The Washington times., 1911-07-22
BIG TRACT BOUGHT
!: BY JOSEPH LETTER
j. FOR A RESIDENCE
Millionaire Gets Natural
81, Park Just Above the
il Chain Bridge.
ON VIRGINIA SHORE
OF THE POTOMAC
Villa To Be Constructed That Will
Cost Fifty-five Thousand
Dollars.

Three hundred and fourteen acres of
river frontage, just above the Chain
bridge, on the Virginia shore of the
Potomac, is to be converted by Joseph
LciteS. the millionaire of Washington
and Chicago. into 20 sylvan a residential
park as the expenditure of thousands of
dollars can make it.
Mr.. Letters agents are now drawing
the papers by which he will become
oVner OF the property. For a month
past, It became known today, Mr..
Letter has held an option on the land.
at a price which is approximately $40
an acre. the tract having cost him in
the ighborhood Of $4,000.
Plans are under way for a magnificent
villa to grace the center of the natural
residence park. which agents Of the
millionaire say he plans for his summer
home. The villa, 1t is said, will cost
about $55.OOO.
Four Tracts Obtained.
The land was obtained in tracts Of IlS
acres, 119 acres, ~ acres, and % acres,
and another small piece, all of which
adjoin.
The lower boundry of the tract, 1t is
said, lies at a point on the Virginia
shore about three miles above the
Chain bridge, and extends for about 4
mile and a quarter along the river
shore, including some of the most beau
uful natural scenery on that part OF
the river known as the Palisades of
the Potomac. The upper boundary
reaches nearly to Gantt's Dam. The
landward boundary of the strip lies at
an average of 2000 feet from the edge
OF the river. The estate is near Lang
ley, Va.
For some time Mr.. Letter, whose
family home in Washington was one Of
the show places of the city before the
influx of milliOnaires, who have erected
many beautiful homes here during the
past few years, has had under con-
home along the Potomac, somewhere III
the neighborhood of Great Falls Most
of the land available for a villa site,
however, are being held by the owners,
and 1t was not until short time ago
that his agents here were able to find
owners willing to dispose of sufficient
adjoining land in that locality to meet
the demands of the millionaire.
Plans for the Villa.
Mr.. Letters agents will give none Of
the details of the development of the
tract, but 1t is known that he desires
the land for the villa site, and tina:
even now the plans are under way.
Mr.. Letter at present is at Beverly
Farms, Mass, and will not return to
Washington for some weeks. BY that
time, however, the transfer of the prop
erty will have been made, and ali will
be ready, II is thought, to go on with
the detailed development of the natural
scenery that he has obtained.
In connection with the purchase by
Mr.. Letter of this tract, 1t is said that
other men of wealth, realizing the nat |
ural advantages of scenery which this |
section affords, are contemplating the |
erection of homes along the river.
Mr.. Letter, himself, 1t is said, is mucn |
taken with that section of Virginia |
Within the last few months he, together |
with Henry Harrison, of Leesburg, a |
nonresident member OF the Metropoli-
tan Club and man of wealth, has OBJ |
tained several thousands of acres of |
woodland and cover about eight miles !
from Leesburg, which they will use for |
q game preserve.
Work Begun on Preserve.
Work on the preserve has already |
been begun, and under the direction of |!
several breeders who have been brought |
from broad, the installation of the |
Mongolian pheasant will soon be started. |
Other game. too, will be placed in the !
covers, but whether any of the wild |
creatures. save the smaller rodents and |
birds will be bred there, is not known.
The activity OF Mr.. Letters brokers |
in that section Of Virginia during the |
past two months has given rise to many |
rumors as to the nature of the develop |
ment he would make Of the land. The |
old rTmor that the Wabash railway |
would endcavor TO obtain a right of |
way and entrance to Washington was
revived. and before the purchase by the
Gas Company Of the tract
of land on the District shore of the |
river yesterday, their search for a new
site for their plant, was said to have |
taken them into NirRinia