Evening star., 1903-12-19
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Some Phases of the Realty
Market.
INTEREST CONTIN UES
LARGE SUM OF MONEY IN SCHOOL
BUILDINGS.
Buying for Investment is the Main
Feature of Current Transactions
Matters of Interest.

An impressive way of regarding the de-
velopment of the public school system of
the District is to observe it merely from
the material aspect of the addition from
year to year to the number of school build
ings. These structures, scattered all over
the District, represent the expenditure of
large sums of money which is aggregated
in the last annual report of the school
board and reaches the impressive total of
over five and quarter millions of dol
lars. The District has 127 school buildings,
the title to which is In the public, and each
year, in order to meet the needs of a grow
Ing population, the number Is being in
creased. 1t might be added that the special
activity in this direction was made neces-
sary for several years past because o. the
failure to keep up with the growth of the
system. The result has been that in some
of the grades, more especially in the lower
grades, it has been necessary to have half
day schools, so that one school room may
do the work of two.
Owing to the building activity which has
been possible such schools are decreasing
| in number. During the past fiscal year two
manual training school buildings We're COM
pleted and six buildings of the usual type
became available. The fiscal year just clos
ing witnessed the finishing of six new build
lngs and the completion of three additions
Inc further expansion of this system will
ing near the Curtis School, in GEORGETOWN:
one beyond 10th street, in the extreme
northeast and additional buildings at
Chevy Chase, Eenning, Anacostia and Ten
ieytoWp. There is need of additional rooms
TO provide for the increase In the attend
ance on the schools on Columbia Heights
and Mount Pleasant.
Providing for the Suburbs
A notable feature Of the later phases Of
the school growth, as shown by the addi-
uons 10 the number or in the accommoda-
tions OF the buildings. is the provision that
mas been made for what used to be regard
ed as the outlying portions of the city.
ne Olu suburban region, as the section
outside of the original bounds OF the citv
is commonly known, has to large extent
disappeared, as the location OF most of the
senooI 6uildlngs erected in recent years
Wlll sufhc1ently indicate. In this period
structures for the use of the schools have
been erected at Kenilworth Petworth
Brookland, Good Hope, Reno, Benning,
CneVy Chase, Tenleytown and Anacostia
1t is significant that in portions of what
were formerly known as the suburbs the
| demand for increased room is very urgent,
and the efforts of the school authorities
are being directed to meet this need. The
area of the school district, which has been,
of course, by law for some years the en-
tire District, has increased materially,
without, however, having the area of the
territory increased. This apparently para
doxical statement is explained by the
steady growth Of the population outward,
which has been the most remarkable phase
of the material history of the city in re-
cent years. A record of this growth to q
certain extent may be traced in the chro-
nology of the erection or the school build
ings.
Plans for Rock Creek.
The tunneling of Rock creek and the
obliteration of the old natural boundary
between Georgetown and Washington is
project that is receiving the earnest at
tention of Georgetown residents. While
the Commissioners of the District of Co.
lumbia have not committed themselves to
the plan suggested, 1t is gratifying to those
interested to note that unofficially, the
officers at the District building are extend
ing sympathetic support to the citizens IN
furnishing data necessary to an intelligent
investigation of the conditions involved.
Real estate men, competent engineers
and practical construction men came TO-
gether recently and prepared data that
shows the scheme to be far less formidable
than it has been generally thought to be.
II Is stated that the ground from Lyons
Mill south to street be tunneled in
a straight line, the creeks course diverted
and rights of way secured for the sum of
100000. This would permit the filling in
OF the ravine left and the connection of
Georgetown and Washington at the most
desirable section.
The appropriat ton at this session of five
or ten thousand dollars to make surveys
and plans would start the ball rolling.
1t is said that with comparatively small
effort and expense the Thompson bridge
near Massachusetts avenue could he
brought down to span the creek at Q street.
but should this be done 1t is asserted, the
great creek Improvement would be Set
back twenty years.
Large Building Enterprises.
During the past week ground was broken
for the erection of thirty two-story fat
| buildings in Bloominsdale Mr.. Harry