Auguat 30, Î892





Record   and   Guide.





239





EUILIDIlSrG   iq'E'WS.





There has always beeu a feeling of insecurity among people who have
reaided in flats whicb bave no elevators, leat, ín case of a conflagration,
tbey M'ould have uo means of exit. The Building Law was, until a few
years ago, somewbat lax in the provisions respecting the use of tbe fire-
escape. The new Building Law, bowever, may be said to be very atrict
in this matter. and in future tlie ingenuity of our architects will be
taxed in designing fire-escopes tbat shall not be objectionable to the
artistic eye. One architect has olready succassfuUy overcjms the diffl-
culty o£ lending beauty to the fire-escapa, which has, even to this day,
proved o sore spot to the builder and a defacement to his
building. Tbe flre-escape iu the " Delmonte" flat is here
referred to. Tbĩs buUding stands on the soutbwest corner
of Columbus avenue and î.^th street, and is very nearĩy completed. Tbe
flre-escape consists of a ssries of balconies runnĩng aeross each of tbe
upper siî stories ou the avenue front. They are of artistic design, iu
ironwork, and are supported by brackets o£ special moĩdiug. Ho for
from btíing an effiacement, they aro most decidedly ornamental, Thiu,
wiry stairs lead from balcony to balcony, but they are not sufficientiy
heavy to spoil the appearance of ths flre-escape as a whole. The flre-
escape business is evideutly destîned to be o very importanfc one in
the future, ond raonufacturers and designers wjU be called upon to use
their braius in turoing out ornamental and artistic work in tbese neces-
sary aafeguards to life and limb.

*   *   *   *

The conversion into business buildings of corner bouses, and houses
adjoining comers, has been o marked feature in recent years. This has
been so onnearly all themnin thoroughfares, such as Broadway, 3d, Gth
and other avenues. But no ons espactad tbat ony house in a rsstricted
locality on the West Sĩde would suecumb to buíioess influences for
many years to come. Tet this has already come to pass in the houBe No.
'103 West Slsí street, adJDÍning the soutbwest comer of Columbus avenue
andfacingthe "Endicott." Thiaresidence, built by the late Mr, Hoopea
some seven or eight years ago, bas beeu converted iuto a business building,
and among tbose who havs offlces in it are an architect, o plumber, a plas-
tersr, o painter, a morble dealer and au old-time reol sstate operator.

:?;     *     *     T

Speoking of busínessstructoreson West Side streets it may be noted
that what was once called " Colcord's FoIIy " is turning out to be a profit-
able investment, Tbe building referred to is No. 103 West 8M street, and
it bas now beeu leased to the Hamiltou lustilute, which wiU opeu Septem-
ber ĩst. Samuel Colcord has proven to be more far-sighted than soms
people supposed when be erected thís building,

*    :í     *     *

Builders arecommencing to realize that avenue lots in choice locations
are becoming very scarce. A walk ilong Columbus avenue, for instance,
betweeu the north side of TZá street and tbe south side of 81st street,
showed the writerthat there were ouly five plots vacaut, Theseoreas fol-
lows: Four OQ the southeast corner of 74th street, eĩgbt on the east side,
betweeu 75th and 76lh atreets, four on the southeast coruer of 77th street,
eight on tbe west side, between 79th and 8Uth streets, and betweeu fifth
and sisth on tbe nortbwest corner of 8Ũth street. Tbis gives a fcotal
of less than 30 avsnue lots betwssn the streets named, out of a total o£
113 available bullding lots. Of thess 83, over 73 per cent, are
covered—witti two or three esceptiona—by bandsome modern apartment
bouses and stores.

*    *   *   +

Manbattan Squars Nortb is slowlj but surelybeing absorbed by ths
srection of some of the costliest residences ou fche West Side. It is a matter
for surprise that ricb New Yorkers have nofc long siuce boughfc up every
avoilubie lotou the two bloelis fronting on Manhattan Porlr. In London
or Paris the very bighest prices would have been paid for lots facing on
oue park and overlooking aaotber. But we in New York are slow to take
advantogeof an ever-opan space with a pleasant outlook. We seem to
prsfer to build our flne houses squat ou the street, right up to the house
line, to au iucb.

*    *   *   +

Builders can learn a point from the Nebraska, Lyndhurst ond Colorado
flats on the southeast coruer of 8id streefc and Columbus avenue. H. B.
tJIaven, of Panama Canal fame, boughfc tbese buildiugs some timeagofrom
Macdonald & Lozier, and placed them in even finer condition than he
found them, " There is ooe thing wanting," said a tenant. " What is
fcbat?" was fche response. " Well," replied ths tenant,'■ we gefc a strong
BUn from the souih and west and it would be mucb apprecioted by your
tenants i£ you had awuings put ou tbe windows that bave a south and
west esposure." The owner coraplied and it haa helped to secure teuants.
Tbere is uow only oue vaconey in tbe tbree biiUdings. It is intereating to
note through what small espenditures ownera can sometimes heip to satiafy
tenants and keep thelr apartments filied.

+   *   *   *

Foster & Livingaton's six foui--story houses on tbe BOUth side of 82d
street, near Central Park West, are now inclosed, but they wiU uot be
quite completed in time for the early fall market. They are each of
different design, the raain features of tbeir fronts being tbe uriole and
hesagLn bays. Two of the bouses have tbese bays ,on thesecond story,
twohavebays on tbesecondand tbirdstorĩes and two bave them on tue
second story and basemeut. Mr. Livingston sajs tho houseB will not be
ready till Jauuary.

