Evening journal., 1918-09-25
BY ELIZABETH W. GURNEy.

On a certain sixty acres Of ground,
r. Front and Union streets, one OF the
most extensive building operations ever
undertaken In Wilmington IS rapidly
turning the barren turf into a beautiful
community. Few people in this city
realize lust how big a thing for VII
mington the new Union Park Gardens
win be. A group Of 5O5 modern houses,
finely modelled by the architect, splen-
ddly equipped with every convenience
OF electric lighting, gas, steam heating
and plumbing, and set In a parkway
laid out by an eminent landscape artist,
win In themselves be an addition OF
great value TO the beauty OF the city.
They will be a step toward liner
greater Wilmington. They will give TO
the city one OF its best assets, content
cd permanently established. tsXpaying
workers. These men and their fami-
lies will spend their money In VIII
mington. Employers Of the city VIII
he assured OF a we'll established labor
supply for future contingencies.
What will Wilmington pay for all
this? Nothing more than what the
CITY would do for any building erected
In IFS midst. The Government IS pro-
vidins all the money for the dwellings
in the form OF loan 10 the Whining
ton Housing Company, which numbers
something Ike 40 stockholders, among
The most prominent business men OF
the city.
The Liberty Land Company bought
the site for the houses. The VIII
mington Housing Company holds all
the stock OF the Liberty Land Com
papy. The Government advanced all
ihe money. aside from the cost OF The
land.
The company will rent the houses 10
shipworkers. and IN the future pay
hack the Government Eventually The
tenants viii probably ne offered a
chance 90 buy their homes, but this
win not be done al present.
The Union Park Gardens, as the
housing project Is officially known, Is
expected 70 roach valuation OF 81
10000 Figuring on an assessment OF
S. 100000. this would bring the city and
county over $4,000 yearly revenue
from taxes,
This huge enterprise OF building a
half a thousand houses IN six months
time was an unknown undertaking be-
fore The war. Patriotism and cooper
alton. combined with American EN-
cheney. have made II possible. When
group OF Wilmington men became
whole-heartedly convinced that local
shlpyard workers must be comfortably
housed 90 do their best work for de-
mocracy. they left no stone unturned
70 convince the Federal authorities OF
this necessity. The beautiful model
community at Union Park is the result
OF their zeal and OF Federal benefao-
iions 20 the city.
William Winder Laird is president OF
The Wilmington Housing Company; G.
stewart Lee. vice-president; Charles g.
Kurtz. secretary-treasurer The VIII
mington Housing Company has turned
over the money loaned by the Govern
ment 20 the Liberty Land Company, to
operate the project. The officers OF
this company are Charles c. Kurtz'
president: w. w. Laird, treasurer
charles X Ten Weeges. secretary.
The United States Shipping Board Of
the Emergency Fleet Corporation, the
government authorities i'm charge, are
in direct supervision OF the Union Park
Gardens
The actual building operations are by
The Lynch Construction Company, In
corporaied. Of New York City. These
contractors have completed seven SINH
lar Jobs since the war began. but this
Is their largest undertaking. The Lynch