Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-29
ROOF DWELLINGS
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

iii BY Fredertf
.-------.-----.--.---
II wnsfington, Aug. 2s.-Jrhc ideal
place to 1.-Two in Now York Is on roen'
n Ia en,d. On tho roof Of a tall build-
ling. particularly. tho air - narveious-
lly fresh and clear. the Wow IN usually
charming. and It is possible TO achieve
degree Of quiet and privacy unob-
tainabIe anywhere else In the city. AZ
. the site for a summer mono u OK
cells tho finest suburb. for IL ~ cooi
and rnosqultoleSs and can be rsachso
without the daily tedium OF com
mutins.
Yet roof-dwe1bng is still corr,n ra-
lively rare thers EXCEPT for Few
pro+psrous business men who cen sf-
ford expensive novelties. and some
lucky janitors who arc provided with
living quarters attached to rent houses
on tho top Of apartment houses and
office buildings, New Yorkers for tho
most part cling to the oid-fasnioned
idea that q roof, having been designed
, ms protective lid. and that only
should not suddenly be called upon %
. fulfill the duties OF n floor.
This view is held with particular
q flrmness. for some mysterious reason
A by the city's real estate owners, who
. stubbornIy resist the idea. long since
3 urged upon them, OF building bnnga-
Q lows on the roofs Of apartment houses
n office buildings and private houses
a Because Of its extreme narrowness
- there is woefui lack OF Residential
2 space in the lower part OF Manhattan
although there is any amount OF 4
o going 10 waste up on the roofs. wiz
millions Of square feet ready 20 b'
II developed In this manner. there arr
: probably not more than so roof dwell
s ings In the entire city.
o Ono OF the most interesting of thes
e is the home OF Henry L. Doherty, wei
d known New York banker. on top 0
= the Battery Park Building. where tn
outlook rs magnificent. On the on
re hand. lies the harbor, with It's quie
islands and strange. busting Graf
N And on the other hand. there is IN
IN New York skyline--that unparallele
20 stretch of giant offlce buildings which
= lighted up IN tho night time, sugges
10 wierd, jewel- studded cliffs.
-v A Roof Tennis Court.
m Mr.. Doherty not only has p com
Portable. spacious apartment on n
ut novel site. but a tennis court and
OF curious. painted garden as well. n
lis prefers painted gardens to real one
OF because they do not harbor fiies ar
ng mosquitoes. Sitting on mis- back pcre
these summer evenings, ne look. o.
on upon a picturesque rural landscal
with rolling hills and green ferti
en valleys, q mountain top or two in u
ffI distance and in the foreground a lov
ns ~ garden with trellises OF chmbir
roses and lily pools set here and the
~ on a green lawn or between flow
u" beds. Everything - painted.
My idea fs TO make thss place a re
-" health resort" explains Mr.. Doher-
"a "one that I can reach IN a few mi
utes' walk from my Office. The pri
j.. cipal thing is to get lots OF good, sue
cir. I never could see why peor
want 20 go to places IN search OF fret
air, and then screen themselves aws
a-, from II. I haven't a screen IN n
=, place and don't want any. Meth
go do I want any mosquitoes OF flies.
have the plants and evergree
.ad which are out on This place in win,
,v7 taken away n summer, and as dor
want tt TO look TOO plain and bare
an have had the walls and floor pain,
ON to give an effect OF foliage, pools a
md flowers.
II New Yorkers would only real
how fine It IS up on the roofs. more
them certainly would build roof gard
and Fairgrounds" ne continued
YES seems amazing though that when
.ept simply taxing an elevator TO the T
ugh rney couio get glorious Tesn oree
the ana air as sWest as m the coun
he they continue 20 ignore these. pol
bilities and spend their time DC
ono at the ground level. or travelling
bos and from summer resorts.
-,a, THE average New York suburb
-. ite travels a long distance from
- office 70 his country homo and s
there just about in time to go IN.
TO get away from mosquitoes. Or I
-, haps he has his veranda screened
sits outside. deluding himself that
getting just as much benefit as Il
were really out in the open. Tn
" OF the time he passes in the cars
ioHA' the struggling crowds he encount
tied p,bat A. ,,,.,s.. co,,Is 49, 80 -
'hey the roofs he could have infinitely n
very time out Of doors and with in1ini
aose less trouble.
"All this life in the open afr ma
Keep for efficiency. I'm not the kind
get man TO take long vacations, and
for commuting-well. wouldn't
rtue It. I believe IL more New Yorl
hide would use their roofs for bea1.b
OF sorts they'd find they would gain
the health. add to their efficiency and c
tinue to be efficient longer"
A Yacht-like Dwelling.
is a Another picturesque roof dwell
pend belongs TO a well known New y
yachtsman. who years ago dec
that he would like TO live on TOT
the Berkeley Arcade Building IN
|AI midst CT his clubs and the the
'1AA district. a satisfactory long I
lease for a certain portion OF the
u T. whs arranged. with adequate
tv vision fer renewal and also for ell,
tor service and heat. Then an ar
char tect was called to the roof and
eiens bnt quested TO design an appropr
, the bungalow. The result is we'll W,
asihs seeing.
, you The exterior walls OF the place
. all OF brick and hollow tile covered ,
puri-
and
the
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