Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 1, no. 2: March 28, 1868

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REAL ESTATE RECORD. What's the ]VL\tter?—Peter Cooper, as Chairman of the Citizens' Association, com¬ plains, upon the representation of several archi¬ tects, of the biulding law, and states that it is oppressive, especially in enforcing the unneces¬ sary (as he thinks) appUcation of iron shutters to buildings of a certain class, and objects to the system of presenting plans to the Superin- tendeut;of Public Buildings, and to the stamping thereof, .ind after charging the Inspectors with neglect of duty, pitches into the clerks of the office for making mistakes; he then states that the discretionary power vested in the Superin¬ tendent is too extensive, and not only burdens him (the Superintendent) with a heavy duty, but gives a great deal of dissatisfaction to those who are subject to if; and finishes up -with the remark, that he has some more complaints to make, but the Association \nl\ not allude to them at present. How is it, gentlemen ? FiFTu Ward Musetoi Hotel.—The build¬ ing long known as Riley's Museum Hotel, at the south-west comer of West Broadway and Franklin street, and considered one of the most noted landmarks of the city, may now be num¬ bered amongst the things that were; Mr. John Kerr having purchased the property, with a view of erecting on the site three fine stores. Mr. Thomas Riley first established a drinking saloon there in 1820, and subsequently added a restaurant. In 1835 Mr. Riley enlaiged the premises, including a large hall in which poU- •ticians of every shade have assembled and advanced their respective views on the affairs of the State and Nation. Mr. Riley collected together many objects of interest, comprising specimens of natural history. Revolutionary relics, gold, silver and copper coins of every description, etc., and displayed them to advan¬ tage in cases provided for them in his bar-room, and thus attracted thousands of strangers to see his curiosity shop and patronize his bar. Y. ]iL Christian Associatioit. — Several buildings at the Southwest corner of Fourth .avenue and Twenty-third street h.ave been demolished, preparatory to the erection of the new hall designed for the Young Men's Chri¬ stian Association, which wiU be built of free stone and Nova Scotia stone, five stories high and basement. It will have a front of about 80 feet on Fourth avenue, and 175 on Twenty- third street. It is imderstood that the ground floor will be fitted up for fine stores, and the upper floors for rooms and hall of the Associa- taon, ofSces, etc. It is expected that the new building Avill cost about $400,000. The ground cost §75,000; and §125,000 was offered for it immediately after it was purchased. New York Life Insur-otce Co.'s New Building, now in the course of erection on Broadway, Leonard street, .and Catherine Lane, on the site formerly occupied by the Society Library, then by the Appletons, and lastly by Chittenden & Co. and others, will be an im¬ mense structure; three stories under ground and four above the street surface. The build¬ ing -will be 60 feet wide on Broadway and 71 feet wide in the rear. It wiU be 196 feet deep on the Leonard street side and 197 feet 3 inches deep on the Catherine Lane side. The Broad- front will be of White marble. The basement walls are four feet thick, of stone, lined with brick. The front porch will rest on piers 13 feet by 8. The entire building will be con¬ structed in the most substantial manner and fire-proof. The plans were prepared by GriflSn Thomas, Esq., architect; the mason work is being done by John T. Conover; the carpenter work Avill be done by Thos. Gardiner, Jr.; and the iron work by the Messrs. Cornell. Tite tenders for the general formation of the iiew park at Sefton, Liverpool, ranged from a little below £75,000 to £85,000. The lowest of eleven was accepted by the municipal authori¬ ties. The work will be pushed fonvard Avith gieat vigor. DOMESTIC ITEMS. A LEADING dry-goods house of this city has purchased the Moffat Mansion, formerly occu¬ pied as the seat of Mahonej''s government, and the firm has rented it as a fashionable boarding- house. The same firm has purchased the en¬ tire front on Broadway, between Eighteenth and Ninteenth streets, and Avill commence the erection of a marble dry-goods store, extending, the entire length of the block now occupied by tivo-story frame and brick houses of mean ap¬ pearance. The house carpenters of the Eastern District of Brooklyn have resolved to demand, on and after the first Monday in April, $3.75 per day, and to quit work on Satm-days at 4 o'clock. THE Common CouncU Committee of Brook¬ lyn favor the loan of 3,000,000 dollars for the erection of the East River Bridge. The Stillwater Brick Mfils, at Millbury, Mass., have been bumed. Damage, $200,000. The Colvins Ironworks, at DanielsonviUe, Connecticut, were bumed to the groimd on the night of Monday the 10th. Rome, New York, is to have a $30,000 Meth¬ odist Episcopal church. California has 60,000 Chmese, of whom 4,000 work on the Central Pacific Railroad. Barnum proposes to build a house at Bridge¬ port, Conn., near Seaside Park; also summer houses for his daughters in the same location. It is stated that Mr. AVilliam E. Dodge, of this city, has given $10,000 to the fund for the erection of the new Theological Hall of Yale CoUege. California is considering a bill to sell aU her public lands, except the 150,000 acres set apart for the Agricultural College. At San Francisco an ironclad -ivith all the modem improvements is being bmlt for Juarez. The Toledo (Ohio) Blade states that four large and important manufactmlng establish¬ ments will be commenced in that city avithin the next month, aU