994
RECORD AND GUIDE
May 10, 1913
present. In reality, to judge from the
sustained activity in building and the
known higher rates charged on these
loans than are paid in other enterprises,
it would seem that it is not so much a
scarcity of money as it is a question
of rates. In other words, money can be
had—at a price; but the price is higher,
and money, like all other commodities,
is worth more than it was some time
ago.
The total expenditure for building
in .'\pril at 109 cities reporting to Brad¬
street's at this early date in the month
was $79,667,407, as against $82„366,731
in April a year ago and $65,942,553 in
March, 1913. There is here indicated an
increase of 20.8 per cent, over March,
but a decrease of 3.2 per cent, from
April last year. Despite the decrease
in the total from April, 1912, however,
it is worth noting that fifty-seven cities
out of 109 show gains, while fifty-two
show decreases. Furthermore, it is
found that the falling off at New York
in building, as in clearings, is account¬
able for the decrease, small as it is, in
the country's aggregate. Thus, with
New York excluded the country's build¬
ing total is over 10 per cent, larger than
in .\pril a year ago.
Last of the Drexel Building.
Housewreckers began to take down
the Drexel-Morgan Building at Wall and
Broad streets on Monday. The plans for
the building were filed in 1872. A. Gill¬
man was the architect. Forty years of
metropolitan progress have sufficed to
render obsolete this once beautiful edi¬
fice. It was the second fireproof build¬
ing of importance to be erected here,
the Equitable being the first; and it was
one of the last of the French type of
business structures. Though for many
years its walls have been darkly discol¬
ored, they were built of pure white
marble, and contained seven stories,
topped by a Mansard roof. In design
and construction it was representative
of the best form of utilitarian building
of the era. It had a steam elevator,
without which it would not have been
built so high.
The first of the really high office
buildings did not appear until the West¬
ern Union was built, in 1873, from plans
of George B. Post. Smith & Rogers
were the builders. Ten and a half
stories high, with the three topmost
ones in a Mansard roof, this was the
tallest building of the time. Two ele¬
vators, one of them a water-balance,
rendered its "great height" possible of
utilization. Only two months later the
Tribune Building, from plans by Richard
M. Hunt, was started by Peter B.
O'Brien, the general contractor. For
many years this was the most conspicu¬
ous architectural work in the downtown
section. Travelers coming by the sea
and the rivers could see it miles away,
just as in later years they observed the
tower of the World Building over all
the rest.
—The proceedings and papers of the
Second National Conference on Hous¬
ing, held in Philadelphia, December 4,
5 and 6, 1912, have been gathered to¬
gether in a well-indexed book, entitled
"Housing Problem in America." The
importance of this volume from the
standpoint of philanthropy is, of course,
apparent, but the fact may not be so ob¬
vious that many of the technical papers
are of great practical value to architects
and builders, particularly in the matter
of suburban houses. The book may be
obtained from John Ihlder, field secre¬
tary of the National Housing Associa¬
tion, 105 East 22d street,
iTOi!iTi''i?M!^iiiiirrffii."i:'nm^ff)^Ri'":r!;:'"''^n'\''i''''ii'?m itii":'
r*!i^:.'^r'rT,'"^mgrr^:V" -"vniT. -. r _^ii|r^
REAL ESTATE STATISTICS OF THE WEEK I
The Following Table is a Resume of the Record of Convey¬
ances, Mortgages, Mortgage Extensions and Building
Permits Filed in Each Borough During the Week.
(Arranged with figures for the corresponding week of 1912.
Following each weekly table is a resume from January 1 to date.)
MANHATTAN.
Conver ances,
1913 1912
May 2 to 8_________May 3 to 9
TotalNo................. 162 193
Assessed value......... $11,604,000 $15,038,8.50
No. with consideration... 36 13
Consideration............ $1.443,.501 $536,500
Assessed value.......... $1,049,500 $660,.500
Jan. 1 to May 8 Jan. 1 to May 9
TotalNo................ 2,993 3,4OT
Assessed value........... $182,128,772 $282,600,895
No. with consideration.. 421 323
Consideration............ $19,700,656 $18,094,757
Assessed value.......... $18,808,062 $24,777,150
HortBaKes.
May 2 to 8__________May 3 to 9
TotalNo................ 114 136
Amount................. $3,542,133 $4,882,231
To Banks & Ins, Cos. .. 32 31
Amount................. $2,529,000 $2,006,000
No at 6*............... 47 47
Amount................. $550,406 $338,824
No, at SK*............. 4 2
Amount................. $1,253,500 $311,000
No.atS*............... 34 .30
Amount................. $1,078,477 $1,434,152
No.ttt4H!(.............. 10 14
Amount................. $428,000 $940,400
Noat4<................ 1 ......
Amount................. $5,000 ......
Unusual ratea........... ___ 2
Amount................. ___ $294,130
Interest not given....... 18 41
Amount................. $226,750 $1,560,625
Jan. 1 to May 8 Jan. 1 toMay 9
TotalNo................. 1,966 2,334
Amount................ $97,521,163 $140,128,023
To Banks & Ins. Cos___ 477 522
Amount................. $63,421,900 $98,012,971
noTtgage Elxtenaiona.
May 2 to 8________May 3 to 9
TotalNo................ 38 52
Amount................. $1,509,083 $1,465,200
To Banks & Ins, Cos___ 10 8
Amount................. $949,800 $278,500
Jan. 1 to May 8 Jan. 1 to May 9
Total No................ 753 939
Amount................. $32,236,918 $27,270,910
To Banks & Ins. Cos.... 269 291
Amount................. .$20,005,700 $20,177,200
Bnildlng Permits.
