The Washington times., 1911-07-29
Recent Purchases by Million
aires of Large Tracts In
dicates Sure Activity.
LOCATIONS IDEAL
FOR SUMMER HOME
Tremendous Impetus Predicted
Will Follow Present
Realty Deals.

I've milliouaires within the last ten
days have purchased large tracts of
. land near Washington where they will
erect magnificent summer homes, and
each believes certain parts Of surbur-
ban Washington are better fitted for
ivilla sites, and for private parks, than
the localities surrounding many of the
larger cities of the country.
One Of these men is George H. Earle,
jr., Of Philadelphia. The other is Jo-
seph Letter. of Washington and Chica-
go. Both plan country homes, sur
rounded by natural woodland and near
natural streams. and each of these
homes, It is said will be splendid ad-
ditions to the architecture of nations
capital.
Gr. Earle is president of the Real
Estate Trust Company. of Philadelphia,
and appeared recently before the Con-
gressional committee probing the Sugar
trust For some time he has been ac-
Quiring land north and northwest of
Washington Until now he owns between
1850 and 1900 acres in the vicinity of
Wheaton and Burnt Mills, Nd, all with
in a radius of ten miles of Washington,
He plans extensive sites for expensive
villas, and is associated in the venture
with Felix Isman, a Philadelphia bro
ker.
Grant Road Gets Villa.
Then. too, within the past week, DR..
c. w. Richardson has chosen a site for
his new suburban home, a tract of
land in Grant road. which until now
has not felt the tide of society homes
surge its way.
DR.. Richardson's neY home will be
erected at a cost of $50 900 exclusive of
the value of the land.
The construction of these homes, with
that Of Joseph Letter, who acquired 3l4
acres of land near Langley, Va, for a
private game preserve and residential
park, are the first extensive activities
in three different locations.
The selection of these localities is
being accepted Dy real estate operators
as proof that Washington suburbs offer
the best natural advantages possible to
the suburban builder.
Mr.. Letter, with Henry Harrison of
Leesburg, has purchased several thou .
sand acres Of woodland near that place, |
where he will establish a larger pre-
serve than the private covers on his !
Potomac river property. The villa on
this plat is valued at $55,00O. This tract !
of land lies about three miles above
Chain Bridge. and extends westward |
almost 10 anti s dam.
I'm In speaking Of the attractiveness of
Washington suburbs for summer |
homes, Mr.. Earle declared that while |
Washington, proper. is low and hot in .
summer time the high land directly |
north Of the city is surprisingly cool |
Some day, he says, real estate opera
tor will realize the attractiveness of the .
tract north of the city, and will make |
his fortune from it.
One of Best In Countrv
The striking thing about the Wash
ington situation is that the city is al
most entirely surrounded by the coastal
plane or lowlands along the Potomac
where l believe there is malariaAand 1t,
therefore, has north of the Potomac
only this one district, one of the very
best suburban districts in the United
States" Mr. Earle said.
What is most surprising to a person
who lives in a city where there is su-
which this beautiful country is now
selling
Land in the suburbs of Philadelphia
has sold for thirty-five times as much
as equally attractive land north of
is bringing. Indeed, you
can buy land on farming basis cheap
er, just north Of Washington, than you
can in locations thousands of miles
from 1t. l suppose this was the result
Of the war, but what l am perfectly
plain about is, that the wealthy per-
sons who are now fiocking to Washing
ton will, some time, realize that they
can have all its advantages with the
added advantages of that suburban life
which is always so attractive to Amer
lea, and at very trivial cost. When this
happens, the portions of Maryland just
north of Washington will come into
their own"