New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-13
MODEL HOUSE DISPLAY
Trinity Corporation to Show How
1t Has Improved Things.
HYGIENIC MEETING IN FALL
Washington Convention to Learn
About Building Problems
in Large Cities.

While the learned delegates TO the ff-
tenth International Congress of Hygiene
and Demogrsphy are holding forth on these
subjects in Washington in September, per-
sons whose imagination or lack of L, de
mands visualized instruction can learn a
great deal about the modern movements for
better sanitation by taking a look at tbs
exhibit which will be held in connection
with the congress.
One group In this exhibition on health
will be on housing, and New York City viii
probably have several exhibits in this divi.
sion. The housing problem In Manhattan
is fearful and wonderful thing in general
and one OF the puzzling difficulties Is the
making over Of old houses so that they will
conform to modern enlightened standards
OF sanitation. This attempt has been made
In large tenement houses all over the city
and with very little success, as most OF the
converted" brownstone mansions OF a
generation ago have many rooms where
the sunlight has no chance at all.
With small houses, intended only for two
or three families, the task is not so i'm.
possible, but It is not sufficiently profitable
for many landlords TO have undertaken Il
Land is too expensive for any but the ricl
10 pay a ground rent that will recompense
the owner when the population is spread
out In layers only two or three families
deep.
To illustrate the possibilities in the i'm.
provement and management Of such houses
Trinity Church will send an exhibit to the
Washington meeting. Emily Wayland Din
widdie, formerly secretary Of the CHARITY
Organization Society's Tenement House
Committee, who has spent the last two
years in experimenting the repairs and
alterations OF all Trinty's dwelling house
property and devising ways and means of
improving II, is getting ready the material
for the exhibition.
our problem presents certain pecuIia,
dificulties,' says Miss Dinwiddie. since
almost all Of the houses owned by Trinit,
were built by persons holding ground leases
when these leases expired the houses re-
verted to Trinity along with the land and
they were usually in a sad state Of disre.
pair, demanding a large amount of work
before they could reach our standard. Only
ten OF our buildings are really tenement
houses, and these were erected by the cor.
POI dlIOn as HOOel apartments.
There are TO be two miniature houses II
Miss Dnwiddie's exhibition and these will
be accurate copies OF one OF Trnity's dwell
lings before and after its rejuvenation. The
models are TO be 4 feet inches by 3 feet
inches by feet inches Besides these
about five hundred square feet Of wall space
will be covered by pictures and charts
one row OF pictures will show how small
houses with yards have a maximum OF light
and ventilation Another row will Illus
trate the fact that rooms in the old-fash-
Toned houses are more spacious than the
newest tenement rooms. Many typical liv-
ing rooms kitchens, bedrooms and dining
rooms OF Trinity's tenants will be shown
Group photographs OF the tenants will show
that the old type of house with a small
yard, has room for children.
Some of Trinity's lessees Miss Dinwiddie
calls hereditary tenants" One mother and
her son and daughter all born on Trinity
land. each rent a house from Trinity now.
There will be picture also Of an old couple
who have not been infected with the New
York germ OF restlessness. who have been
Trinity's tenants for thirty years.
There will be many pictures Of Trinity
yards in downtown New York, where there
Is still room for flowers and grass
That a real back yard when II is not the
public property Of a score OF families is a
genuine inspiration is shown by the care
many OF these people take to make them
beautiful And they succeed. too. Back OF
cigar store in Hudson street is long,
narrow yard that looks like a scrap Of con-
densed country, so thick are the flowers
and vines. These cover the back Of the
house and hide the fence and the flowers
between are the worthy cause OF the pride
which their French owner takes in them.