Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 22, no. 544: August 17, 1878

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Real Estate Record AND BUILDERS^ GUIDE. Vol. XXII. NEW YOEK, SATÜRDAY, AUGUST 17, 1878. No. 544. Published Weekly by TERMS. ONE YEAR. in advance....SlO.OO. Cotniiiunicatioiis should be addres.sed to C. \V. SAVEET, Nos. 345 AND ai7 Broadway MADE GROUND. Üf the manj- problcms of topogniphictii cn- gineering that the surface of our i.sland pie.sents, there is none, we believe, that calls for more care¬ ful studj' or more conscientions nuinagemenfc than the treatment of the manj- low and swanipj' spots that exist throughout the uniniproved sec¬ tion of tlic citj*. It is the great drawback to tlie sjiliibritj' of New York that its surface is indented with frequent niarshes nnd bogs; and the liealth of future generations. as \vell as the sanitarj- rep¬ utation of the city, depend greatlj' upon tho nian¬ ner in which these beds of disense ure handled in their final treatment. The ancient method of dealing with these plague spots was to graduailj- fill them in w-ith bouldere, rocks, stumps of trees, street refuse, garbage, swill and ashes, none of which ingredients was capable of overconiing tho iuherent defccts of such localities for building purposes. Contracts nsuallj- call for the filling in of sunken lots with clean and ivholesome eartli, but the fulfilnient of this stipulation is the rare exception in mod^i'n times. And j-et, anj- other method of filling is as useless, or, w-o maj- «.IJ', as surelj' destructive of the utilitj- of such land for building purposes, as if the blocks were flooded with water and reserved as the beds of Inland lakes or running streams. AA'hen these lots are improperlj- filled in. it becomes a formidable task to find a satisfactorj- foundation for building. No reputable or painstaking builder ivould be willing to take such lots as a gift, coupled w-ith the Obligation of building ou them. The nature of this improper filling prevents even the driving of piles—a device by which tho risks of a w-et bot¬ tom can ordinarilj' be overcome. Consequentlj-, the.se sunken or wet lots, with their crude filling, are apt to fall into the hands of dishonest build¬ ers, who are reckless enough to stai't their work without regard to the securitj- of foundation or soliditj- of sub-structure. Oftentimes, buildings so erected commence settling from the founda¬ tion up, and, by reason of their being tied and jointed together in a solid block, will often reach asafe or lirm resting place—a State of tie at which thej' luay stand unchanged for a long periotl. Such buildings, however, cannot be relicd upon, as further Settlements are liable iu time to occur. The innocent occupant besides being annoj'ed by ghastlj- seanis appearing in the side walls, en- dures the constant apprehension of having the building tumble about his head some day, and the certain calamity of chronic ill health in his fam¬ ilj', arising from the unwholesome nature of the soil. There are manj' blocks of lots in the upper part of the city wliich now require filling, for the execution of which work the Board of Health will presently be obUged to issue its mandate. For the future good reputation of our city, for its complete healtbfulness, for tho prospective value of propertj- whicli will thus bc brougbt iiito the market, and for the honor and credit of the building trade, we would present the importance of lu-iving these lots filled with clean and whole¬ some earth. as the law- demands, and as the onlj- lilliiig that can render made ground improvable or habitable. No filling at all is far preferable for a builder's purpose than tho use of rubliish and such un- wieldj- nias-ses of stone fir wood as cannot be coii- vonientlj' removed in digging for a firm founda¬ tion. RECONSTRUCTION IN BROADWAY. Tliere is hardly a New Yorker bat will remember the old Apprentice's Librarj-, on the east side of Broadwaj-, between Broome and Grand streets. It is not six months .igo thai the okl hall, the .sceiio of so iiiaii.v lilerary Iriuinphs on the part o{ iiiaiij- whose names liave bccoiiie hoiisehdld words iu tlii; odiica- tioiial historj- of Now A'ork, was still a point of attraction to the nmiifious joiith of lins citj-, whose Position and relationship enabled thom to obtain the good liook.s so neces.sarj- to mould their aspiring intellect. Today, an iron building of no lucan prc- tensions Stands on the spot, and has been partiallj- oecupied already by the clothing firm of Levy Broth¬ ers, who leased the propertj- somo tiiiic last year. So far .OS a pieco of energetic building can be pointed at, there is probably no .iob in New York that can at all cominire with il, considering I1u> soliditj- and dm-ability of the building. The shape of the structure also, with its l(i.9 feet front on Broadway and 100 feet frontage on Crosby street, running right throngli the block, a distance^of abont 200 feet deep —making tho building assume a T shape-did not assist the expeditious nianner in which the work had to be done, and yet Mr. Cauvet, the architect, with¬ out aiij- loss of time or onerous expenditure succeed¬ od in making the structure readj- for ociipaney on the 15tli instant. It was onlj- in the beginning of April that the old librarj- was torii down and within a few d.ays of August the clothing