The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-11-21
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
turies instead of forty-three years
since the first apartment house waf
erected in this city, so great has beer
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 were
popular there with the best Of peo
pie. Besides, it increased the ability
of the owner to pay his tax bills and
other expenses.
The tax problem interested Mr
Stuyvesant, as he owned considerable
property about the city. Probably this
was the reason for his interest in
Paris apartment houses. After con-
vincing himself that they would go in
New York, he erected the Rutherford,
at 142 East Eighteenth street, soon
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 deep.
There are four apartments of seven
rooms each to a 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. OF late years the number has
increased considerably. These build
ers have given up the construction Of
all but apartment houses, which has
got to be 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.
J Many of our apartments here rival
palaces in grandeur and fittings.
Scores of such houses may be found
ion Park avenue, Fifth avenue, Mad
ison avenue, Broadway, West End aV-
enue, Riverside drive and crosstown
streets to the east and west of Cen
tral park. A private dwelling fitted
in the fashion of many of the suites
in houses along these streets would
rent for figures many times that which
is asked for these apartments. Many
families have learned this and are CIV
ing up costly dwellings to live in
apartment houses, in which they are
deprived Of nothing that they had in
the dwelling, yet are saving several
thousand dollars a year by the change,
enough in many cases to maintain the
latest in motor cars.
Rents have increased, but the great
Improvement that has been made in
apartment houses warrants the in
crease. In other words, the increase
in rents has not been as great as the
Increase made in the construction and
appointment of these houses.
South of One Hundred and Six
teenth street there is not an apart
ment house where suite may be had
for less than SIS room. In many OF
the best apartment houses $50 room
Is nothing unusual Apartments Of
two and three rooms bring compare
lively more rent than the large suites,
$40 a room being the lowest rental
that a small size apartment can be
had for. They run as high as $50
and $40 room. In some of the ex-
pensive small suite apartments to the
west of Park avenue and on the side
streets along the west side, SIS room
is often received. Up to two years
ago there we're kitchenettes attached
to small suite apartments. This year
builders have not been permitted to
build kitchenettes; instead miniature
kitchens have been introduced.