Evening star., 1927-09-17
BY Don :. W tRREN.

10 hoHIf V3T1FTSt3p
BY Don :. WARREN.
One Of the outstanding and con.
vincing illustrations of the value, ho h
financial and pSthetiC. of careful
preservation and utilization of the
natural beauty of the contour of roll
ing, forested land developed as a resi-
dental area is To he found here in
Washington in the Massachusetts
Park section, lying between Connect
cut and Massachusetts avenues south
east of Woodley road.
Here is a community OF a hundred
or more homes spread over what is
perhaps the most rugged portion of
the District. YET To he developed as
distinct residential section. Yet
after four or five years Of active
building of homes. many Of which
are numbered among the most costly
and pretentious of any in the Ma
tional Capital. one finds the rustic
appeal of the land retained and even
made more striking by the introduc-
tion of the houses. the winding road
way and man made gardens.
A New Area at Hand.
Home builders of today are giving
more and more attention TO matters
building sites, selection of architect
ural designs that tit we'll into the
setting and to the proper orientation
of the house to get the best perSpec-
tive. These results are showing in
the more recent developments of com.
munties. Certainly the day is gone
when development concerns and in
dividual home builders, as a general
practice, ruthlesSly graded down hills
and filled in valleys in order to make
possible the placing of more houses
on given area of land. While, of
course, there are some sections where
grading and filling are essential and
where there is but little natural
beauty to be saved, progressive build
ers now are realizing the benefit of
making the maximum use of natural
contours, and definite trend in this
direction is each year becoming more
apparent.
This is one of the first impressions
gained from a study of the Massachu
setts Park section. A part and parcel
of Rock Greek Park, which it adjOins
on its southeasterly border, this COM
munity is one of deep ravines and
steep hilsides covered for the most
part with heavy growth of sturdy
trees Indigenous to this soil. The eX-
tremely heavy grades created difficult
engineering and architectural prob
lens which, if improperly handled,
would have created a jumbled effect
Section Generally Secluded.
Although within a twomile radius |
of the White House. this community |
is set apart and secluded from nearby |
sections and perhaps many of the |
thousands who daily pass the section
On Massachusetts, or Connecticut ave- |
nue. are unaware of the development |
that has taken place there in the past |
several years.
Entrance to the park from Massa- !
chusetts Avenue is through Thirty |
second street. tree-lined road which |
at once gives an indication OF the
character of the community. Passing
by the unusual French chateau-iike
formal Iehr residence and the large
English home of Scott B. Appleby, one
descends by a steep, winding road into
the ravine through which runs Nor
man Stone drive, and then climbs TO
the next ridge to Woodlawn drive.
The homes here are of widely diff.
ferent architectural style, some Geor-
gtan, Colonial, Italian or French in
mode. but with ma jority having fea-
lures of the English cottage. Driving
rapidly through the section one
gathers impressions of high-pitched
gables reaching up into canopies
formed by the great arms of tall,
graceful elms and oaks, of heavy stone
chimneys. oriel windows, heavy null
lioned windows, great chimney pots,
vine-covered walls. thatched and tile
roofs, spacious, green lawns, trim
stone walls buttressing the grounds
about the homes. having broken top
lines and interesting semi-circular
stairways. and, above all, the rustic
atmosphere of the place.
Many Formal Gardens.
Closer inspection reveals many of
the more intimate details of the archi |
tectural STYLES of the houses, slate
roofs of uneven texture, windows and
doorways with deep reveals, urns on
gate posts. formal gardens and flower |
lined walks with sweeping curved
lines, diamond loaded glass window
panes, medallions and shields on
facades of the houses and arched win
dows and doors.
Each home is a study in itself each
one presenting some new and un-
usual feature in the development of
it's design, the manner Of its placing
on it's site or its landsca ping plan.
Probably the most unusual treat
ment Of the entire community
Is the way these houses. the
majority of which are of considerabl
proportions, are set down on the steep
slopes Of this hillside section. For
instance, one dwelling now under con-
struction is placed on a site that drops
steeply from the street level, necessi
tating the placing of the main en-
trance on the second floor level. with
an entrance hall and great stair way
leading down into the living room. din
ing room and other main floor quar-.
terS.
In many instance the rear portions
Of the houses afford the most attrac- !
tive pictures with living rooms or