Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-10
BY DON S. WARREN.

day editions of The Star.
BY DON S. WARREN.
Wesley Heights is a community of
detached homes of distinctive design.
built into natural setting of beauty,
with thick groves of pines, towering
oaks, tulip poplars and great black
walnut trees, preserved with painstak-
ing care as outstanding attractions of
the development.
Here on an eXpanse of wooded acre
age of rolling al uneven land, which,
but four years ago was to all appear
ances a portion of the Glover tract
which now is in process of develop
ment as a great out-of-door recreation
park, have been erected nearly 200
residences of varying size and archi-
tectural style, all fitted into their tree
grown setting in a manner preserving
its natural appeal and blending the
whole into complete and pleasing pic
ture.
Another striking impression afforded
manner in which the original contour
of the land was retained in the lay
ing of the streets and the preparation
of lots for the erection of houses. The
result was that series of terraces,
curved lines of entrance walks, the
rising and falling character of the
hillside community add an everchang-
ing interest in the place.
Attractive Trees Planted.
A convincing illustration of the
value of the preservation of trees in
the development of a new community
of homes is to be seen in Wesley
Heights. In the selection of the posi-
tons of the houses on their lots, OBJ
vious consideration was given to the
location of trees of beauty which would
be saved, to insure proper perspective
from the streets. Numbers of trees
of varying species, some dwarfted in
stature and some monumental on their
great height. They hold their verdant
foliage close to the houses to. form
background for the outlines and color
schemes of the homes and they stretch
their arms high above roof tops like
great rustic Gothic arches.
Groves of native pines Of moderate
size stand thick in some lawns, as on
Forty-fourth place, while in others are
to be found red cedars, oaks. lindens,
poplars, American elms and naples
or an occasional ash. Some of these
larger trees are centenarians or even
older.
Standing close to the edge Of high
terraces in some places in the COM
munity, as notably at the corner of
Cathedral avenue and Ridge road, sew
eral of the great sized trees called for
the development of stone walls to
be inserted in the terrace to insure
their lives. Long stretches of stone
terrace walls also proved necessary in
places due to the heavy grades in the
terrain. In order to protect the trees
where the level of the lawns about
the new houses proved to be lower
than the original ground about the
trees to be preserved, mounds of earth
were allowed to remain about them,
and where the level of the lawns was
raised above the bases of these trees
circular stone-lined pits were developed
about them.
Architectural Designs.
The architectural designs of the
various homes here, like the individual
character of each lawn in the COM
munity. are differentiated. While all
are more or less conservative in style
and are designed to complement one
another, some are Georgian in mode,
some distinctly American colonial.
some Spanish. some Dutch colonial and
others of modified American and Eng
lish types. Numbers of the houses
are of frame construction, while
OLuSFE arc VI SlOIlC dAl0 6tuSSO VI law
brick and stucco, or all brick or all
stone. The first group of houses built
in this community were mostly OF
small size, but the later developments
have been in larger and more preten-
tious homes with larger plots of
ground about them.
Two Star model homes have been
built in Wesley Heights. and several
homes in the community have been
officially commended for merit in ar.
chitectural plan and construction.
During the past year a jury of emf
nent architects awarded the medal Of
the Washington Board of Trade for
the home of Charles H. Pardoe at 1920
Cathedral avenue, and honorable men,
ton was awarded for the home of
Carl C. Champion at 4400 Klingle
street.
The jury in it's report on the Pardoe
home described it as most pictur-
esque and interesting both in silhou-
cite and in proportion as well as in
texture of materials" The home is
unusual in outline. presenting some
thing of a triangular effect in per-
spectfve as a result Of the slanting
character of the roofs on either side
of the house and the extension Of the
front wall Of the house to form wall
wings. A large bay adds character
to the facade OF the nrSt story OF the
house, and on either end of the sec.
ond story are large dormers. A
curved concrete walk leads to a shell
tered entrance door, and small ever
green's and a smooth lawn complete
the landscape plan.
Attractive Homes.
The CHAMPION home carries 8. pic.
turesque quaintness in it's highp pitched
roofs and great chimney, which rises
along the front wall of the house
It, too, has evergreens bordering the
house., tall enough to accentuate the
height of the building, and fiagstone
walk.
Probably the most pretentious home
In the entire development is that Of
Dion s. Birney, located at 44S5 Ca
thedral avenue, which is of an archi
tectural style fashioned closely aftel