Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-25
Regulations Pertaining to Building
of Wooden Structures.
HALF OF THE HOMES IN 1922
First Limitation Of Height Of All
Ediflces-Advent Of the She'd
Roof Buildings.

In the early part of the last century
there were in this city a number OF
frame dwelling houses of a type now OBJ
solete, and today few. IL any. are standing.
These were quaint little structures. erect
ed prior to 1892, when the building resu-
| lations restricted the height Of frame
houses to but twelve feet 10 the caves
and the area to 800 square feet Conse-
quently, those unable to build brick or
stone edihce, OF which forty feet was the
limit In height of the walls. erected
small frames. Some were arranged for
but two rooms and kitchen on the GROUND
floor and a half story above.
But the curb-roof plan was adopted, oS
| which full story was gained at MINI
mum cost, more shingles than lumber De-
ing required. With the upper story isht-
ed by dormer windows facing the street
and a massive chimney at each end. Of
ten outside the house, often small, COM
Portable az well as economical home was
| many times secured
Buildings of this character were TOT
contemplated as permanent ones prior
to 1890, the original Intention peing eha al
brick or stone houses alone should De
erected Frame houses, for lodging work
men and storing materials, could De
erected with the approval OF the Conlnis
sioners, who had power to remove or
discontinue them.
Washington Issues Regulation.
Washington, October II, 1871, by regu-
lation No. /, directed that the outer and
party walls should be Of brick or stone,
and limited the height to forty feet, etc.
BY regulation No. s, issued by the Com
missioners July 20, 1895. the thickness
of walls was fixed at from nine TO
twenty-four inches and penalties were
imposed. June %, 1885. Washington Is
sued regulation No. 5. reciting. that, as
it had been found by experience that
the article in the first regulation as 70
character Of the building "tmpedes the
settlement in the city of mechanics. ana
others, whose circumstances do not ad-
nit of erecting houses OF the descrlp.
ton authorized by the said regulations.
the said articles be suspended until the
first Monday In December. 1870 ana ail
houses erected prior to that date con-
formable in other respects be LAWFUL;
| Except that no wooden house covering
more than $50 square feet, or more than
twelve feet in height, from sill to the
caves, shall be erected; nor shall any
such house be placed within twenty
four feet Of a brick OF stone house.
Many Built After 1895.
| From this time, 1893, to the twenties,
when the regulation Of building was vest
ed In the corporation. subject to ap-
prevail by the President, many frame
houses Of the curb-roof style were erected,
and more numerous were they than the
more substantial bricks. In 1922, in a
total of about 2, 500 buildings, about 1, 800
we're frames. These were mostly erected
| for homes by their owners, often on
| capacious lots or surrounded by open I'M
! improved ground. Many Of them were
picturesque, and especially did they at
| tract the attention of visitors.
Often placed well back from the building
| line, in the midst of an Old-fashioned
| garden, such houses were In keeping with
the adjacent rural conditions. and a few
Of them were standing up to the time Of
the civil war. Very many made way
for the more modern improvements. One
| stood once on the square now occupied
by the Post Office Department.
600 dwellings in the city, Of which over
400 were Of frame, nearly 200 having been
built lin that year.
President Monroe's Action.
President Monroe in 1913 made some
slight change and renewed the suspension
for two years. The city charter Of 1870
having given power to the corporation.
| with the approval Of the President, to
4
passed in May, 1922. amending tho regu-
| lations by limiting the height of frame
| buildings to twenty feet to top of root,
declaring that houses whose walls were
other than stone or brick should be
deemed frame, and imposing fine OF IS
for every week any unlawful house was
allowed to remain, and for printing cop
| les OF the act etc.
July Is, 1922 Mr.. Monroe approved an
ordinance imposing penalty OF $40 for
Is,Io ol0 Vxyfth IN Uyn W.
| four feet of brick or stone house, and
So per week while it remained, and pro-
hibited a blacksmith shop, factory or
livery stable being located within nifty
height allowed to frame houses was well
| coined and the effect was seen in every
part Of the city by the salt box or shed
| roof houses superseding the old-style
| curb roof. Many built In this style as a
back building. setting far enough back
from the building line to allow the erec-
ton of a more pretentious house in the
future, while others made one job of An
ishing main and back buildings.
Arrangement Of Buildings.
These were on the same general plan,
the front building two rooms deep, with
hall, stairway and ballroom, for a ma
jority of both brick and frame dwellings
| erected down to 1850. About this period
a few four-storied bricks and three-storied
| frames had been erected, and Of the six
thousand or more dwellings two-thirds
| were of frame.
The little ourb-roofed frames, as above
noted, have entirely disappeared. Some
| of the salt-box style remain, a few not
connected with larger residences. and the
| day has passed for the erection OF any
| style Of frame dwellings in Washing
/ ton.
Though these primitive homes Of many
| of the old Washington families have been
relegated to the past in the magnificent
progress made by the city. many
| descendants have warm spots In their
memories for anything pertaining to the
old homes Of their sires, though they
were OF the quaint curb-roofed or the
plain salt-box design.