The Washington herald., 1908-01-26

The real estate market is more active
than for several months Deals for
property. which have been hanging fire
for months. are being arranged these
days, and during the week closed. sew
eral of them were made public. Many more
trades are just about ready TO bp an
nOunsed and more yet are IN the stage
of negotiation, each side hoping that "a
bargain. satisfactory to all concerned, may
BE- struck
The number of such deals on lile in
the real estate Offices gives a fair pros
poet for busy period between now and
the arrival Of summer. with its inevitable
scattering Of the people Of the city.
one Of the chief features Of trading
in real estate this year is the disposal
Of apartment houses. Some Of them are
bought outright by purchasers with
money, but possibly the majority OF them
are disposed of by their first owners in
exchange for other property. which VIII
be built upon or remodeled for future
tenancy.
Naples Apartment Traded.
Such trade was cousUmmated during
the week. iH which Thomas W. Pickford.
builder and owner Of ths Naples apart
ment house. traded the property for the
Foxhall tract in Georgetown. with a large
cash bonus. In the trade the apartment
house was appraised az Sl35 GO. and the
sixty-odd acres Of land in the FoxhaII
l-l-' ~ z--Jt S9U.0y1 Mr.. Pickf0rd. IN
turn. has disposed of the land 10 the
United States Realty Company. which
viii subdivide il and place it upon the
market in the shape of sites for suburban
homes.
The FoXhaIi property belonged 10 the
FoXball family estate. the title remain
ing Ia that family for about q century. II
lies west of Georgetown College between
the Cabin john trolley line and the Fox
hali road. IL is well situated for the pur-
poses of the United States Realty Com
pany. the new purchasers. who viii soon
have "a suburban town started on the
broad acres Of IN. old colonial family
Meantime Mr.. Pickf0rd with the pro-
iffAE OBJ lI.f TT hLfr ~ Etl flih.'Hil WIN tAtr
many building operations. among them
being the remOdeiing of the Reilly prop
erty ON Iowa Circle, into an apartment
house, with fourteen suites, with the
usual comfortable accessories Of FIRST
class apartment house.
Dupont Changes Hands.
Another large deal in which tile Dupont
apartment house. owned by Franklin T.
Sanuer, was sold 20 Mrs. H. Nj. HalI-
day. Of New York. was announced
yesterday by the Harrison Realty Com
pany This transaction also involved the
exchange of property al 1914 y street
with cash bonus. The Dupont is the
large apartment. near Dupont circle,
containing twenty suites OF apart
meuts and It's rentals amount 90 about
$4,000 annually In the negotiations. the
apartment was estimated at S2gl.u00 and
the y street property al about S5-,o.e
The Harrison Realty Company has Ts-
Gently sold the property at i62 Penn
sylvania avenue northwest and an Office
building on Fifth street northwest oppo-
site the City Hall
Bank Property Sold.
Among other sales Of the week was
The property near the corner Of Seventh
and q streets northwest formerly 0ccu-
pied by the Merchants and Mechanics
Savings Bank. at 20 G street. The prop
erty has "a frontage Of twenty feet and
d depth Of 800. The building has a hand
some stone front. and is well situated
and adapted for business purposes.
F. Keller Houser was the purchaser.
and while the price paid for the building
is not made public. parties TO the trans
action declare that the amount received
by the bank was more than that paid
for it four years ago, showing a rise in
values of property about the corner
where it is located
Another interesting deal In business
property is that of the Dime Savings
Bank. which has purchased the May
building al the northeast corner of Sew
enJh and r streets northwest, having
frontage OF seventy-tive feet on Seventh
street and fifty-fve feet on + street. The
property is improved by a substantial
fouT-stOTy building. which il IS stated
viii be rem0dpled. the ground floor at
the corner 10 be used for the purposes
of the bank. with a store for rental IN
the north part of the structure and Office
suites above, It is understood that the
property is valued az Sl0oG0 though the
price paid by the bank is withheld.
Activity i'm Public Building.
Announcement Of several cIuuges in
public buildings has been made during
the week The new Ketchum school
house, at Harrison and Adams streets,
Anacosta. has been completed and will
be officially inspected by the Commis-
sioners within a few days. The building
is equipped with gymnasium and a large
assembly hall. It cost S45C0O.
II is announced that bids for one
twelve-room and two sixteen-room school
buildings will be called for shortly by the
District government One of these build
ings viii be located at Fourth and Pome-
roy streets. near Howard University, an
order having been issued 20 clear the lot
preparatory TO building operations.
Contract has been let for the school
house at Langdon. D. G. The new engine
house for which appropriation was made
by the last Congress has been started
The administration building Of the Boys
Reform School has been completed and
accepted by the government
Want Park Near LangdOn.
In connection with these improvements
in the northeast suburb, much interest is
taken by persons dwelling in that section
in the bill introduced in the Senate by
Senator Warner, providing for the pur-