Evening star., 1947-02-01
5000 on Waiting List for 594Un, NegroBut D. G. Project
Foley Hollis Moyfuir
Mansions, on Site Of
Old Benning Truck
BY Robert ]. Lewis
Rsoi Estate Editor Of The Stor

Mayfair Mansions, 594-unit rental
apartment development for negroes
on the site Of the old Benning Race
Track in Northeast Washington,
which is now completed and fully oc-
|cupied, has a waiting list" of nearly
5000 families.
This was disclosed today by Albert
7. Cassell, architect for the develop
ment and executive vice president
and general manager Of Mayfair
Mansions, Inc.
Though described as one OF the
finest, If not the finest, project in
the country for colored families, the
So, SOC, 900 development is. compara-
lively little known.
Raymond M. Foley, national hous-
ing administrator and commissioner
of the Federal Housing Administra-
tion, hailed it today as zone Of the
finest projects for Negro occupancy
in the country"
Called Best of its Kind.
Ernest F. Henry, executive director
of the Home Builders Association of
Metropolitan Washington, described
it as "the best housing project for
Negroes of its kind I've ever seen
and probably superior to any in the
country"
The development is also note
worthy for being owned by Negroes,
designed by a Negro and built, almost
without exception, by Negro artisans.
It occupies nearly 28 acres Of the
60-acre former Benning. Race Track
site, now owned by Mayfair Man
sions, Inc. The tract lies between
Hayes and Jay streets, Kenilworth
terrace and the Anacostia River NE.
Within a month, the owners expect
to start construction of a 6-door tenn
porary shopping center on part Of
the 80 acres still undeveloped. Plans
have been made to double the size of
the housing development by using
the remainder of the undeveloped
part of the tract at some future
date, it was said.
Set diagonally along spacious
Mall, which provides sweeping
vista toward the Lined Anacos-
tia River, are II brick, steel and
concrete buildings, each containing
from "a to 80 apartments. The prof.
ect is across the river from the
National Arboretum.
Three Play Areas.
Buildings occupy only IS per cent
of the, % acres Of developed land,
leaving the rest for the broad Mall,
wide courts between the buildings
and other Handicapped areas. The
site also has three play areas for
small children.
Mr.. Cassell is graduate of Cornell
University and a former professor of
architecture at Howard University
here. President of the corporation
is Elder L. S. Michaud, well-known
Washington evangelist.
Apartments are of one, two and
three bedrooms. Rents range from
$62 so to $3.50 for 400 ne-bedroom
units; $40 to $72 for 1859 two-bedroom
units, and $50 to $3.50 for Is three
bedroom units. The apartments have
q total of ,2,085 rooms.
The project was started in Sep
tember. 1912, and had rock road to
completion, Mr.. Cassell said today,
owing to series of difficulties. The
cost Of raising the grade level of the
tract proved considerably higher
than expected. Then came wartime
dislocation and a struggle to obtain
scarce building material after the
war was over. The last apartment
completed was occupied last June.
At one stage construction was
halted for eight months as result
o. EITTTC poOo . 0N