The sun., 1919-05-29
BENNETT REALTY ON
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS
TO BE. SOLD JUNE 10
Auction Will Pave Way to Establishment of Memorial
Home for Journalists Real
80. Estate News.

IN race OF the acute housing situation
an unusual amount of interest was
aroused In real estate circles yesterday
oy the announcement that the executors
OF the estate OF the late James Gordon
Bennett. owner Of the New York Herald
TIE Euenino Telegram and the Paris
edition Of the Herald, had authorised
Joseph p. Day to sell the choice Bennett
real estate holdings on Washington
Heights. just north OF 1s1st street and
extending from Broadway to the Hudson
RIVER The announcement had a Sec
onoary interest in that the sale of the
properties will make possible the estab-
nshment and maintenance of the home
Tor needy journalists provided for by Mr..
Bennett in his will.
The sale will be held on Tuesday, June
10. at 10 A. NJ. in the Real Estate Sales
room at IL Vesey street. The property
to be sold consists OF 500 lots assessed
by the city at close to 100000 1t will
be disposed of to the highest bidders
regardless of It's actual value. It was
purchased at various times. beginning in
1885, by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., and
added to in after years by the lattere
son. The younger Bennett had many
opportunities of disposing of the prop
erty. which is situated on the highest
point of land on Manhattan, but stead
fastly refused to even consider these
propositions
The revelation Of the fact that the
property is about TO be thrown on the
market after many years of continuous
ownership was preceded by a "blind"
advertising campaign focusing attention
on the Washington Heights district In
general but never mentioning the Ben
nett property. In this campaign pic
lures of some OF the prominent men who
had forsaken other businesses TO become
investors In Heights property were
printed.
With the crying need for a resump-
ton Of building, particular interest GEN.
ters around the fact that the Bennett
property about to be thrown on the
market, was a formidable barrier to the
extension of Manhattan's housing facili-
ties, especially along the ridge lying be-
tween Broadway and the Hudson. The
reasons for the sale were made plain
yesterday in a Joint statement issued by
Rodman Wanamaker. one of the execu-
tors OF the estate. and Robert w. Cand-
Ter, attorney. The statement read:
THE late Mr. Bennett provided In his
will for the establishment and mainte-
nance of suitable and comfortable
home and pecuniary aid for journalists.
It Is in order to carry out the terms Of
Mr.. Benefits will that sale of the
Fort Washington property belonging to
the estate has been ordered.
''The first definite move In that direc-
ton was made on Friday. May 16 last,
on which date the James Gordon Ben
nett Memorial Home for New York
Journalists was chartered as a men,
eership corporation By the Secretary of
State, Francis NJ. Hugo.
THE incorporators Of the memorial
were Rodman Wanamaker. J. d. Jer-
reid Kelley. Josiah X. Oil of New York
city; Robert w. Gambler OF Short Hills.
n. j., and Thomas T. Sherman OF Rye,
". Y.
THE home Is to be erected and MAIN
tained in accordance witt the will Of the
late Mr. Bennett in memory of his
father for whom the same shall be
perpetual memorial
The property 10 be sold by Mr.. Day
TO the highest bidders on June 10. was
Inherited by the late James Gordon
Bennett from his father, and formerly
was the location of the Bennett coun-
try home and the scene Of many social
gatherings On a part OF the property
lying just west of Fort Washington ave-
nue., are all that remain Of the bastions
of old Fort Washington, a stronghold
OF the Colonial troops during the period
of the Revolution"