Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-18

Twenty-Five cents a square foot was
paid the other day for. unimproved lots
eight squares west of the White House.
They are located at the northwest corner
of 25th and E streets northwest with
broad frontages on both streets and ex-
tending back with good depths to a
thirty-foot alley. The entire area is
1J,7S9 square feet. The purchaser was
Christian Heurich. who paid $3.50.
The contrast between the size of the
property and the price paid at once pre-
sents itself to any one familiar with
current prices within the original limits
of the city, as well as with those which
prevail not merely city blocks but miles
distant from the White House.
A similar per foot price is asked for
property four and five miles from the
city center. But the latter has prob
ably more of the modern conveniences
than the former, as at 25th and +
streets there are no sidewalks or pave
ments. About the only thing that has
been done i'm the way of municipal i'm
provements Is the bringing of the streets
to the grade, change of doubtful
utility. as the result is the lots are perch
ed upon the top of a high bank of earth.
mcU1Cdl SCHOOL OppOS1Le.
On the opposite side of E street and
on the block to the east is the group of
buildings occupied by the United States
Medical School Hospital. the central
building with its dome showing it's
former use. when the Naval Observatory
was located there. The high bank of
this property along E street has been
terraced, and a retaining wall built with
a flight OF stone steps leading up to the
level of the entrance to the buildings. In
front of this property there is an asphalt
pavement which is the only modern piece
OF street Improvement on that thorough
fare west of 18th street.
Where the surface has been covered at
all in this section of the street there is
cobble pavement. which has an archaic
appearance to modern eyes. The unpaV-
ed surface of 9th street climbs up 10
the level of T. street with grade which
is permitted by the engineers of city
streets levels. but still does not come to
the top of the bordering banks of earth.
There are no improvements along the
eastern part of the Il street front of the
square and none at all on either side of
25th street, except an old frame house.
Western End of Property.
At the western end of the property f
street thrusts itself out into the air as
ii comes TO the top of high bluff, and
the broad surface of the street dwindles
into a narrow, winding path that threads
its way along the face of the bluff amid
the rocks and the earth until a new level
of + street is reached some twenty or
thirty feet below. There Il street is on
a level with 26th street. which passes
along the wharf frontage of the river
and then beyond to the Potomac drive
way.
1t is on this lower level of + street
that one of the entrances is placed to
the great storage warehouse of Little
field. Alvord & Co, that fronts on 26th
and extends along f. street. On the
square to the south is the plant Of the
Heurich brewery, as well as on the OppO-
site side of 18th street. The latter forms
the boundary of the wharf property
where the Crawford Paving Company and
LittIefield, Alvord & Co. are located. and
where farther to the north, between +
and III streets, is found the largest of
the works of the Washington Gas Com
pany.
The appearance of the locality has more
suggestion of the manufacturing sections
of cities than perhaps any other in the
city It's area is limited. for. with the
exception of the Abner & Drury Com
pany brewery. on T. street between 2ith
and 18th streets, the entire locality lies
on the edge of the resident section. which
is pushing its way toward the river front.