Evening Star Newspaper, October 12, 1935, Page 20

r ‘B00M OF MODERN BULDING 1 EEN Magazine Author Claims Construction Era of 20s to Be Nullified. “Very few houses such as were erected during the 20s will be put up during the building boom which should get started next year,” Fortune Magazine predicts in its October issue, which appears today. “The keynote of the new building | boom will be modernism, featuring a sompletely new conception of the functions to which a building can be| put. And houses in the new style will cost 30 per cent less than a com. parable house in the tradition style. Fortune bases its forecast in part upon a detailed survey of opinion in| ull parts of the country and among all economic levels, which indicates that over 40 per cent of the people, al- though they are living in traditional houses, would prefer to have a com- pletely different type of dwelling for themselves and their families. Sev- eral hundred field workers, sent out | by the magazine, displayed side by | side pictures of “modern” and tradi- tional Colonial homes of equal cost to gather votes which lead to discovery. The vote was considered all the more remarkable because in many areas of the country and among many classes of people interviewed there was no realization that a “building revolu- tion” was already gathering force. Modern Still Lacking. Despite much taik of modern archi- tecture ara the general belief that skyscrapers represent modernism, the real modern architecture has yet to come, says Fortune. At present there &re no more than 50 residences in the United States which show an honest acceptance of the so-called “func- tional motif,” while throughout the whole country there are oniy two of- fice buildings and less than a dozen theaters which can be called truly modern. The anticipated boom, according to Fortune, will not have the speculative basis of the 1923 boom, but will be| founded instead upon the desire of the United States home owner to take | advantage of a new standard of com- fort and convenience in living, at a cost which has hitherto been pro- hibitive, but which is now coming | closer and closer within reach of all. ‘The magazine sees in such recent re- finements as the modern oil burner, the modern refrigerator and the mod- ern stove the true elements ot the new building revolution and points | out that in the last boom these ap- pliances were crude by comparison with their present-day refinements. “Along about 1923 there was a building boom in the United States,” Fortune says. “Citizens still alive re- member quite clearly the sound of the riveting machines and the odor of wet cement. That building boom flourished to produce $13 daily in the pants pockets of the Nations' carpen- ters, silk stockings on the knees of its masons’ wives, automobiles 10 deep in the vacant lots behind the con- struction jobs and an all-time record | in architectural ineptitude and unin- | ventiveness. Generations will pass | before the fashionable suburbs and the real estate developments of Amer- ica are cleared of the false, faked, | footling inconveniences erected to the | glory of Spain or the glory of France | in the decade of the 20s. Inventiveness to Predominate. “Along about the year 1936 there will sprout in the United States a second building boom. It will probably be less of a boom than its predecessor. Its mother will be necessity, not the | stock market. Its wage scales may be | lower, its silk etockings skimpier and | its automobiles more battered than the | wage scales, silk stockings and auto- mobiles of the ecade before. But its achitecture, by and large and with all | proper allowance for the intransigence of occasional millionaires and occa- sional reul estate developers, will not only surpass, but will entirely eclipse, | cancel, repeai and nullify the archi- tecture of the school of Coolidge. For | the characteristic architecture of the | boom of the 30s (and the 40s) will be inventive, not imitative; rational, not faked. In other words, it will be modern.” As for the actual buildings which how give modernism form, they are “far and few enough” The Eastern | States have a bare dozen—no more | than four in the entire city of New | York. The West Coast has more, but | the greatest concentration (in the Los | Angeles area) is barely 12. Only four | are big enough to impress the impres- | sionable by their size. They include | Edward D. Stone’s residence for Ricn- | ard Mandel in Mount Kisco, N. Y., and | George Howe's residence for William | 8. Wasserman in Chestnut Hill, Pa. | ‘The rest are middle sized or definitely | small. Frank Lloyd Wright, the Wis- | consin architect, 15 responsible for | sbout a score of the 50 and “the only | other names to appear with any fre- | quency are those of the Viennese, Richard J. Neutra, and the Swiss, Wil- liam Lescaze.” ‘There are only two office buildings in the country, Fortune says, which are truly modern. These are George Howe's and William Lescaze’s Phila- R Semi-Detached Brick 7 Rooms—2 Baths Will Consider Exchange Large living room, open fireplace, bright dining room, sun parior and most _complete kitchen ~ with many added and convenient fea- tures; the recreation room is large, bright and cheerful. finished in knotty pine; 3 large bed rooms, 2 hs' in colors. The mmed in natural wood finish throughout; built-in garage; large front, side and rear lawn. Now Open for Inspection 5804 4th St. N.W. (Just Above Nicholson St.) Convenient location in finished section. Priced to Sell Terms Arranged Waple & James INC. 1224 14th S N.W. Dist. 3 EAL ESTATE. W. P. A. Highway Project Aids Home Sale Work on the W. P. A. District highway project at Forty-fourth and Dexter streets is shown above. