Evening Star Newspaper, February 14, 1925, Page 17

REAL"™ ESTATE. ALL KALAMAZOO UNITED IN BETTER HOME EXHIBIT Successful Demonstration Last Year Was| Most Notable Instance of Complete -Civic Co-operation. BY JAMES FORD;, Executive Director, Better Ho: America. ARTICLE TIL Each year the movement for better homes in America culminates in a Wweek set aside for demonstrations in communities, Jarge and small, all over the United States. “Better Homes week” comes in the middle of May, and in 1925 will begin on Monday, the 11th of May. The demonstration by the better homes committee, Which won the first prize of $500 last May of Kalamazoo. Mich., is worthy of ‘an article devoted exclusively to 1tx features Dr. Caroline Bartlett Crane, a mem- ber of the executive board of the American, Civic Assoclation, was ohairman of the winning local com- mittee. Mrs. Crane started work for the demonstration in the late Win- ter, the plans for the demonstration house having been drawn by her and perfected by a local architect. Building of Hous A lot was secured for $1,000, the title being temporarily made over to a member of the subcommittee on finunce. Ground was broken for the demonstration house on March 12 The construction of the house was | financed on credit on the understand- ing that the house should be sold| fmmediately after the demonstration. | The practical arrangement for financ- | ing. planning and building entailed | co-operation of the most disinterested kind, and such co-operation was | forthcoming on every hand in Kala- mazoo. The newspapers gave excellent sup- port, as did the theaters broadcasting was of great help, and a Jarge number of civic and educational | erganizations assisted actively. The local association of ministers co-| operated, many of them through | public announcements from the pul- pit, and thréugh special sermons on| the spiritual significance of the home. | ducted them through the house in a | Bchools played a role of importance in the entlre demonstration. The de- partments of domestic sclence, art and manual training making and ex- hibiting household articles. An es- say contest was held, the subject being “The Advantages of Home- Owning.” Throughout the prepara- tion for the demonstration of the Better Homes week and during the week itself the schools made the bet- ter home the subject of extensive study. Children made pasteboard models of the demonstration house and of various rooms in it. Many at- | tractive original posters al*o were made by pupils of classes in drawing. Men's and, women's clubs arrang lecture programs on ‘‘Better Homes. Parents were interested through the work of their children. An extensive, entirely non-commercial better homes exposition was held in a public hall, the school models of the demonstration house forming one of the many inter- esting exhibits. Center of Interest. The demonstration house itself nat- urally was the center of interest of the whole activity in Kalamazoo. It is of colonial type, containing five rooms and & bath, the outside overall dimensions being 29 by 22 feet. The house, though small, was of good material and well built, planned for comfort and efliciency, to house a family of parents and sev- eral children. It was demonstrated that even a large family could be made Just South of Massachusetts Avenue The City's Choicest Location Four Lots Beautiful Rock Creek Valley Park is the pano- ramic outlook from these lots. o property ever had such a definite guarantee of in- creasing value as this: Rock Creek Park is soon to be united with Poto- mac Park by Waterside Drive— a boulevard on which these lots will face! W.H.West Co. Real E:tate 916 15th St. M. 9900 RENTING 1616 16th Street Apartments of 1 room and bath to 5 rooms and 2 baths. FEATURING— Iceless Refrigeration. Soundproof Floors. Radio Attachments. Murphy Built.In Beds, Showers In Baths. Central Incinerator. Oil Heating Plant. 2¢4-Hour Servic OPEN SUNDAY Manager on Premises L. S. FRISTOE RENTAL AGENT 1013 15th St. Main 1512 | wise Radio | } comfortable and happy within its four walls. The first floor of the house contains & bedroom, a combination living and dining room, a Kitchen, and a bath- room. This arrangement is of obvious advantage to a young couple, as it would not be mecessary for a family of this size to use the second floor, which could therefore remain unfinished at first. Upstairs are two large bedrooms, each | Wwith windows on two sides, giving plenty of light and cross ventilation. Each’room bas a dormer alcove. Room is provided for a lavatory on the second floor, which need not be installed at the time the house is bullt. The bedroom on the ground floor, called by the Kalamazoo better homes committee, the mother's room, is de- scribed as the key room of the house. A mother, particularly one with a young baby, will find her work much lightened by the arrangement of this house. While she is at work in the kitchen, the baby can be out of the way of harm but within easy earshot and only a few steps away. The combination living and dining room is large, 11 and 21 feet. It is pos- sible to set a table to accommodate as many as a dozen people in one.end of this Dbig room without disturbing the ordinary living room furniture. Except at meal times, a dropledf dining table can be used