of them upon Toledo capi¬ tal, and ONvned and managed by the citizens of Toledo. The Benton statue in St. Louis"wfil be in¬ augurated in May. The proceedings are ex¬ pected to be attended by large numbers of vis¬ itors from every part of the country, and to pass off ^vith unusual eclat. Irving Place is to have the Nicolson pave¬ ment. It has also been ordered for Nineteenth street, from Third to Sixth avenue ; Thu-tieth street, from Sixth to Ninth avenue; Maiden Lane; West Twelfth street, from Sixth to Seventh avenue ; Twenty-ninth street, from Eighth to Ninth avenue ; Dey street; Third avenue, from Thirty-fourth to Forty-fourth street; and Sixteenth street, from Fourth avenue to Rutherford place. A new Roman Cathohc church is to be erected mid-way between West Hoboken and Hudson City, on the " Hill." The Croton Aqueduct Department awarded contracts yesterday for the constraction of several sewers. The new fire-escape completed the night be¬ fore on the tenement house, No. 113 Eldridge street, saved eleven lives at the recent fire. The streets of Brookljm are to be renum¬ bered, and a new pump is to be constracted at Ridgewood. The subject of reducing the fees for obtain¬ ing a patent is being discussed in Washington, with a fan- prospect of success. The work on the Paterson and Newark Railroad is bemg pushed forward wth great energy, and laborers are in considerable de¬ mand. A grand masonic full-dress parade is to be given in PhUadelphia June 24th, when the cor¬ ner-stone of the new hall is to be laid. The St. Louis merchants exchanged adopted resolutions yesterday in favor the St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute Railroad enterprise. The " Lawyers' Headquarters," on the cor¬ ner of Leonard and Centre streets, has been purchased for $36,000 by Prank Queen, editor of the CUjYper, who intends erecting on the site a $64,000 building. Brick is scarce at Terre Haute, d rOREIGN ITEMS. The quantity of sugar used in busine England increased from 9,988,340 lbs. in' year endmg at Michaelmas, 1806, to no less _ 39,217,264 in the year ending at Michaelml 1867. The increase in Scotland Avas froJ 209,113 lbs. m 1866, to 351,456 lbs. m 186' and in Ireland from 148,534 lbs. to 1,425,2 lbs. The Sultan lately applied to the Briti., Government for ten artisans to serve in n, arsenal at Constantinople, as instructors in tb" manufactmre of machinery and war materia;"^ and Mr. John Anderson, of Woolwich arsena was iiStructed by the War Department to mat a selection, and has done so accordingly. Til. men are to receive £20 per month, and £3 each for travelling expenses. New SotTTH AVales produced 250,882 onnc of gold during the past year. The amount of gold exported from Melboul in 1867 Avas 1,733,422 ounces. ' The " Grosvenor ]>Iansions," just erec in Victoria Street, London, on the estate of Marquis of Westminster, is a splendid bloci residences on the Parisian plan, laid out flats, and each flat containing aU the requii ments of a separate house, but entirely sepj ated. These buildings, from the skill of thi planning, are altogether different from what known as the " Tenement House " among u being, in European cities, occupied by f amill of the highest distiaction, even nobles, ai arranged Avith the utmost luxury and convenj ence. Some of these flats in the Grosven Mansions rent for over £300. No great city the Avorld is so deficient in residences for pi pie of moderate means as Ncav York; and its\i therefore strange that, Avith so many example*-} before us of what is done successfuUy in Euro pean cities (for such buildings are demande- faster than they can be built), our builders a capitalists have not yet been' able to meet imperati\-e a demand. A NEAV system of paAdng footpaths has bee tried in Paris on the Boulevard de la Chapell^ Avhere iron frames, measuring three feet squardl have been laid, into which, by means of holel bored in the frame, are encased blocks of pop lar, forming a capital pavement, iioplar havint been selected instead of oak. The latter Avood, froin. its non-absorbing qualities, Avas found o jectionable. The system presents a pleasu appearance, and looks weU. On each side the footpaths are small conduits, by aa'M rain water is di-ained off to the side seAver. Efforts are being made in London to infer- duce soluble glass, or silicate of soda, for ren deringmaterialsuninflammable; andaniustanc is prominently mentioned of the Grand Duk of Bavaria's Theatre haATUg been saved" froi destruction in consequence of that materii^ having been largely used in its construction, Muslin steeped in this substance bums sloAvly but does not flare. Building in " Concrete " is just now makin; a great stir among the builders and architect of England. At a recent meeting of the Archi tectual Association, expressly to discuss th subject, Mr. TaU, Avho has lately patented ncAV process, made some startling assertions He said that in any clay country, Avith brick even as Ioav as 20s. per 1,000, he could build coi Crete houses at half the expense of bricks. I on the other hand, there Avas no clay, bi gi'avel, stone chipijings, clinkers, or anything of that sort, he Avould undertake to cmsh th stuff and use it up Avith the concrete at muc less cost than brick work. A nugget Aveighing over 500 oz. has bee found near Landhunt, Victoria. ,. ; A Neav Thajies Tunnel.—Ail: importamj engineering project, Avhich has excited but lit tie public attention, and for which the necessar; Parliamentary sanction has not yet been ob tained, is already in process of exieeiition, viz. the tunnel or sub-Avay intended t6' be diivei| under the Thames between London>Bridge an' the ToAver. The railway from Nice to the Italian frontier belonging to the Paris, Lyons, and Mediter¬ ranean Company, is uoav completed.