Connecticut avenue and Lenox
s+roa$ Tho n1an n an T. aNrpa xu,%h ~.