flrm owning the struct¬ ure are moving in, with the aid of numerous trueks and an army of Clerks ready to take hold of the promising fall trade that is once more to bring life and clieer to New York'.? commercial circles. The structure has five stories and a basement, the iron front being from the well-known fomideries of Z. S. & A. S. Ayres. Fortj--flftli street and Tenth avenue, who are slowly but steadilj- making their work known to the satisfaction of down-towii property owners. The mason work. bj- A'an Dol¬ sen & Arnott, of West Twentj'-seventh street, has also been energeticalj- pushed forward, a iiiinute examination of their work showing that tliej- have fulfilled their contract to the verj' letter from the Sheet flling to the top of the building. The walls vary in tliickness from 28 inches in the base¬ ment to 21, 20 and 16 inches at the top, the wall of tho old Pacific Bank having, it must be admitted, been used as a party'wall to a considerable extent. The yellow pine lloors throughout the building have been laid bj- Jolm J. Brown, of Forty-ninth street, with a caro and ossiduitj- which would oo held iip as an example of conscientions work even in a prominent public building. The snbstantial carpenter work throughout the building, all of which has been per- formed bv Mr. Brown, shows that notliwithstanding the rapiditj- in whicli the building has been erected, great care has been taken in attending ever to minor details. The fireproof columns on the interior, holding up the rear of the building, have also been provided by the Messrs. Ayres. Messrs. Hall, Ilatt & Parker, of Newark, have con¬ structed the elaborate stairs on tbe Broadwaj- as well as on the Crosby street side. Mr. AVilliam Parker, who has had Charge of the plastering has acquitted hiiiiself of his work in a most satisfiictorj- nianner. The gas fltting and ]iluinbing have beeu satisfac- torilj- finished by Pierson & Denike. of Tbirty-.sev¬ enth street and Sixtli avenue, who have made a thorongh good job of the various closets and iirinals that aboiind throughout the building. The advant¬ age of having two sewers, one on Croslij- street and one on l'.roadw.aj-, h.as faeiiit ited the .archi¬ tect and bull ler of finding all l'ie required oiitle!:; for siiperl''ioils matter. In .additimi. however. Jf;-. Cauvet has succeeded in making all the .sewer ;,'as run up to the roof, so .asto keep thebiiililiiigthroii.jh- out in a thorough sanit.ar.v eoiidition. Mr. .lames Diiiiseith, of West Fortieth sireet, a. Ihorough mechanic. has had cliarge of the steam- healiiig and elevator fittiiig.s. the elevator proper being froni Otis Brothei-s. The iv.nfiiig and tinning of the building, a matter of no iiieaii iniporlaiiee consider¬ ing that an iiiiiiieiise warelioiise of goods is emi- stantly exposed to Ihe oleiiieuts-has hc^eii coiiseien- lioiislj- linished hj- Air. .laines Kennedj-. Oll examiniug Ihe triinniings and inside fittiiigs of Ulis peculiar stnieture the writer notieed that everj-- thiiig had been finished in a piain, and still in a strong manner, and that the architect has closely followed the desire of the owners in giving them snb.st.antial works without taking too much niouej- out of tlioir -pockets. Thero is one feature wbich reiiuires e.sp.x'ial mention, and that is the manner in which Dale's cement light has been .juiliciously applied in a tuiild- iiig wliere, owint; to its peculiar shapo. it was diflicult to p"'"'•'^ii'^i^'cin; raj's f)f light where most required. The architect has, with the airl of these lights, eon- trived to erect an arch wliich has a wonderful elteet in traiismitting light on the spot where most needed. These Dale lights have now been used for the past eight years and have alw,aj-s given great satisfaction. The Offices for the Jlessrs. Levy. who occupy a por¬ tion of the building, have been finished in the Queen Anne style, more with the view to Utility than show. And as their iinnieiise stock of goods lies displayed there for the inspectiou of the trade, one wonders how such a metamorphosis could have been created on this identical spot within the iucrediblc short space of time it took to replace the Apprentice's Library by a large warehouse. MARKET REVIEW. REAIi ESTATE MARKET. At the Exchange Salesroom, tho follow-ing were the so incipal sales held during the past week. Un¬ der foreclosure proceedings the five-story brick builtl¬ ing. with lot 25x100, known as No. 148 Forsj-th street, ea.st side, 175 feet north of Delancej- street, was sold for g10,900 to Jane JIcMahon. By order of the Court, in partition proceedings, E. H. Ludlow- & Co. sold a plot of land on the southw-est corner of Ninth avenue and Fiftj--seventh street, 100x125.5. for §19,150, and the house and stable. with two lots, on AVest One Hundred and Twentj-- fiftli street, north side, -itM feet eost of Eighth avenue. running through to One Hundred and Twenty-sixth street, were sold for $10,750. At a sale held pursiiant to the order of the Surro¬ gate, on Tuesdaj- last, tbe premises No. 112 AVest Fortj'-seventh street, south side, 606.3 east of Seventh avenue, was sold to E. S. Hoffmann for ?7,500. Siuce our last report the onlj- noteworthj' plan filled for the erection of buildings is that of J. C. Thompson, Jr., who intends to erect on Fifty-seventh street flve four-story brown stone dwellings at a cost of 817,500 each.