The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-07
QUBURBAN WESTCHESTER.
REALTY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE
CITY LINE.
Few Houses Built IN the Last Two Years,
OWING to strikes and High Cost OF
Materials--POpulatiOn Growing ana
PrOperty Showing Good Returns.

diving to strikes and High Cost OF
MISREPRESENTATION Growing and
Property Showing Good Returns.
The great increase of travel on the local
trains entering the Grand Central Station
and on the elevated railways Is one OF many
indications that the growth Of population
in the suburban parts Of Westchester
county has been very rapid since the last
Federal census was taken. In the last
two wears, however, comparatively Few
new buildings have been erected there,
and the speculation in vacant land. which
was notably active in the preceding years,
has been nconiderable. Building opera
lions have been discouraged by the con-
dtions of the labor market and by the high
cost of materials of every description used
in construction work. The owners OF va
cant land have for the most part been con-
tent to withhold il from sale until the sub
way and the Port chester Railroad are COM
pleted and electricity has been substituted
for steam on the suburban trains entering
the Grand Central Station
Asa consequence of the quiet in the build
ing industry in the last two years. the sup
ply of vacant houses has been practically
exhausted and in many localities rents
have been raised. In nearly every i'm
portant settlement the demand for houses
was so great this spring as to induce con-
struction work on conservative scale,
DESPITE the risk of strikes and the small
profit obtainable at prevailing prices for
materials and labor. In some instances
work has also been resumed in developing
and marketing tracts of vacant land by
way of preparation for the demand for
lots for improvement which is expected
next spring. The subway will then be in
operation, wholly or in part, and the cost
of building materials will undoubtedly be
nearer the normal average than 1t is now
At present, however. activity, both in the
construction of new houses and in the sale
of lots, is confined within narrow limits,
and follows rather than leads and attracts
population
The historic Philipse Manor on the Hud-
son is one of the few important estates
that have recently been improved and put
on the market for sale in building lots.
1t lies just north Of Tarrytown, and con-
ssts of 800 acres. The property is owned
by the Philipse Manor Land Company, Of
which John Brisben Walker. proprietor
of the Cosmopolitan. is president. 1t is
being developed into residential park,
and houses and building sites are sold
under restriction designed to establish it's
growth along desirable lines.
The manor shares the transit facilities
of Tarrytown. and has a temporary station
on the New York Central that will soon be
replaced by permanent structure 1t has
stone dock landing, which greatly facili-
tates building operations and makes posi-
BILE important economies IN construction
work. The park extends a mile along
Broadway, the great highway from New
York, through the Hudson River towns.
to the east shore OF the Tappan Zee; faces
KingsIand Point and overlooks the Pecan
tico River. Knollwood and Ardsley clubs
and the new Briarclif Inn are near by,
while centre for the social life Of the set
Element is provided by the Philpse Manor
Casino.
The original manor house, more than 200
years old is still standing, and the estate
. when bought by the Philipse Manor Land
Company was the largest piece of property
between New York and the country seat Of
William Rockefeller remaining intact from
Colonial times. The company erects cot
tages at 81 900 to $4,000 for intending resi-
dents. The manor, while a restricted
residence park, contains an important bust
ness street. the Park Driveway. which is
also the shortest road TO the Hudson River
Railway for large part of Tarrytown.
Other holdings at Tarrytown which are
on the market and which, 1t Ia expected,
will eventually be subdivided into build
ing lots are the Casey property on the
north Of the Casey place, and the B.: s.
Clark property on South Broadway. They
contain from twenty to forty acres each
and lie on the line of building progress
Cottages on the Hill have been in good
demand this spring. selling at 5000 to
OOOo The growth Of Tarrytown in the
last two or three years, while considerable.
has not been so marked as that OF other
places nearer New York.
At the present time White Plains is the
seat Of quite a movement in real property.
Last year $50 new houses were erected
there. The number would have been
greater, except for big strike Of laborers
employed in the building industries. 1t
proved insufficient to meet requirements
this spring and local agents say they could
have furnished tenants and buyers for
many more houses than were to be had.
The demand was especially good for cot
of the houses now under way are esti.
mated to cost 5000 to SIS 900. Several
expensive mansions are under construc-
ten. including 81 900 900 residence, owned
road. Lots at White Plains so by 100
feet, generally sel at $3.50 to $500 in the less
fashionable districts. On Broadway and
Greenwich avenue, where they have
frontage of so to 100 feet and depth of
100 to 200 lots bring 81 900 to 5000.
Among the large estates marketed this
year is the old Carhart homestead of 800
plots, each SO by 1875 feet, in the heart of
the village. About S45 900 worth Of these
plots, which are owned by j. NJ. Sprague.
were sold at auction by James w, Rich
on Decoration Day at prices ranging from
$500 to $4,000 Another big sale was held
bv the same auctioneer yesterday
w. r. 1ibbits has announced an auction
sale of forty plots. comprising the property
of James 7. Waller, on South Broadway,
Mamaroneck avenue, the new Post road,
and Maple avenue, which is to take place
on June 81. Auction sales are also being
held this month of part Of the A. c. Todd
property at North White Plains. under
the direction of Joseph II. Lewis 3l5 Madi-
son avenue, the next one being scheduled
for June Is.
At Yonkers commuters from New York
are taking up residences principally in
Bnena Vista avenue, Hawthorne avenue,
Ludlow street, Highland avenue, Wood
ruff avenue and Riverdale avenue. where
houses sell at 5000 to ST. 600 and lots at
$500 to s. 500. There are said to he only
two houses vacant of the sixty that have
been erected at Yonkers Park, or Crest
wood. The rest have been sold at 5000
to SIP 600 or rented at $40 to $50 a month
There are about 800 lots left for sale at
$500 to 500
Mount Vernon il finding it's best market