as a study table, and the window seat, where two of the children may sit at meals, is quickly restored to the appearance of a lounge. This is a arrangement for the economy of space. Dining rooms are used, possibly about two hours a day, being waste space during the balance of the time. For a large family with a modest ncome the economy of this space may be an excellent pla Visited by 20000, Close to 20,000 people visited the demonstration house at Kalamazoo during Better Homes week. A corps of hostesses met all visitors and con- carefully planned itinerary, explain- ing the advantages of arrangement It was pointed out to all visitors, for | instance, that the house was adapt- able for families of various sizes, and that if only two people lived in it, the bedroom downstairs might well be used for a dining room. The advan- tages of the arrangement of the house for a mother with young chil- dren were pointed out to all visitors ch member of the corps of hosi- ss was assigned to a special room and explained ils many advantages for economy #nd comfort. Dr. Crane, chairman of the Kalama- 200 committec in general charge of the demonstration, wrote in her re- ort 10 naiional headquarters in Washington: “We need not have wor- ried about visitors to our little house. They came literally by the thousands 60 actually counted one after- noon and evening—to say nothing of those who, detained for a time at the front docr, entered in spite of us by the basement exit The building and loan associations Pave said very gratifying things about our campaign—its stimulus to building of small homes and its ap peal to people of means to put money in building and loan associations as a safe investment and an aid to peo- ple of small means who wish to buy The Kalamazoo demonstration com- prised most of the features suggested $6,950.00 A real BIG six-room home, hard-surface street, shade trees. $500 cash and easy monthly payments. No Finance Charges No Second Trusts No Renewal Fee on the First Trust To Inspect Sample House 2443 37th St. N.W. (Adjoining Burleith Development) 5412 13th N.W. Open Until 9 PM. & Reserve Your Decision Until You See This Home Semi-detached brick; will appeal to something those desiring High-class residenti All outside rooms, bright and cheer- Two outside baths, open fireplace, ful. attic, concrete fron Improved alley. shrubbery. Two-Car Brick Garage Price and Terms Reasonable D. J. DUN 1319 N. Y. Ave. | This Economical and Elastic Cottage Can Be Built quckly usually | THE STAR, WASHINGTOX;, HOUSE PLANS FOR A Log or Shingle Bungalow Planned For Summer Use at Shore or Camp EVENING and Easily and Is Most Attractive. With the present dearth of housing | accommodate several extra.’cots for facHlities, and country residences be- |those who enjoy sleeping out of doors, ing snapped up before the foundation [and screens. can be dropped around is laid, it is natural that anybody |the entire porch for stormy nights. with idle property outside the city [The windows in the top of the main should think of building. With the |room are for ventilatfon. If it is de- first robin's chirp it is but natural | sired to lessen the cost of construc- that one - should begin to lay plans|tion it would be a simple matter to for the Summer—and If one owns a|make the partitions between each vacant plece of ground, those plans |room fall short of the ceiling by tw should include plans for building. The | feet. This would give perfect circu- little house sketched today Is spe-|lation of alr, but could be done, of cially designed for Summer fun and |course, only if the house, were to be is delightfully inexpensive and homey. | uSed just for a'Summer cottage. Please do not think that when we | By making one end’ of. the living |say “Summer fun® it is a camp or|and dining room rectangular a com- that it cannot be made a livable place [plete view:of the outside wbrld may for an all-year-round home. If you|be enjoyed. Cutting off the.corners | will study the plan, you will =ee that | of this room and introducing large while this is a tiny house, indeed, and | windows enable sunlight': to stream would be most suitable for the sea-|in from three directions. There is shore, the lakeshore or the mountain |also a large fireplace around which camp, it is also a complete “country | the family and guests may gather on | home.” with every convenience of the |cool evenings or rainy days. more pretentious house. Not a detail Can BulldGeliar: has been overiooked “l‘l‘” ‘:“ O™ A cellar could easily be put under fort of those who are to live in it. the entire house and a heating sys- Can Use Logs. tem installed, and comfort: would be T.ogs could be used in constructing |the result for all Winter use. i this house instead of shingles or clap- | This house could be built on a very | boards, as illustrated. 