New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-28

iittle north OF 15sth Street to the
lnvood region Of Manhattan. II
forms p large part Of the Washington
Heights section, where hundreds o,
millions have been invested IN recent
years. particularly since the opening
OF the subway, by speculative bullderS
end Investors i'm Transforming many
plots in this area into most attrac-
tive and modern home centres OF this
The section, which IS st present con-
fributing an unusually large quota OF
sales and building operations TO the
daily budgets Of realty news, rs gen
orally called in realty circles the Fort
Washington Avenue zone Of Manhat-
tan. IS the longest and principal thor
ouChfarc there is Fort Washing
ION Avenue. All the territory IS his
toric ground; notable encounters be-
tween Colonial and HesSlan troops IN
tho Revolutionary War took place
there.
At 1854 Street and Fort Washington
Avenue is the site Of Fort Washington.
This site is marked by marble way
side scat and tablet erected IN l'ul'
The tablet is at the base OF the north
cast bastion of the fort. At 18Th
street and Fort Washington Avenue -
the site Of Fort TryOn. Along ana
near Fort Washington Avenue have
been unearthed numerous military
relics Of the Revolutionary times.
There was uncovered some years ago
in q patch of ground. fronting on the
avenue and being about sCventy-hNc
feet south of 1Slst Street, burial
placc. which, il was thought, was the
last resting place of many Yankee
soldiers who fell IN the assaults on
Fort Trvon and Fort Washington.
con November Is. 1776, the Hessian
army erected on the highest point OF
lshsm Park two rcdoubts,' says
writer. in describing what took place IN
the section m Revolutionary days. ION
November 8 of that year sharp en-
counter occurred, when the PcnnSyl-
yania troops advanced from the woods
of lnwood Hill and drove IN the Hes
sian outposts and fired their quarters.
The entire Ilcssian division moved over
the ground now known as lsham Park,
and on November 16 made the assault
on Fort Washington A vague idea Of
some of the difficulties encountered by
Hcssian troops in storming Fort Wash
ipeton NAV be had from a study of the
contour Of the land at this point.
Isham Park is not many feet above sea
level. while the Fort Washington
Heights section, Just south, is over 20
feet high. To reach the top Of the
Heights from the lnwood or the River
side Drive district, without following
the public highway, one must be an cN-
pcrienccd hill climber, else he IS likely
70 lose his foothold and get bad
tumble
At the northerly end Of Fort Wash
ingtou Avenue is the home OF {. n. q.
Billings. He calls his residence Fort
Tryon Hall. The Billings property IS
one Of the few city estates, within the
boundaries Of Manhattan, of acreage
size. Besides being known for ITS gar
den effects and for the imposing archi-
lecture Of its buildings, II is also noted
for being the highest point of land on
Manhattan Island.
The southcrly end of Fort Washing
ton Avenue has been changed IN recent
wears from a barren section 20 one
hemmed IN by six story apartment
houses. Il is this part Of the avenue
which has lately furnished some impor-
tant realty operations. Investors have
been taking over there a number Of the
fine modern houses.
Haven, Piuchurst and Northern Ave
nues and Riverside Drive are the
other public highways in the section,
besides Fort Washington Avenue. In
this region Riverside Drive, with the
exception Of few blocks at the south
erly edge and some sites at lSlst
Street, is still unadorncd with large
modern apartments. Along the Drive
arc some Of the choicest building lots,
vet 70 be improved, in the greater city.
And, although builders have spent
much time and money IN Haven, North
crn and Pinehurst avenues and Fort
Washington Avenue, there are also m
those avenues vast number OF plots
vacant and ready now for the spccu-
iatiye builders. u was tins building
invasion that brought about the depart
ure Of the Yankees from their ola
grounds At l66th Street and Broadway.
The land was needed for improvement
with six and ten story apartment
houses, so popular in this part OF the
city. Gangs Of men are now getting
the former baseball park in shape for
the builder. and IN the near future the
entire premises will be Invested OF all
the reminders of the days when the
baseball fan" spent many a happy
time on the property.
w. Bourke Cochran became, about
week ago, the owner Of one Of the best
built houses in the section, the prop
erty being the six story structure at
and Fort Washington Avenue. This
house contains forty-one apartments.
II is on a plot 1922 feet on the avenue
and 14O feet in the street. 1t was built
by the billiard Construction Company
ia 1912, from plans by Gronenberger &
Jeuchtag, at an estimated cost of $40
600. In part payment for the Fort
Washington Avenue property Mr.. Cock
ran gave his big mansion in Washing
Ton. ono Of the SHOW" places OF the
capital city. Among the former occu-
pants OF the Washington house were
Senator Elihu Root and Ambassador
Robert Bacon.
The exchange Of properties was nego-
tiated by Leopold We'll. The Fort
Washington Avenue site was bought
by .hc billiard Company from Har-
ris and Maurice Mandelbaum, who pur-
chased II from the Loyal l.. Smith es-
tate.
Gently reported will result in the i'm
provement Of the block front on the
east side Of Haven Avenue, between
1Ts,h and i79th Streets. The property
has a frontage Of 1877 feet on the ave
nne and i47 feet in each street. John
p and Oscar l.. Foley and Harry AroR-
con sold the block front for the Meyer
colomon estate 20 Joseph ReIss, who
will build three houses on the Haven
Avenue frontage. The corner house
will be go feet front b. 1903 feet deep.
and the inside house Go feet by lO8
feet. The street houses viii be 44Ns2.6
" r. Sommerville sold the property
last January 20 Meyer Solomon. The