The New York herald., 1922-03-05

There are under construction in the
unodel cooperative community at Jack
son Heights. Queens. s5,00o,000 worth
Of new houses of the garden variety.
The colony at present comprises sixty
four houses, with accommodations for
more than ] 900 families and more than
go tenant owners. The new houses will
all be equipped with automatic elevator
service. which has been tried success
fully in European cities but has been
limited In installation in private dwell
inss in the United States.
OF the $5.000,000 worth of construc-
tion now under way approximately
s2.00o.o00 represents the cost OF the
block of houses bounded by Hayes and
Fillmore avenues, Twenty-third and
. Twenty-fourth streets, which are being
erected by the Greensboro Corporation
and the J. G. White Engineering Com
pany. Recently Dwight P. Robinson &
co. began the erection of elevator
houses comprising twenty-six buildings
and 2S4 apartments in the block be-
tween Polk and Roosevelt avenues,
Twenty-second and Twenty-third streets.
The former project. however. is espe-
cially significant by reason of the fact
that the White Engineering Corporation,
a concern of international reputation, is
entering the field at Jackson Heights
for the first time.
After a personal inspection of several
groups of apartment houses at jackson
Heights. Gano Dunn. president OF the
j. G.. White Engineering Company, gave
the following reasons for his eagerness
10 undertake the Jackson Heights ven
ture:
Among the features which forcibly
impressed themselves upon us was the
unique arrangement OF the rooms in the
apartments. The common phrase hall
rooms are outside rooms is usually a
decided misnomer. and is usually COM
Piled with only in the most technical
sense. At Jackson Heights the state
inent is literally true. and in addition
all rooms, besides being outside rooms,
have a most attractive outlook.
The exterior finish of the apartments
In the rear. as we'll as on the street
front. is artistic. well designed and ex-
ecuted, and with the splendid interior
garden the prospect from rooms facing
on the court is as pleasant, If not more
pleasant, than from the front windows
facing on the street.
These courts. too. are of such ample
size and the distance to the apartments
on the opposite side of the block is such
that one feels a privacy which is quite
unheard Of in city apartments. In fact.
the distance across the courts is greater
than between houses in many high class
residential suburbs.
1T seems to me that Jackson Heights
provides a much needed compromise be-
tween the metropolitan and suburban
life, one which had not been conceived
or provided for until this development
by the Greensboro Corporation. Many
persons who have lived for years in
city apartments desire the community
life which heretofore has been found
only in the better class suburbs at
some distance from New York. and yet
they hesitate to undertake the respon-
sibilities and the individual effort and
expenditure necessary when living in
detached houses with individual heating
plants. gardens to care for. sidewalks
to shovel and other attendant items.
The provision by the greensboro Cor
poration of entire blocks devoted TO ten
MS at several different places through
out the property Fairgrounds for small
children. the golf course and even ample
space for individual gardens where
flowers and vegetables may be raised
can hardly be duplicated. as far as I
know. in high class suburb of New
York. The old roadhouse. which very
clcverly has been adapted to the purpose
or a community club, provides facilities
for the usual games and gatherings"
The activities of the J. G. White En-
;ineering Corporation are widespread
The concern is at present in charge OF
projects in several of the South Ameri-
can republics. Mexico, the Philippine
Islands. Australia. New Zealand. India
and Canada. The work carried on by
1t covers a vast field OF engineering and
construction endeavor. including the
building % railroads, steam and hydro
electric plants and industrial and dwell
ing structures.
The style OF the new apartments at
jackson Heights is reminiscent OF the
architecture of Henry Nv. of France.
The brick work will provide wall sur
face of rich and interesting Texture and
harmonious color. The roof slopes are
slate. enlivened by hues of green and
+, blue in tapestry effect. The bold sky
line. broken here and there by gables
and towers each crowned with copper
FINALS weather vanes or lanterns and
medieval in spirit, will be one Of the
features OF the group.
''The officers OF the Greensboro Cor
poration feel that a most important sign
of progress In the plan of this new group
is the locating Of the bedrooms on the
rear overlooking the garden" says Il. A.
MacDougall. president OF the Queens
boro Corporation. Hitherto the Gus
tom has been to place the bedrooms on
che street and people have come to ac-
cept that arrangement without consid-
ering the reason which led to the choice
OF the street front for bedrooms The
reason was that in older types OF plan