1f, for instance, | narrow lot, as it is only 36% feet the house were to be built out in|wide by 42 feet deem, The planting | sunny California, the three-foot shin- | could be hugged close to the house, gles known as “shakes” could be used [ if built on a narrow lot in town, and | Yo advantage, both esthetically and |with vines Introduced the result economically. Every line of this design | would be most pleasing. If built in | | was decided upon for its economy, |the woods, the house could be stained and as the construction is simple, it | brown and the roof stained green. It | requires very little time to. build. |built by the seashore, it could be There are no complicated angles or | painted gray or bitten with an acid | curves that demand skilled labor. that turns wood gray. Wherever The interior plan also is of the sim- | built, the planting should be as in- plest. Mhere is one large room for a | formal as possible, the native flowers central gathering pla and where | and shrubs predominating. meals can be served. The feature of | Detailed information as to building this room is the provision made for [costs can be supplied by any local xtra week end guests. As may be | builder. For information as to the seen from the plan, these nooks are | procuring of the bullding plans of large enough to accommodate a full | this degign No. 25 send a stamped and | sized couch. Curtains can be drawn | Self-addressed envelope to the Real | | acroks the nooks at night and in the | Estate Editor, The Star. i daytime tasteful draperies and sofa (Copyright, George Matthew Adams.) pillows will make them attractive ! cozy corners. | Each nook is provided with a group of windows for light, air and decora- | tion. There are two bedrooms and a cen- trally located bath. The kitchen is complete in every way and provided with an especially large place for the retoring of supplies. The kitchen range takeg advantage of the big chimney 1 the 1iving room; I desired, for Summer, a dining tent could be erect- ed close to the kitchen door or even extended out from the porch: The front narch is large enough to ZONE LAW FACES COURT ‘ ATTACK IN BALTIMORE Measure, Like One It Superseded, Held Unconstitutional by Attorney for Tailor. BALTIMORE, February 14.-—The new zoning ordinance passed by the | ¥ council this week will be taken to court. g Arguing it does not differ from the | | 01a measure, which was decidred un- { constitutional by the Court of Ap- | peals last week, James' E. Tippett, at- | will try to. have . the new measure declared unconstituttonai. That would leave the city without power to restrict the use of buildings. Unless they create some positive hazard or nuisance, stores or fac- tories would be permitted.to o into residential neighborhoods. The in- itlal move was made Thursday. Tip- pett applied at the building inspec- tor's office for a renewal of a permit to establish a store in a residential section, denied some months ago by the board of zoning appeals. Under the ordinance the only thing the building_inspector can do Is turn down. Then Tippett will appl 10 local committees by naticnal head- |quarters of Better Homes in America, |and many’ that originated in the minds of the tocal committee. It ful- filed more completely the aims of the movement than any other demonstra- tion—that is, it was in every respect a serious and thoughtful attempt to show a solution of the housing prob- lem for a family in moderate cir- cumstances; it secured the co-opera- tion of practically every related in- terest in the city; it showed excellent taste and sense in furnishing and equipping the demonstration hous it developed plans of school partici pation which were of high educa- tiona! value—In short, It was a com- prehensive and well balanced demon- stration torney, H Hot-water heat, large lot, DTN less than a libfary. garage. m m different. al location. t and side porches. Lovely lawn and IGAN, Inc. M. 1267 | fl | | | which overthrew the old zoning ordi- | nance 4 DTNTooM 10.9'¢" - LIVING-ROOM - | | 18418 While specially suited to lakeshore or mountain camp, this listle home would be | equally serviceable for any country location. Shingles or clapboard can be |ing conditions in the principal cities used in place of logs, if necessary. 1925. BENRM: 9.9'¢" 100K ; REAL ESTATE. WASHINGTON MAKES JUMP IN BUILDING INDUSTRY Survey of Construction Value‘ in January by Straus’& Co. Rates D. C. Sixth Among Pfincipal Cities of U. S. " Washington stood pixth among 25 of | York. 'In Brooklvn alone there wag the principal cities of the country in the [# 10s% of nearly $18,500,000. while the value of construction undertaken last ‘,57;’2["“?2..3.’ e o 910 month. This is based on a’survey of [come by Manhattan's galn of ovef the country made by 8.'W. Strau€ & Co. | $12.000,000 and a pick-up in the With a January. total of $4,269,815, | Bronx of over $5,000,000 | “Chicago made a spectacular galm which was published ‘in The Star 1ast | o¢ nenrly $7.000 000 Tos Angcles for Saturday, the Natiopal Capital, which | the first time since January, 1924, has heretofore -been: runming. tenth, | t00k third place from Detroit, where Fomuealsnt 1xtR D18 CIth 3 [the severe Winter weather slowed ped into sixth place; with New | own prospective operations. Wash- York, Chicago, -Log" Angéles, D“’""‘Inglnu jumped from tenth place te and Philadelphia Jeading. This Jump | sixth. with a galn of 116 per cent, in_ Washington represents a gaip of | Portland, Oreg, passed from sevens 116 per cent. teenth plac to twelfth, with a gain What the Survey Shows. | of 63 per cent, while Pittsburgh. with ‘The result of the Straus survey for | * 64 per cent Increase/ moved up from fourteenth place to tenth place, last month shows that developments o g | Dallas, Tex., fo s e in e Ane Bullding Dallas, Tex., for the first time in itn industry since the | Dd! n 18 firat of the year dndicate: that 1925 |Pistory, moved into ghirteenth placg will prove 1o be a period of greater | T o ok, L AbDearos & & T | the 25 leading cities for the first time e yas gymeny it I more than a vear. Birmingham, | in off | under most propitious circumstances,’ | Al%. secured a.plave among the 23 says the survey. “January building | 2U!standing citi e permits for the whole country were | since October.” | within 3.5 per cent of the amount is- | January Permits Listed. 