Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 51, no. 1318: June 17, 1893

Text version:

Collis P, Huntington's Bay Window. StJPERINTENDENT BRADY CORRECTS SOME MISSTATEMENTS ABOUT THE MATTER. Mr, T. J. Brady, Superintendent of Department of Buildings, said yes¬ terday that the facts in regard to the trouble between C. P. Huntington and the Department concerning the bay window on the Stb avenue side of Mr. Huntington's new house had not been correctly stated by the daily press, and that be wished them corrected, Tbe facts of the matter are that ■when tbe plans were originally submitted to the Department of Buildings they embodied a bay window which was not in conformity with the laws. The plans were returned and an amandment was made omitting the bay window, after which tbe plana were approved. Some time after it was found that the building was being erected with the bay window included, Mr. Brady, through Eugene Otterbourg, attorney for Department of Buildings, at once secured an injunction from Judge Bookstaver, of the Court of Common Pleas, restraining Mr. Huntington and the contractor from proceeding with the work. A high board fence was at once erected around tbe building. A short time ago Mr, Brady fouud tbat the work was being carried on behind the fence without regard to the order of the court. He theu secured an order from Judge Bischoff ordering Mr. Huntington aud David H. King, Jr., tbe builder, to appear aud sbow cause why they should not he adjudged guilty of contempt of court. The order was to have been argued yesterday, but owing to the recent arrival from abroad of F. R. Coudert, who has been retained as counsel by the defence, Mr. Otterbourg has consented to an adjournment until June 23d. Anotber order has been secured from the Supreme Court for the defendants to show cause why au order should not be given to the Department of Buildings to tear down tbe bay window. Tbis stands ou the Supreme Court calendar for June 19th, but we understand tbat it will be adjourned until June ?6th. A Question of Bmlding Law, 2'o (7ie-Editor 0/The Record and Guide: Sir^ls there any law forbidding tbe conversion into stores of the flrat stories of existing tenement houses—tbat is, apart from details of con¬ struction, and supposing the building to he as required by law other¬ wise. R, [ No, there is nothing in the building law ■which prevents tbe tirst story of an existing tenement house being altered into a store, but ■when such a building is altered, if five stories in height, it must have the first floor above the cellar or lowest atory constructed fire¬ proof, and the stairs from the cellar to the fire-proof floor must be located to the rear of the staircase leading from tbe first story to the upper stories and be inclosed with brick walls. To remove the wooden floor beams and substitute iron beams and brick arches is costly and tedious, aud in many cases would defeat the object of an owner to obtain an increased rental from his property by a simple and inexpensive change of an apartment to a store. The Superin¬ tendent of Buildings, with the concurrence of the Board of Exam¬ iners, bas approved of a number of such changes where the first story wooden floor beams have been wire-lathed on tbe underside and plastered and the ceiling over the store part also wire-lathed and plastered, and the fore and aft and cross wood stud partitions, which separate the store from hall aud stairs on the first story wire- lathed on both sides and plastered. Vai'iations from the law as described are not granted indiscriminately, nor should they be, for it must be remembered that a risk of fire is greater iu a store tlian iu an apartment, and some buildings could be so altered with com¬ parative safety while otbers could not.] Pine Printing of AH Einds, There has recently been added to The Record and GtriDK newspaper plant a complete Book and Job outfit, and we are now prepared to esti¬ mate for and execute all ordera. Commercial, Real Estate and Archi¬ tectural Printiug of a high order, promptly delivered, will be ,'i feature of thia department. A postal card addressed to The Record and Guide Press, No. 14 Barclay street, or Nos. li to 10 Vesey street, will insure the attendance of a competent representative to give estimates, etc. Ordera by mail will receive the same attention as if giveu personally. Special liTotioes. Ricbard KI. Mosiey, formerly with Richard M. Hunt, bas opened an architectural offlce at Wo. 19 West 2'ith street. A NEW RKAL ESTATE FIRM, John A, Sullivan. ex-Collector of Internal Revenue, and now Collector of City Revenue and Superintendent of Markets, has formed a partner¬ ship with Jos. D. Smytb, a brother of John F.'.B. Smyth, and son-in-law of Cornelius O'Reilly, the wall-known builder and member of the Board of Examiners of the Building Bureau. They will transact an auction and real estate brokerage business, including the negotiation of loans [on bond and mortgage. Tbe offices of tbe new flrm are at No. 73 Cedar street, corner of Nassau, the same formerly occupied by D. P, Ingraham & Co. SOME IMPORTANT CONTRACTS. Richey, Browne & Donald, architectural iron workers, of Paidge avenue and Setauket street, Brooklyn, E. D., are doing some of tbe most import¬ ant jobs of ornamental iron-work tbat bave been Jet tbis year. Among receut contracts obtained by them are the following: For the staircases and elevator inclosures for tbe new apartment hotel now building for Leopold Kabn at Columbus avenuo and TOth street; for the ornamental work, staircases and elevator inclosures of tbe apartment hotel