*   *   *   *

The addition to the Hotel Beresford, which is bemg built ou the soutb-
west cornei o£ Central Fark Westand 82d strest is now about up to the
tbird tier of beams. Tbe front is plam and unpretentious, being of brick,
with brownstone trirammgs, and corresponds iu design to the main huild-
ing, which was tbe pioueer apartraeut hotel buĩlt west of Central Park.





Mr. Walker, tbe owuer, states that tbe addition wiU be completed by May
1 nest, Ic wiU contaiu sixty-four suites o£ apartments and wiU be con-
uected with the present hotel.

T   *   *   +

The nine lots owned by the Marsball 0. Roberta eafcate, on the northeast
corner of Columbus aveuue aud Slst street, bave on more than ons occa-
siou come within an ace o£ changing haods. Tbey would make amagnifl-
cent site for an apartment botel, but as 12,5 feet of their S3,5 feet frontags
on the street is restricted, private houses only can be erected on the major
portion of tbe plot. The 100 feet ou the corner wUI some day be ũnproved
witb a flat and stores and, kmwiug this, builders will not be likely to take
fche risk o£ erecting a bigh-class residence plumb againsfc a flat. The rear
wiudowsof anaparfcmenthousealwajsoveriook the rear wiudowa of tbo
firsfc, second aud third houses adjoining, and builders wUI not easily over-
comethe natural fear tbey entertain that houses may belefton their
hands because buyers flght shy of dweUiugs built near flats. Biit for this
reason the Marshall 0, Roberts estato would loug siuce have disposed o£
the above lots.

*   *   *   *

Tbis brings to mind another plot of lots on fche West Side, well knowu to
builders and brokers, tbat the owuers have not been able to aell owing to
their adjoining an avenue corner. But in this caae a scbool is on the
corner. It is a fact tbat an ex-miai'rter o£ tbe Gospel hos sold his lots
oppjsite, ou the aame street, at close upon $2,000 each more tban the price
at wbich those above referred to can be boughfc, because they were aeveral
bundred feet further away from the corner. " Somebody must buiid on
streetlotsati]oiningacorn6r,"saida builder to the writer, "but I døn
want to be the man."

*    *     *    T

Acker, Merrill & Condit ara said to be ín searcb of a good buiiding s ite
on the WestSide. If so, ic isno doubt due to the erection of o braneh
building on thafc side of the city by their competitors, Messrs Park &
Tilford.

+   +   +   *

Frank Falk, ths contractor, who is escavating two lots ou tbe south side
of 77tb streat, between Central Park West and Colurabus avenue, baa had
to go down aî feet below the eurb, owing to a stream wbich he struck at a
depth of nearly 30 feet. In talking about the cost of excavations, he aaid:
"Theltahan contractors bovea great advantage over us. They bire their
countrymen to work for less than we can get them to work for. Besides,
thejput off tbeir raen, i£ tbej are short o£ money, and tba men wait tUI
the coutract is completed if necefisary. Bub the American or German con-
tractor bas to pay his meu every two weeks. Tbe Italian contractor
fcherefore, bas the two advantages of paying less for hislabor and requiring
less capital to carry on bis operations."

*      *   *   íf

The New York Historical Society is stUl sbort of fche necesaary funds
witb whieh to erect its new buUdiog onthe blũck front on Ceutral Park
Wesfc, 7eith and 7rth atreets. The lots bave a sigu on fcbem on which appear
thefollowing words: "Tbis plot, 204x125, has been purcbased by the New
York Historical Socíety for the erection of a new building."

*   *   *   «

J. C. Umberfield'a eighfc houses on the north side of 75th street, between
Central Park West and Columbua avenue, are nearing corapletion. The
main featurea o£ their fronts are the massive bos stoops leadiug to the
entrauce of each house.





A Bit of Komance.
N. C. Mellen, tbe jimior member of the weil-known firm ôf archifcecfcs
Boring, Tilton & Mellen, saUs to-day on the Urania for Europe. The best
wishes of personal friends wUI foliow Mr. Mellen like old shoes full of rice
for on September Ist, in London, be is to wed Miss Ayres, daugbter of
Normau T, Ayres, of Worth sfcreet,    Valete et jilaudite.





Special ĩĩotiũes.

OPENING A CHICAGO OFFICK.

Mr. O. D. Person, dealer iu roofiiig tile and ornamental fronfc bríck
whoseofflcaĩs in the Mohawk Buildiug, corner of 5th avenueand 31st
street, Bas, owiug to thelarge demand made by the Wsstern trade forgoods
for which be bas the agency, opeoed a brancb offlce on La Salle street, Chi-
cago, where his brother, Mr. Clarsuce Fersoo, who bas baeuconnected with
the New York offlce for several years past bas been located as Western
mauager.

MR.  AUGUST JACOB'S NEW  FLATS.

About September Ist, four flve-story brick flats will be fiuished atthe
southwest corner of Ist avenue and 124th street. They are planned for two
faa.ilíes per floor, and vary in depth, These bouses were built by Auguat
Jacob, of No, 2(>0 East 78th streefc, the well-kuowu roofer aud cornice-
maber. Mr Jacob has beeu watchful during the construction of the
housef, and has secured good worb throughout, In the way of roofing,
corníces and skyligbts it sbould be added that Mr, Jacob recently suppUed
fiveflatson íiOtihstreet, near Park avenue, for BuilrierP. J. Schnugg and the
extrasized flat on tbe soutbwest corner of Delancey ond Eldridge atreets
for Peter Herter, of Herter Bros., besides other jubs for builders and
architects equally weU koown and calling for good work.





PerBoual.

A. C. Tiedeman, of The Henry Huber Co., is taking a vacation in the
CatskiUs.
J. G. Evabt, raauagerfortbeBostonTerraCottftCo., wboseofficeisinthe