The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-12

AT the time of their erection. in 1852
THESE apartments were said to be- In, I'm
est ana largest OF their type in the world
and remain to-day as models in many
respects of what luxurious and well
appointed apartment home should be In
point or spacioIsness Of rooms the better
apartments OF that time were far pref
cradle to many OF to-day---the interior
decoration and architectural mannerisms
which seem to us quite impossible being
qualism.
The group Of eight buildings twelve
stories high, cover n plot OF ground zoo
pS 40 feet and with the ground repre-
scented even in 1852 an investment Of
nearly $1,000 600.
Among the cooperative apartment
houses planned by Mr. Hubert are the
Hawthorne Gen stories. 1920 feotJ; tho
Hubert Oen stories: 1890 feeU. the
Rembrandt uen stories: 5ON9O feet, the
Milano tsevcn stories. 1890 feet) the
Chelsea twelve stories: SOxi15 feeD: the
Mount Morris mine stories: 50xiOO feep
40 Madison avenue Cuine stories. e0NlO0
tceD. and l2i Madison avenue ,tweiye
stories: i0Oxl26 feeD
The Chelsea, on Twenty-;hird street, IS
one OF Mr., Huberts most interesting
buildings. representing nj the time of its
opening the most luxurious type of resi-.
dental hotel In New York city. The
hotel prospectus furnishes quaint COM
lnentory on the shifting of the c'tv's life.
for the Chelsea then boosted that "ths
location Is very central" and near the
shopping district. the theatres and the
churches"
In many OF these houses Mr.. Huber,
used his system OF duplex" planning. nv
means OF which the amount Of space
available for Kitchens and bedrooms was
virtually doubled.
These houses also featured the frs,
generally recognized Introduction % fire.
PROBING and thoroughntss in this matter
was subject TO which Mr. Hubert de-
voted much attention. His aim WAS to
devise an apartment house so nearly fire.
proof that the entire contents OF "A single
apartment might burn to ashes without
endangerng or even disturbing the rest
uf the building. lie was the first 10
devise the sheathug OF wooden or steel
beams with nreproof plaster blocks, or
with cement
In the Scvilla. in Ffty-eirhth street. m
apartment Intended to meet the wants
OF people who desire TO combine the free
iom from care OF a hotel life with the
comforts and privacy OF an Individual
home Nj Hubert dil away with wooden
floors. using cement composition
throughout. This WAS also DO first hotel
in which each apartment was provided
with n refrigerator cooled r~nm central
plant and IN which the tenants were
provided with running water. cooled and
filtered for drinking.
II must he remembered that at tho
time these houses were built the exodus
from individual homes 10 apartments had
barely begun. and the companies promot-
ing the latter We're constrained to issue
elaborate pamphlets eNtCl.ng the adNau-
tages Of apartment 'ousc life over tho
cares OF the householder. These pamphlets
make interesting reading In these DAYS
when safety from fire. good sanitation.
ventilation, convenience and elegance"
are taken Tor granted, for the apartment
house prospectus OF the early SOS took
deep concern in reassurnc the prospective
tenant on these momentous questions
Other important buildings beside apart
mere houses OF which Mr.. Hubert was
tho architect We're a number Of churches
IN" old Lyc"un Theatre az Fourth ave
uuc ana THertv-'hrd street, ard the
Shurehim H0tc'. Tn Washington one or
the first buildings I'm which the modern
system Of steel construction was used.
After his retirement from the active
practice of architecture M Hubert took
out a number o' patents upon deN .ces FOR
making housekeeping easy. among which
We're improved oil and gas furnaces.
fircess cooker and during the las, six
months Of his lfc he WIS busy with
device for supplying not wator more
quickly aud more cheaply than 10y means
In present use.
To-day other names occupy public
thought. new buildings rise TO oversnadow
those Of little more than a decade ago
hut 1t should certainly form a very slgnin-
cant part Of our study or estimate of
current achievements 10 look back a few
years at the careers of such architects
as Philip A. Hubert and to realize thar
these men made possible the architecture
OF to-day.