Evening star., 1916-01-01
REAL ESTATE AND
BUILDING.

! Transactions involving apartments
| featured the real estate business in the
National Capital during 1915. 1t was
a record year for sales and exchanges
| of this class of property.
| Few big downtown business proper
| ties were sold uuring the year and
| transa ctions in acreage tracts were
somewhat limited. Transactions in
volvine moderate price residential
, properties held up quite well, the show
| ing being as good as could be expected.
! Sales of high priced residences fell
short of the records of the past few
| throughout the entire year, particu-
larly during the fall months. This ap-
| piled to all classes of property, but
| chiefly to residences.
In the building business the erection
| of large structures. apartments and
| office buildings featured Seldom has
there been so many large structures
started as during 1915. The year wit
| messed the completion of many large
| buildings started during 1914.
J The biggest realty ansaction of the
| year was the exchange of the Ward
man Courts on Clifton street between
| 18Th and 14th streets for the Brighton.
| a big California street apartment. and
/ a large cash consideration. The courts,
| which include three large buildings,
| containing a total of about $50 apart
! ments. figured in the transaction at a
| valuation of approximately 81 1000, 900.
| Other big apartment transactions of
I the year involved the Fontanet Courts.
Chalfonte. Argyle, Wyoming. Laclede.
| Royden. Toronto, Carlisle. Park and
| Harvard Courts.
| The biggest sale of downtown busi-
| ness property involves the Navy De-
! partment annex building, on New York
avenue between 18th and 18th streets
| - irta I,-n hi he ich-
| borhood of half million dollars. The
| sale of the Adams building, at 1885 F
/ street northwest, was another import
ant transaction in this class of prop
| erty. The Bieber building. on = street
southwest. changed hands, and also
that occupied by the Department of
Justice. on * street northwest.
The biggest residential sale was that
| of the home of Peyton Russell, facing
: Sheridan Circle. which brought cash
| consideration of $4,000. All the fur
nshings of the house were included
! in the sale.
Biggest Suburb ban Home Sale.
The biggest suburban home sale of
the year was that of the Nixon estate,
on Woodley road Senator Brady
bought the house and about thirteen
acres OF ground for s135,0oO. and
Charles IT.. Johnson bought the re-
| naming thirteen acres for about $780,
600. A tract of a bout fifteen acres on
| Wisconsin avenue, south of the Epis-
copal Cathedral was bought for about
100000 as the site for school. A
forty -ei ght-acre tract on the Rockville
road was traded for the Harvard
Courts.
Among the big pieces of town prop
erty acquired during the year. with d
! view of improving them with apart
ments. were about 10000 square feet of
ground on the west side OF 18th street
fnh I.rf he
Columbia Properties Company in q
trade, and about $1,000 square feet of
ground one square TO the south Of
Crescent street.. and also on the west
side of 18th street, which Kennedy
Brothers took in trade.
Two Hospitals Completed.
Among the big structures completed
during the year were the Emergency
and Columbia Hospitals. Big building
projects which were started included
the Lincoln memorial, the American
Red Cross building, Central High
School, the addition to the Munsey
building. chemistry building at the
bureau of standards. large office
building for use by the Southern rail-
road. headquarters building for the
American Federation of Labor. The
biggest governmental structure started
during the year was the future home
Of the Department of the Interior.
Big apartment projects started dur
ing the year included the Lafayette at
10th and ] streets, apartment for Mrs
Mccormick at 18th street and Massa =
chusetts avenue. Truesdeil apartment
on Columbia road. apartment being
erected by John Warren at Connecti-
cut and Wyoming avenues, Wardman
!Courts. on Clifton street: the Hartford
Courts, Wardman apartments. at Goth
street and Florida avenue, and at Co
| lumbia and Ontario roads; apartment
, for John Warren, at Columbia and Bel
mont roads: apartment for Leo Sim
mons, at 23d and California streets.
Catholic University Buildings.
The year of 1915 witnessed the com
pletion Of several large buildings at
the Catholic University and other Cath
Ollie institutions in that section and
also the starting of others.
A realty and building transaction
which attracted more than usual in
terest was the purchase of property at
the northwest corner Of John Marsha II
place and Pennsylvania avenue by the
: Ford Motor Company. Work has been
started OF a large salesroom and as
: sembIing building.
During 1915 the Real Estate Brokers
Association of Washington organized
a valuation board which is now
engaged in appraising properties
! throughout the District. Its present
: members are John r. Story. cha irman
: George Y. Worthington, J. Leo Kolb,
William II. Walker. II. J.. Rust, Charles
W. Fairfax and Thomas Bradley. The
brokers' association was active during
the year in its efforts for the better
! ment of the realty business and real
: estate in general. Officers were elected
(. during the year as follows: George Y.
e Worthington. president; John p. Story.
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