Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-11-14
First Modern Apartment House
Built 43 Years Ago.
Rutherford Stuyvesant Got the Idea
from Paris and Other Realty
Owners Took II up-Brins
Very High Rentals Now.

New York.-It might have been cen
STAGE the first apartment house was
erected in this city, so great has been
the improvement in this popular type
of dwelling. Rutherford Stuyvesant,
a member of the old Stuyvesant fam
lily, was the first to introduce the
apartment in this country. He had
seen apartments in Paris. They Fere
pie. Besides, it increased the al 1ty
of the owner to pay his tax billsaa
other expenses.
The tax problem hinteresteR Mr..
Stuyvesaiit, as lie oWiIed GUnsfef $Hs
property about the city, Probably his
was the reason for his INTEREST," in
Paris apartment houses. After cpn-
vincing himself that they would go In
New York, he erected the Rutherford,
at 142 East Eighteenth street, sdon
after the Civil war. 1t was known as
the French fats, and was the talk OF
the town. The Rutherford Stuyvesant
house is still standing, and according
to brokers, has comparatively few va
cancies. 1t is five stories high. 112
feet wide and ninety-two feet deei
There are four apartments OF sever
rooms each to floor. 1t has steam
heat and hot water and is absolutely
soundproof.
The reception that met the apart
ment house was so great that many
builders entered the apartment house
field. or late years the number has
increased considerably. These build
ers have given up theSconstruction of
all but apartment houses, which has
got to be a science requiring constant
attention and application. Through
this specializing New York has been
forced in the last ten years into the
front rank as the apartment center
Of the world
Many of our apartments here rival
palaces in grandeur and fittings
Scores of such houses may be fount
on Park avenue, Fifth avenue, Mad
ison avenue, Broadway, West End av
enue, Riverside drive and crosstowr
streets to the east and west of Cen
trail park. A private dwelling fitted
in the fashion of many of the suiteI
in houses along these streets would
rent for figures many times that which
is asked for these apartments. Man!
families have learned this and are Civ
ing up costly dwellings to live il
apartment houses, in which they ar
deprived of nothing that they had il
the dwelling. yet are saving severa
thousand dollars year by the change
enough in many cases to maintain tn
latest in motor cars.
Rents have increased, but the grea
improvement that has been made 1
; apartment houses warrants the il
crease. In other words, the increas
in rents has not been as great as tn
increase made in the construction an
appointment of these houses.
i South of One Hundred and Sit
+ teenth street there is not an apar
{ ment house where suite may be ha
for less than SIS room. In many {
the best apartment houses $50 a rool
is nothing unusual. Apartments {
two and three rooms bring compar
u lively more rent than the large suite
J. $40 room being the lowest rent
that a small size apartment can /
X had for They run as high as 81
and $40 room. In some of the e
z pensive small suite apartments to IL
west of Park avenue and on the sic
streets along the west side, SIS a roo
is often received. Up to two yea
e ago there were kitchenettes attachC
to small suite apartments. This YET
builders have not been permitted
7 build kitchenettes; instead miniatu
" kitchens have been introduced.