New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-23
OR. WEBB HAS lO-YEAR
LEASE ON $4,000 FLAT
House Sold to Rockefeller, He
Joins Park Avenue Apart
ment Colony.
LENGTH OF TERM UNUSUAL
Has Rented About Thirty Rooms
for Decade, Instead of the
Customary One, Two or
Three Year Lease.

pr and Mrs W Seward Webb will he
come apartment house dwellers i'm Octo-
Der. soon after their return from trip
abroad. in the upper Park avenue colony.
Through Pease & Gilman they have
leased from Bing & Ring one and one
half floors IN the apartment house being
put up at 18th street and Park avenue.
The lease is for ten years. the yearly
rental being $1,000. The average apart
ment rental is usually for one. two or
three years SO the Webb contract is a
sweeping departure from the custom.
The expansion OF retail trade I'm upper
Fifth avenue has been one of the prin~
cipal causes in recent years FOR the in
creased popularity of apartment houses
In the sections just north of J9th street.
Many dwelling houses occupied by per-
sons prominent in society have been
claimed by trade. and most of their for
mer occupants. instead of erecting other
houses for their own use. have joined the
newer apartment house colonies.
II was mainly this reason which actu-
ated DR.. and Mrs. Webb 10 sell their old
home, at No. $50 Fifth avenue. recently
10 John d. Rockefeller. az price said
10 be little less than Sl.2JO.c0 Nh.
Rockefeller made that purchase TO keen
himself from being disturbed by the
spreading out Of business concerns in his
home section. at 9th street and Fifth
avenue without his being consulted as TO
the height or design OF the new COM
mercial structures.
Mrs Webb is the daughter Of the late
William II. Vanderbilt. and I'm deciding
10 become an apartment house dweller
she has emulated the example set 10y
many other members OF the Vanderbilt
family Reginald c. Vanderbilt has an
apartment at 54th street and Park ave
nue.: William X Vanderbilt. jr.. is an oc-
cupant of the apartment house structure
which his father erected at No. ~ East
biIt. owner of the Vanderbilt Hotel, has
a suite there for his own use, embracing
nearly the entire top floor.
The apartment of Or. and Mrs. Webb
will be of the duplex type. so popular in
this part Of the city. There will be one
living room. 20 by % feet. A fairly accu-
rate idea Of the size Of this living room
NAV be had by comparing il with the
average detached dwelling house in the
suburban districts. They are usually
about % by 80. or Coz square feet The
square foot area Of this spacious living
roam Of the new home being prepared
for DR.. and Mrs Webb is 500. 1t is said
that it is the largest living room ever
built to order IN an apartment house on
q Manhattan site.
The apartment viii contain. all told.
about thirty rooms. as each floor of the
building viii have seventeen rooms and
five baths. All of the bedrooms have a
southerly exposure while the living rooms
overlook Central Park and also com
mand "A good view OF the Palisades of
the Hudson. Special stairways between
the two floors 10 be occupied by Or. and
Mrs. Webb will be built The apartment
will be- ready for occupancy about DC
tober !
Ralph y. Preston and his sister, Miss
Geraldine Thompson. have also leased one
and one-half floors in this structure from
the plans. Tie design of the building :
drawn by Warren q Wetmore and Robert
r. Lyons.
Dr. and Mrs Webb will sail for Europe,
il is said. next month Mr.. Rockefeller
will get possession Of their old home.
fronting ON Fifth avenue, just north Of
St. Thomas's Church and east OF Mir
Rockefellers home site. Oh May ]. lie
intends 60 replace the Webb house with
four story mercantile structure, with
building lines harmonizing with the ar
chitoc-1re ~ - ThouaS'c Church