The Washington herald., 1908-08-02
Myer Property Largest Sale
of the Week.
BUILDING IS MORE ACTIVE
Suburban Homes and Houses IN
Blocks the Principal Types Being
Erected This Spring-SmaT Struc-
lures Being Made Comfortable.
Drift to the Outlying Districts

transactions placed on record with the I
Of deeds, the market IS not es-
peciaIly active. Deeds not always being /
recorded promptly. the record is not al /
ways a sure index to what IS going on in /
the real estate field. but taken in general I
IL IS a good barometer Of the weather
conditions in the realty market. TO bor-
row a figure from the daily reports Of
Willis Moore.
While duh. the market IS not without
It's hopeful signs This IS the duh season,
and yet the selling OF houses. both OF re-
cent erection and those longer bulk. goes
on During the past week sales have
been reported Of houses IN Mount Pleas
ant. Columbia Heights. on Adams street,
near First street northwest, and others
IN different parts of the city These
houses. il IS stated in the notices. are for
homes or for Investment purposes
Club Deal Contaminated
The largest sale Of the week was the
closing Of the deal by the Army and
Navy Club for the Nyer house and lot.
at the corner Of Seventeenth and I
streets northwest. for which the club
paid $4,000. Negotiations for this prop
erty have been in progress ever since
last winter. when the committee was ap-
pointed By the club 10 ind a new site for
the club. because the present building at
SeventeeEth and I streets on the oppo-
site corner from the Nyer property Is
crowded and the club members have
long felt the need OF more room
As soon as the club obtains possession
of the Nyer house IL viii be fitted up
into a club annex pending the completion
Of plans for building new clubhouse on
the property purchased This may not be
started for q year or more
The Nyer home is one Of the old fue
houses Of the neigh borhood about Far
ragut Square. II was erected by the late
Gen. Myer about thirty years ago. At
one time IL was leased 10 the British Ie-
cation and served as its home for few
years
Improving Single Lots
some OF the property bought last winter
and spring by homeseekers is being i'm
proved. and building operations IN all
parts Of the city are going on with a
good deal OF energy Architects report
an Increasing number Of commissions for
house signs. and contractors are now
figuring upon the specifications for many
new buildings = be undertaken this fan.
Building materials are a little cheaper in
Washington than was the case a year
aEo. the labor troubles are. practically
out OF the way. and contractors have less
ta hinder them in going about the work
Of constructing such residences business
buildings and Office structures as may be
needed.
The greater part OF the building this
year IS the way Of detached homes in
the suburbs and speculative houses in
various places where the vacant lots have
not hitherto been built Up The type OF
speculative house now being erected is
the small box dwelling. OF four 20 six
rooms. with porch supported by pillars
and desi iguated n advertisements as OF
colonial design These houses are small.
neat. some Of them finished nicely. and
they make a comfortable home for a
small family IN the main. they sell for
[ $3.50 10 S5.10o-
Homes CheapIy Constructed.
on the outside these houses are in rows
and cheapIy constructed with the fronts
. often in red brick with blue and yellow
+ head bricks laid every four or six
courses in such manner as 10 give the
walls a notified appearance On the in
I terror they are generally finished in pine,
/ cypress. e- birch iu the natural wood.
+ The almost universal use Of the hot
3 water heating system makes these houses
vastly more comfortable than houses
/ erected Of "A similar type i've or ten years
/ ago and fitted out with iatrohes or hot
/ air furnaces. with dges in the chi@1eys,
which defy the best Efforts at healing
/ These COY. homes as now coming from
! the hands of the contractors. while cheap
/ in the ordinary sense have many more
/ comforts than the common people OF
/ Washington or s1y other city could com
/ uaud a dozen years ago. not TO go back
[ TO the boyhcol and girIhood Of the gen
I Grafton which IS now growing old. In
( fact the speculative house is a thing of
I comfort notwithstanding IL has thin party
+ walls. is small. and crowded with its eel
I lows into a restricted space
Detached Houses Multiply
The outlying districts Of Washington
/ are being sled with a type Of house OF
| which the city may be proud. Some Of
{ these dwellings are OF frame construc-
I tiou. some Of stuccO sides, and some of
/ brick They are built on separate lots
/ and contain from five 70 ten rooms Gen
orally they have porches. that attach
+ ment Of the home which is Of 50 great
/ use and comfort TO the owner in such a
climate as Washington. where the family
/ lives as much as possible In the open for
! nearly six months Of every year
All about the crowded city. from the
/ highlands above Georgetown around tc
! the Anacostia River and again on the
other side Of that turbid stream. this
/ class OF houses are going up in great
I numbers. They make for the health and
I happiness OF the population as nothing
1 else does The home 50 constructed IS
/ heaithful and the opportunity for fresh
/ air. plenty Of sunshine. and the rural OF
/ half rural surroundings are pledge OF
{ many years Of healthy living to those
[ who inhabit these houses In addition
the little lots with which such homes are
I surrounded give opportunity for a little
[ agriculture. one Of the best OF diversions
/ from the toll Of the Office. the store, OF
Z the factory
There is much in this spread Of the
I population 10 the suburbs that is CRAFTY
I ing in every way It argues Tor greater
I comfort for the family. relief from city
/ noises. better sleep. better facilities for
/ living. longer life. and happier days. Il
[ Is that return 20 nature and her ways for
which the human being was originally
intended
Maryland Road May Improve.
It is believed that the future welfare
OF the Gould properties. including tn,
Western Maryland. has been so seriously
considered by the Gould interests that
they are now willing to accept certain
conditions under which powerful banking
houses VIII throw the weight Of their in