The Washington times., 1906-08-19
BUILDING KEEPING PACE WITH THE PROGRESS IN REALTY
LTIMORE'S RISE
AFTER GREAT FIRE
Ninety Per Cent Of City's
Devastated District Re-
habilitated.

IL has been two years and a half since
the disastrous fire swept over I55 acres
OF The business section Of Baltimore. In
taking account OF the progress made by
that city toward the rehabilitation Of th5
devastated quarter. qualification IS the
prevailing spirit manifested. From those
institutions which make q business Of
Keeping track Of municipal progress
there are most satisfactory reports. and
trade bodies are jubilaut over the SUE
cess Of the community in retrieving th--
losses Of the disaster OF thirty months
ago.
Suggestive Of the character Of Balti-
mOre's rebuilding IS the fact that 90 per
cent Of the lots which were made vacant
by the FIRE have been adorned with much
more substantial, costly and beautiful
structures. While the assessed value Of
the buildings burned was $I29J8,30o. the
estimated value OF those which have
taken their places is &20Jo0,oJ3. Il is
evident that the rebuilt value Of the
burnt area viii be double that OF three
years ago.
Other Sections of City Growing.
IT IS interesting that the recuperation
Of the city mas been along "a line of geo
metricaI progression rather than az a
fixed ratio. For instance, the steps IN
advance in the last six months have
been equal 10 almost all that was done
In the preceding period since the tre.
And while the burnt portion Of Balti-
more has been undergoing a process OF
rehabilitation the growth Of the resi-
dence sections and the suburbs has been
without precedent. Evidences Of pros
peFity are on every hand.
The burnt district commission, which
took charge OF the area visited by the
fire. reports the completion of !ts work
at the expiration Of these TWO and a
hslf years. There was allotted 10 il,
for the condemnation Of ground for
widening and Strat tgLteuiug streets and
for extending and opening others.
sum approXimauug S1o.6oo000- The
commission drew fE.Z1Z-s6L
Revised statistics OF the building
commissioners department show tuaL
the total number OF lots occupied by
houses burned down In February. 1904.
was 1,343. Today every one OF these
with the exception or II6. nave been
built upon IEc majority of those not
yet built up are situated along the
line OF the new dock system and Work
on them has been delayed In many
instances until the piers shall be well
under way.
Increase in Real Estate Firms.
Most Of the new structures occupy
the sites of Two or more Of the old
ones. so that 102 new buildings cover
the lots represented by so per cent of
the burned area
Balumore's building boom IS reflected
also outside Of the burnt district. While
this city had no more than lg9 real es-
tate brokers three years ago. there are
ROW 6G9. all OF whom are nCuriShiuE- For
fully a year following rhe nTe. build
ers and real estate investors confined
themselves circuu5pectly 10 the burnt
district and the construction of dwell
ings u the residence sections was ne
elected. But within the last year and
q half wonderful strides have been made
in home building.
In the city proper Loo dwelling houses
have been built in the last six months.
representing an outlay OF S2,295 ,6s5- Most
OF these are or neat, modest character
that has found such favor in Baltimore
in recent years for small families, There
is also a large number Of much more
preCeuti0UG residences newly erected.
and in the immediate suburbs the new
homes are legion.