Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-23
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Brick and Stone as Effective
Building Material.
PRACTICE IN THIS CITY
Stucco Also Employed as an Exterior
Surface.
OVER THE ENTIRE DISTRICT
System OF City Squares and Blocks
Now Made Uniform Through
out the Entire Area.

lff'"ttil Nt-iHb't 'tNVI II anu lplIl - Ft
was surrounded with a scaffolding whicl
enabled the workmeE to get at the eN
terror brick walls and renew the cove: NJ
OF stucco In accordance with the practict
of the days when the house WIS bull.
The stucco has been put on in imitation
of blocks OF brown stone.
This is. of course. done by drawing
Lines in the wet substance after it ha:
been applied to the walls so that the
surface gives the appearance of being
composed of oblong blocks of stone. TIL.
house was probably built as long age
as seventy years. 1t is. of course. moi
known whether that was the origina
frontage of the building or whether the
brick walls stood forth without any at
tempt being made to make them look
like some other material At any rate
that sort of use of stucco was more COM
mon in early days than is the case at
present, for the very obvious reason that
stone offered greater scope in form and
color than bricks.
Variety IN Brick.
This is no longer the case, for such
changes have taken place in brickmaking
and such a variety of clays are used that
some Of the best architectural effects are
produced in that material. Two of the
houses designed by Richardson and erect
ed in this city are built of brick. and or
binary red brick at that. A more recent
specimen of domestic architecture-the
home of Thomas Nelson Page. which was
designed by Mckim Mead & Whites
built entirely of brick, and while to the
casual glance it may appear to be merely
The ordinary kind. yet such is not the
case as 1t comes from a clay bank that
has It's distinctive shade of color. The
INN nf bat hrio ;e
h"m of architects in the erection OF
houses for their clients.
Since. however, the French style o.
houses has come into vogue, brick is not
as much used in the larger type of resi-
dences in this city. The Walsh house,
which is rather conventional type of do
mestic French designing, is built of brick
WIN stone used in the trimmings and the
combination is effective in bringing out
not only the decided color scheme but also
variety in form But as a rule buildings
or this character are constructed of stone
as. for example. the Anderson house and
the Townsend house, which are in the
same locality. In fact. it will be found
that the more expensive material is used
IN most OF the houses of that type.
Color Effects.
What Is sought for by the use of stone
In architecture as compared with brick
Is variety. first in color, and then in form
In many particulars the same result is at
tanned by the use of brick which is in
tended to have a covering of stucco. Sew
eral houses of that sort have been erect ed
here, and one that is notable on acoun,
of Its size Is the residence which is being
built for Mrs. Beale on the north side. oi
Sheridan circle. This house has a coa-
vex or slightly bowed front. in order to
adapt il to the curve which is there
caused By the juncture of the street with
the circle.
The entire surface of the brick of which
the exterior walls are built 10 te COW
cred with stucco of light shade. A
similar treatment has been followed In
the house which is being built for Mr..
Frank Ellis on the opposite south side OF
she same circle. Mr.. Glenn Brown is the
architect of the Beale house, while Car
rere d Hastings designed the Ellis house
The latter firm. when it designed the Pat
terSon house the east side of Dupont
circle. had the same problem to solve
but did il in another way. In that case
terra Gotta blocks were used of a light
shade OF color.
In Colonial Houses
On the surface of the blocks is a
raised design of "a sort OF an arabesque
pattern. which suggests lacework SO
elaborate are the details The entire
scheme is kept so we'll in hand and treated
with such reserve that the result aimed
for is atrsiEed and variety is given to
a surface that might otherwise have been
mcnotonouS.
The popularity of the Georgian or colo
Eial style of designing houses is perha ps
at this time greater than that OF the
French type. and especially SO in the
class of the smaller residences AS brick
is used practically without exception In
working out the colonial designs there is
naturally = greater use of brick than OF
stone in the construction OF dwellings,.
Stucco ~ also used in the exterior finish
az houses %: the Spanish style of archi-
lecture. as illustrated In additions that
have been made in recent years to the
number of large and attractive homes in
this city.
Brick and Stone.
For various reasons brick is a cheaper
building material than stone: that is,
when the ordinary kind of stone is COM
pared with the ordinary kind of brick.
But there is brick and brick just as there
IL difference in the cost of the produc-
ton OF anything else, and when what is
paid for the brick, including the cost OF
laying Is compared with the same work
done In stone it will be found in some
cases. no doubt, that the brick work is
the more expensive.
However. in the erection of a large
house the consideration OF cost is not al
ways controlling one. An attractive
and imposing home is desired and il the
architect finds he can work To the best
advantage in stone he will naturally
make use of thai material. Some of the
best types OF domestic architecture in this
city are expressed in brick. such as the
two Richardson houses, the Page house
the Boardman house and the Mclean
house. which is just being completed.
The latter is attracting more attention
from architects than anything of the sort
that has been built In this city for ;
good many years. IL affords an inter rest
ing study of what can be done in tht
way of a plain brick wall when il i:
properly proportioned and where the col
or scheme is governed by good taste an,
judgment.
Map of the District.
\ new map of the District is not al
event ordinarily that would attract at
tent.on. There is nothing novel To be dis
covered in the way of new surveys, AND
with the exception of subdivision her,
and there but few changes are disclosed
To the casual eye. The system of high
ways shows nothing new. as its extension
throughout the limits of the District wa.
made several years ago, and the public
IS accustomed to see the streets laid gu
on paper. AT least. from the old limits o
the city To the bounds OF the District
The latest map of the District which
shows that territory and its condition u,
20 last month. does contain a new featur
and one that has never appeared befor
on map of the District. 1t shows uni
the entire region, and embodies the new
SNSfpn Of souare mimi adoptaa Ia