May 3 to 9______May 4 to 10
New buildings.......... 23 15
Cost.................... $1,677,825 $3,474,000
Alterations.............. $340,492 $575,298
Jan. 1 to May 9 Jan. 1 to May 10
New buildings.......... 259 312
Cost.................... $24,857,810 $46,735,375
Alterations.............. $3,963,213 $4,873,789
BRONX.
Conveyancee,
May 2 to 8________May 3 to 9
TotalNo................ 143 117
No. with consideration.. 17 lo
Consideration........... $85,116 $71,879
Jan. 1 to May 8 Jan. 1 to May 9
Total No................ 2,380 2.598
No. with consideration.. 273 225
Consideration........... $2.649,646 $3,210,115
For Improving the Harlem River.
Congressman Joseph .\. Goulden has
introduced a bill in the House of Repre¬
sentatives, requesting an appropriation
of $850,000 for the improvement of the
Harlem river, with a view of straighten¬
ing the channel at the curve near the
Johnson iron works. The money is to
be expended under the direction of the
Secretary of War, but the title to the
property will be acquired by the State
of New York through action by the Leg¬
islature. The improvement of the Har¬
lem river is very necessary in connection
with Barge Canal traffic and the project
for an Intercoastal canal system from
Boston to Florida.
-------------------------------------*■-----------------------------------
—Riverside Drive, with all its attrac¬
tions as a real estate proposition, has
had some vicissitudes. The burning of
soft coal and the storing of cattle on
the tracks of the New York Central,
ajong the residential section of River¬
side Drive, must cease, according to a
decision of Justice Page.
HortKaiEes.
May 2 to 8________May 3 to 9
TotalNo................ 91 106
Amount................. $860,401 $913,.595
To Banks & Ins. Cos___ 9 9
Amount................. $198,500 $78,000
No. at6»................ ,-J7 35
Amount................. $327,803 $218,595
No. at 6W«............. 7 11
Amount................ $102,200 $75,200
No. at 5*.............. 12 30
Amount................. $169,800 $334,700
Unusual rates............ ...... 2
Amount................. ...... $24,000
Interest not given....... 35 28
Amount................. $260,598 $261,100
Jan. 1 to May 8 Jan. 1 to May 9
•Total No................ 1,636 1,8.56
Amount................. $17,219,964 $17,389,985
To Banks & Ins. Cos___ 171 215
Amount................. $3,278,179 $3,799,866
Mortsage Extensions.
May 2 to 8________May 3 to 9
To'*' ^°................ 10 16
Amount................. $129,000 $267,211
To Banks & Ins. Cos___ 2 1
Amount................. $56,000 $30,000
Jan. 1 to May 8 Jan 1 to May 9
Total No................ 232 '79
Amount ........... $4,718,935 $4,981,406
1 o Banki & Ina. Cos___ 53 54
Amount................. $1,440,750 $1,.525,000
BnlldlnK Permits.
May 2 to S________May 4 to 10
New buildings.......... 29 27
Cost..................... $530,900 $416,395
Alterations.............. $9,750 $20,545
Jan. 1 to May S Jan. 1 to May 10
New buildings.......... 407 515
Cost..................... $10,424,491 $13,269,770
Alterations.............. $34.5,545 $499,650
BROOKLYN.
Ooaveyances.
1913 1013
May 1 to 7________May 2 to 8
TotalNo..... .... 519 594
No. with consideration.. 52 31
Consideration........... $172,798 $406,925
Jan. 1 to May 7 Jan, 1 to May 8
TotalNo..... .,....... 8,724 8,924
No. with consideration... 672 536
Consideration........... $4,437,229 84,972,305
Horttrases.
May 1 to 7_________May2to8
Total No................ '■ ^ 429 447
Amount.. ..... $3,063,669 $1,895,157
10 Banks & Ina. Cos___ 78 1O6
Amount................. $611,900 $690 100
No. at 8!(................ 23'' 155
Amount .............. $904,497 $1,007,615
No. atSH*.............. 76 47
Amount................. $427,600 S222 250
No.atSi................ 93 \.2i
Amount................. $444,138 $525,685
Unusual rates............ 3 2
Amount................. $8,235 $2,200
Interest not given....... 25 22
Amount................. $1,279,199 $137,606
J»n- 1 to May 7 Jan. 1 to May 8
TotalNo............... C.2S3 6746
Amount.. ...... $24,960,070 $27,301,839
io Banks & Ina. Cos___ 1486 1595
Amount................. $9,011,043 $11,149',2'73
Bnildlns Permits.
May 2 to 8________May 2 to 8
New buildings........... 72 139
fo.''---,.................. $925,166 $1,246,960
Alterationt.............. $126,182 $108,385
J»n. 1 to May 8 Jan. 1 to May 8
New buildlnga........... 1,451 ^l26
Cost.. .................. $12,26l!244 $16,444,243
Alterations.............. $1,469,733 $1,479,619
Bnildlns Permlta.
May 1 to 8________May 3 to 9
New buildlnga...........' 153 Jgj
£,°"Vi.................. $821,205 $3.52,025
Alteratlona.............. $18,600 $23,120
J»n. 1 to May 8 Jan. 1 to Mav 9
Newbuildinga........... 1^22 Ttss
Co't---.................. $5,877,173 $6,416:697
Altaratlona.............. $443,662 $361,075
RICHHOND.
Bnildlng Permits.
May 2 to 8________May 3 to 9
NewbuUdings........... 37" ~ 53
Co't--.................. $100,795 $80,905
AlUraUooa.............. $19,136 $4,000
Jan. 1 to May 8 Jan. 1 tf^ay 9
NewbulMlngi........... 346 .335
92f--A.................. $558,007 $1,,330,618
AltMBtloM.............. $91,013 $139,664