3 sued in the same month last year, | itiie o, ik 25 teading botltiae | January building permits and plans the month’s volume of permits issued | filed in the 25 leading building cities this year was 1 per cent ahead of last |of the country for the last two years e 2 | compare as follows “The initial period of the vear finds | Yin the building materials markets gen- erally stabilized, with a slight up- ward trend. Labor conditions as a whole are good. There are disturb- ances here and there, but not of suf- ficient magnitude to menace the gen- | eral healthy tone of the industry. | “In view of the national building | shortage, which, in a survey made by |S. W. Straus & Co. last Fall, was found exceed $4,000.000,000, the|Dallas continuation of large bullding permit | geayije figures i not surprising. 1In th | New York Chicago los Angeles Detroit . -4 Washington I Calif connection, a high Government :le'»"‘l\w:nlk thority recently estimated a present ireingbus }hcusm: shortage of 500,000 homes. ‘y Cites Outstanding Fi The outstanding feature ure. of build-| Denver . Houis of the country was the loss of more | Ciocinnati | than $7,000.000 in plans filed In New The large living room, with its fine fireplace, forms a light, airy and attractive | gathering place and dining room, with ws in three directions. guests can be accommodated in the curtained niches which form cozy corners by day; or one may be used as a dining nook. a mandamus to compel issuance of | the permit. | Tippett. acting for Danlel Gold- | man, tailor, started the litigation | Over 300 applications for permits to establish stores have been filed this week Meantime. preparations are under way for drawing an entirely new zon- ing ordinance to supplant the tem- porary measure which Tippett will test in the courts. Taxless Investments High. Tax-exempt securities, against the issuance of which the National Asso- clatlon of Real Estate Boards has re- cently gone on record, are now over the sixteen-billion-dollar mark. A recent statement from the Treasury Department estimates the amount of wholly exempt securities outstanding as of 'November 30 last to be $16,056,- 000,000, ===.= A new home in Chevy Chase, D. C, block from Connecticut Ave. Detached brick—center hall, living room, dining room, kitchen, large pantry amd Five bedrooms, glassed in sleep- ing porch, three baths. This home is beautifully fin- ished throughout; built of the finest ma- terials, and thorough workmanship is evi- dent everyw the finest in Chevy Chase. terms are reasonable. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. MCSKEEVER & GOSS Two-car brick The location is one of Price and Open . tomorrow here. | finance. | course, according to John A. dean of the school, practically estah- | lished a school of real estate within the college of commerce and finance. | The opening of REALTY COURSE STARTED. A complete four-vear college course | | leading to a degree in real estate has just been opened by the University of | | Detroit In its school of commerce and | such Russell, a The course follows the general plan Realtors Hit B;lbolrdu. The Portland, Oreg., Realty Board | has gone on record as door advertising ! from scenic valu where it “e>gZcn ZE<O REALTORS for coliegiate courses in real estate outlined a little more than a year ago by a joint commission on real estate education called at the initiative of the National Association of Real Es- tate Boards. opposing out- | detracts Weeloend | | | | | | { Washington’s most beautiful residential section of detached homes. Containing seven million feet of forest-covered land, with six miles of improved streets. Includes what remains of The Triangle of Increasing Values —between Connecticut, Massachusetts and Cathedral avenues. Over 200 homes from $15,000 to $200,000 built and under con- struction. Actual improvements and home values exceed $8,000,000. Wooded villa sites, lots, central and side hall homes, with lots from 50 to 115 feet front. Park Office, 32d St. and Cathedral Ave. Midda\;gh & Shannon, Inc. ESTABLISHED 1899 Riggs-Semmes Bldg., Dupont Circle, Potomac 2200 This wonderful home was built for the owner, by day labor, and is perfect in con- “struction, appointment, plan and finish. Located on an elevation off 16th St., it commands a fine view. A center hall plan of 4 roonis on first floor, very large pantry with built-in fixtures, tiled kitchen, double lower back porches. Four bed- rooms, two baths, one with shower, dou- ble sleeping porches. Large floored attic. Two-car garage, electrically lighted. Wide front and side porch, cement drive- ways and walks. Price and terms are most reasonable. Open Sunday from 2 until 6 p.m. Phone Main 4