Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-14
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Progress Of improvements Of
Various Kinds.
PUTTING UP HOUSES
COST OF BUILDING SITES IN RESI-
DENTAL SECTIONS.
Larger Amounts Paid for House Con-
struction Than for the Ground
Secured as Sites.
PUTTING UP HOUSES

Secured as sites.
Plans have been made by N. T. Halter. ar
chitect. for six three-story houses to be
erected on Maryland avenue between 9th
and 10th streets northeast. The houses are
to have fronts Of brick of a light shade and
will be heated by hot water. Hard wood
will be used in the finish of the interiors.
row of houses of similar type has been
planned by the same architect. to be iocat-
eG on the northeast corner of Rhode Island
avenue and North Capitol street. They are
to be Ten in number, three stories In height
with easements, and the interior finish VIII
be mucn the same as those above mention
ed
Mr.. Haller has also plans for six three
story flats to be erected on the east side OF
7th street between F and G streets north
east ami for FIVE two-story houses to be put
up at Z and Elliott streets northeast.
Increasing a House Lot.
Mr. Ross Thompson has just purchased
some land adjoining MS place on kalorama
avenue, Washington Heights, which over
looks the valley of Rock creek. The newly
acquired ground lies to the east of the house
and will Increase the frontage of the prop
erty by ebout forty-ivs feet. Including the
lawn space about the house, which Is I'M
usual N its extent for a city home as wei
as the ground occupied by the house itself,
the property now has a frontage on kalo-
rama avenue Of one hundred and seventy
feet. The house. which is a picturesque
structure with Its red roof surmounting low
lying and rambling walls, has setting OF
lawn ornamental with grass and shrubbery
which makes it a place of much charm.
The newly acquired land is at the north
xxyoo IF KoI
avenues, and fronts on the circle that Is
to be laid out at the east approach OF the
bridge which is now being built across
Rock creek, in line with Connecticut
broker, made the sale of this lot for the
owner, Mr.. Parker Mann.
A frontage Of 100 feet on the opposite
side of Kalorama avenue has just been sold
by Mr.. Winner to a. man who INTENDS TO
hold 1t as an investment.
A Change in Kitchen Location.
A three-story apartment house is being
built by Mr.. John Q. Johnson on Corcoran
street between New Hampshire avenue and
10th street. The entrance will be in the CEN
ter of the building, and there will be suite
OF rooms on each side of the entrance and
on eacn floor A feature which is rather I'M
usual will be the location of the Kitchen
Instead of being, is commonly the case.
at the end of the building, 1t will occupy the
space between the main portion while the
dining room, will have the advantage OF
the windows opening at the end OF the
building BY this arrangement the dining
room will be well-lighted room. while the
kitchen will have windows upon the area
way.
Fine Residence Sites.
The announcement recently made that
an offer had been received for the resi-
dence of the late ex-Secretary Whitney in
New York city Of 81 100000 affords soma
idea Of the amount of money which Is
spent in acquiring land and the erection
OF houses in that city. It is estimated
Mr. Whitney spent on the property twice
as much as the sum named. After due al
Iowance Is made for the exaggeration
which generally marks such estimates 1t
Is evident a good deal Of money Is put in
private residences of that grade. The
high price of land in New York no doubt
accounts for the larger part of such an
outlay. In this city, in comparison the
reverse is the case, as ground on which
is located what are regarded as the most
elaborate of the private residences costs
less than the houses. This condition can
the more readily be brought out by in
stances confined to some of the houses
erected within a comparatively recent
period, and on this account the instances
enumerated will be confined to one gen.
eral locality because there the greatest
number of houses of that class have been
put in during the past eight or ten years.
Such locality will be recognized as the
one in the vicinity Of Dupont Circle. 1t
other residential sections are not men
toned that this particular locality is the
only one in the city. But, as every one
knows who is at all familiar with the
situation. this city has several fine resi-
dence sections. K street is one and so is
10th street, while the Dupont Circle re-
gion embraces within it's area such ave-
nues as Massachusetts avenue, New
Hampshire avenue and Connecticut ave.
nue.. or, at least, the parts of those thor
oughfares that are within a reasonable
distance Of Dupont Circle.
Large Sums Paid.
In the section referred to there are a
number of recently built private estab-
lishments which have cost a good deal of
money, and at the same time owing to
the difference in the area of the land ac-
Qufred. as well as the variation in the
price, the cost of the building sites shows
quite wide range. In the latter particu-
lar the scale of prices runs all the way
from dollar and a half a foot to
between six and seven dollars. The Iat-
ter was the price paid by Mr. Letter for
his house site. so that the aggregate cost
to him for the ground alone ran up to
100000.
On the 9th hand, Mrs Townsend. who
acquired twice as much land, paid about
100000. The purchase for the French EN-
bassy. which Is still larger In area repre-
sents an expenditure on the part of the
French government of 500. GOO The ground
acquired by Mr. Walsh is about half that
of Mrs. Townsend's house site. and RI
course. a good deal less than that of the
French embassy and is about the same as
that of Mr.. Letters. The cost to Mr.
Walsh of his house site was about s120, 900.
House Cost as Much.