which C. H. Bliss is bnilding at Nos, UO, 112 and 114 West 57th street, and for tbe new staircases and elevator inclosures in the building at 54 and £6 Broad street, of wbicb Lienau & Nash are the arcbitects. "ARTISTIC HOUSE PAINTINQ " Is the title of a bandsome little illustrated vest-pocket pamphlet, con¬ taining valuable information on the subject mentioned, whicb tbe H, W. Johns Manufacturing Co., of S7 Maiden lane, will send free to you on apphcation. THE BURLINGTON BLIND CO. W. Se D. G. Crane, E. A. Pope and J. A. Baldwin began in 1691 the manufacture of improved inside sliding and Venitian blinds at Burlington, Vt., under tbe flrm name ami title of the "Burlington Blind Co.," but were retained from using tbat name by legal proceedings. Tbey there¬ fore conducted tbe business under the name of W, & D, G. Crane, pending tbe final hearing of tbe case. This has now been had, and their rigbt to the use of the name has been fully established. They will therefore here¬ after be known by the name of tbe "Burlington Blind Co," Tbeir main offlce is at Burlington., Vt.., and tbey have branches at IGO River street, Paterson, N. J., and at room 711 No. 95 Nassau street, this city. AN instructivh: world's pair pamphlet. Henry R. Worthington, who supplied the pumping machinery and plants forthe World's Fair at Chicago, has issued a very convenient and instruct¬ ive pamphlet plan and guide map of the Fair, showing the locations of all the buildings, the railroad approaches and entrances to the grounds, aod ou the reverse side a guido map to the hotels, theatres and railrord sta¬ tions and of the principal soutb side streeta, avenues and parks. Of course, tbe twenty-two places at which the unexcelled Worthington pumps are at work and may be seen on the grounds are indicated on tbe map of the Fair grounds. The guide will be sent free on application to the com¬ pany at its offices, 86 and 83 Liberty street, tbis city, or 9'3 and 95 Lake stieet, Chicago. A HOOF CLOTHBS-DRTING DEVICE. A frame for supporting clothes lines on the roofs of bouses, one of inex¬ pensive construction, conveniently adjustable, and whieh will be strongly held in place on the roof without the use of nails or screws, has recently been patented by Mr. Lso Oppenheimer, and is described as follows by the Sciejitijic American: The side frames supporting the lines may be of any suitable constructions, and tbey are adjusted toward or from each other, according to tbe tautness or slack of the lines, by means of cross-rods connecting tbe ends of the top rails, each of the rods having a turnbuckle, by means oC which tbe rods may be readily lengthened or shortened. Similar rods also extend downwardly and outwardly from the ends of the rails to books on tbe edge of tbe coping or other fastening on the top of the wall of the building, these rods likewise having turnbuckles, for lengthen¬ ing and shortening the rods to adjust tbe frames and hold tbem securely down on the roof. By means of this improvement tbe frames may be readily held in the desired position, and the roof is not injured by perfora¬ tions likely to cause leakage." Mr. Oppenheimer also continues to manu¬ facture other clothes-drying frames for roofs, aud will cheerfully furnish drawings, specification, estimates and references to owners, architects and builders. His address is No, S35 Eaat 10th street, between Avenues A and B. REQUIRED MORE ROOM. The Empire Cornice Works (Lanrowitz & Fine, proprietors), have heen forced to secure larger quarters to meet tbe demands of iacreased trade,. secured by turning out their work in a satisfactory manner. Recent con¬ tracts completed for cornices, skylights and tinning, embrace synagogues at 67th street, near 3d avenue, and at Nos, 32 and 34 Forsytb street; rows of tenements at Nos. 100 to UO Monroe and IOG to 112 Lewis streets, for Messrs. Weil & Mayer; the corner of Allen and Rivington streets, for Herter Broa.; and four private houses at 102d atreet and West End avenue, for whicb Schneider Sc Herter were the architects. Tbe new address of the Empire Cornice Works is No. 292 Elizabeth street, near Houston. Everybody interested in a'.'chitecture and in building should read the Architectural Record, 25 cenis a copy, Eecord and Qv/ide offi.oe. Not, 14-Hi Vesey street. At private sale the week has been a disappointment, in that it has wit¬ nessed an unusual number of deferred sales. Brokers do not complain so much of the lack of customers or at the prices asked, although these are stiff enongb, but of the unsatisfactoriness of a waiting market. Many sales tbat seemed about to be closed last Saturday are in very much tbe same condition to-day. They have not progressed forward and, onthe otber hand, tbey do not seem any less hopeful. Buyers and sellers hoth seem to be waiting, and indeed;tb6 real estate market is hest described by that word—waiting. It is not that owners fear a shrinkage of prices, for they do not, or that buvers look for a break, in the bope that bargains may he had,' for the large sales of the laat few weeks and of the spring season fully justify a confldence in the stability of New York real estate values. The fact of the matter is that the real estate market, in splendid condition as it is, nevertheless is sympathetically inactive with the rest of tbe businesa world. As soon as the cloud of apprehension which now bangs over every branch of commerce is removed the reai estate market will take on a more active tone and transactions will be more numerous. Meantime the temporary dullness need cause no anxiety. Real eatate values were