The San Francisco call., 1909-10-23

relation to the whole; but Mrs. Fritz
says that the patio is the key of con-
struction; precisely the same view she
takes of the large amount of land, IN
total that has been left uncovered by
buildings to enhance the size and
beauty of surrounding grounds. The
patio of the Casa Madrona is orna-
mented with fountain, is filled up with
flower beds, is surrounded with walks
that are tinted red to correspond with
the tiled roof and general Spanish
style of the seven apartments that she
still has found room to place on the
81 by lis feet of building site, less the
patio.
Every apartment looks out on the
patio. Many of the windows afford an
unobstructed view of the ocean and the
Golden Gate park. In the patio are
huge ornamental vases for flowers in
the Spanish style. The harmony of
and a consonance of surroundings and
architecture are preserved in this, pos
sibly the most characteristic of the
Fritz productions. On the windows at
the entrances is the Spanish crest. On
the wallis in gold the crest frequently
appears. The interior is of red and
gold, the characteristic Spanish color.
Above the patio in prominent places
hang old mission bells, having electric
lights where the bell clapper should
be- The exterior walls are gray: the
interior walls are gray excepting
where the Spanish red and gold shine
in vivid contrast.
DECLARES 1T PAYS
Does it pay to build apartments and
houses with this seemingly lavish dis
regard of ground that could be utilized
for buildings2 This question was
asked of Mrs. Fritz, because in her ex-
- Il ~.f
others who have established choice
residential areas in San Francisco,
governed by building and other re-
strictions, may be found the answer
to the problem of how to make San
Francisco attractive.
Mrs. Fritzs answer was character
istic and twofold. The first part Of 1t
was that she aimed always to improve
a nefghborhood and discountenanced
was the artistic and neighborly side of
it. The other part of her answer was
the financial one, that she had never
met with any difficulty in selling any
of her houses on Ashbury heights, as
fast as they could be constructed. In
her idea San Francisco ought TO be
made the most attractive place in the
world.
This is largely due, as she expressed
II. to the. pleasing and varied contours
of the city, and, more particularly, be-
cause OF the climate, which insures the
blooming of flowers throughout the en-
tire year. In other American cities.
in Chicago and New York, an expert
ment has been tried that closely re-
sembled that of the Casa Madrona in
the matter OF patio and surrounding
construction. The experiments have
not been artistically successful because
other climates prevent the growth and
q Tr~f% -,
will be filed to surfeiting with the
most brilliant blossoms, which will
make ii gay the entire year From the
windows of the patio the yards of many
residences above, all unseparated by
fences. pleasing with green turf and
abundant flowers, are in view. Mrs.
Fritzs idea is that when her patio is
in bloom the whole neighborhood will
seem to be park containing houses.
and the streets intervening Will hardly
be noticed as a separating line.
CARE WITH INTERIORS
As much care has been taken in the
construction pof the interiors of houses
as on the exterior, to have them typi-
cal and original and dissimilar. On
the % foot lot there is an interior rep
resentation of an English castle. On
the ground floor is an English ingle-
nook. with large open fireplace, fianked
on either side by benches, the room
lighted by diamond shaped panes; and
above the inglenook and looking down
upon the living room is music gallery,
such as in former times in England
was occupied by musicians while my
lord and lady and her friends feasted
below. such rooms as artists have Gre
ated for themselves in eastern cities
have been transplanted to the Fritz
domain in reproduction.
Does all this pay? A Few years ago
Mrs. Fritz, making her initial purchase
of land. found it impossible to pay more
than $40 a month as an installment for
home. Now she is a woman of
wealth, and this has been achieved en-
tirely through her own Individual
genius and its resolute and confident
application along the lines herein indi-
Gated.