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, In the top photo Commissioner George E. Allen and a group of other District officials are shown inspecting the project. The new street is in Westwood, the new real estate development of L. E. Breuninger & Sons. The firm says the highway work is directly responsible for the sale of two homes in the subdivision before they were completed. More than a dozen houses have been sold in Westwood since it was opened three months ago. —Star Staff Photos. delphia Saving Pund Society Building in Philadelphia and Raymond Hood’s | McGraw-Hill Building in New York. | beginnings with a Roxyish roof of | Hollywood successors to the kings of beef, diverts attention from its rugsed Sheet Metal Outfit. New, compact and complete sheet For secondary claims the magazine | Babylonian inspiration. The L.npire metal working equipment is now of- in New York “Beyond these major accomplish- ments there are perhaps a dozen the- aters—the interior (but not the ‘n- distinguishable exterior) of Radio City Music Hall in New York, a few neighborhood houses, a handful of newsreel shows. There are three| schools—Joseph Urban's New Schol | for Social Research in New York and two country schools by Howe and| Lescaze. There are four small clut:. | There are perhaps two airports. And there is little else. With that unim- pressive roster the record of modern construction in America is complete ” The Fortune article criticizes many prominent buildings. The popular be- lief that all large office buildings are modern because they are all of recent construction “has no basis fn fact It says. “Many skyscrapers are hand- some, simple and explicit, but most | are anything but modern. The New York Central Building in New York, which may be viewed 1n all its glitter, | apologizes for its honest steel with a | seventeenth century gilt French roof. | The Chicago Tribune Tower, like many a Chicago millionaire of the stockyards era, forgets its iron past | in a false front of Gothic buttresses | and romantic stones. The Eankers | Trust Building in New York, like Lhe‘ a Zeppelin which never comes.” [lists the Starrett-Lehigh Building of | State Building, more up-to-date in iis | fered for the home workshop. It in- | Russell and Cory and Raymond Hood's | romanticism, thrusts a silvered nip- | Cludes an electric welder, power shears, New York Daily News Building, both | ple at the sky in mute invitation to & former, & paint-spraying machine | |and hand tools. Construction to Satisfy the Man— Arrangement, Finish and Fitments to please the Woman 6016 North Dakota Ave. N.W. A NEW five-room bungalow with room for three additional rooms. Slate roof, copper gutters and downspouts. Cop- per water service. Built-in garage, overhead doors. Lots 50x135 to paved alley. Fireproof basement over pre-cast concrete joists. Modern kitchen. Electrolux gas boiler. Price, $8,750 Open Today and Drive out Geos North Dakota A Daily to 9 P.M. a Ave. to Quackenbos St. turn right to venue and house Geo. W. Linkins Co. 1733 De Sales St. N.W. 3103-3105 Ritte Dlstrict 3522 nhouse St. N.W. (CORNER UTAH AVENUE) D. C, REALTY CONTINUES AGTIVE IN FAIRFAX Figures Far Ahead of Those for Period Last Year Despite Slight Loss. Special Dispatch to The Star. FAIRPAX, Vs, October 12.—Al- though showing a slight decline dur- ing the last two months, real estate activity in Pairfax County for the present year, as evidenced by records in the office of the clerk of the court, continues far ahead of the comparable period for 1934. Last year 2,323 deeds and deeds of trust were admitted to record in the county, while for the first nine months of the current year the total falls but 21 sl of that figure, or 2,302. At the e time indications are that this month’s figure will approximate the high average for July, which was 310. Earlier Increases. Beginning with 163 recordations for January, the figure increased each month through July, which stood out with an all-time record of 310. For the next month, however, the figure had declined to 299, dropping to 275 for September. October, 1934, was the high month for that year with 225 such papers being recorded, and in only four other months did the total reach the 200 mark. For the current year, though, the number has not gone below 240 in any month with the exception of January and PFebruary. Totals by months for the current peak year are as follows: January, 163; February, 170; March, 240; April, 254; May, 285; June, 306; July, 310; August, 299, and September, 275. Building Continuance. Reports from all sections of the country likewise reveal that building operations are continuing their un- usual pace, with the probability that more real property values will be added to the tax assessment books next year than ever before in the history of the country. Singling out one particular section of the county, building activity at present is greater in and around the town of Falls Church than in any other community. It is expected that should the Board 3t Supervisors adopt a proposed county building permit ordinance, the prob- | | lem of maintaining & check on new construction work will be consider- ably facilitated. Small Air Conditioner. Built to operate with radiator heat, for small homes, filters, circulates and humidifies air. It requires only the basement ceiling. Select Offerings! 1724 WEBSTER STREET Genuine Sacrifice Marvelous detached home, solid B-RICK Construction, 9 spa- cious rooms, 4 real bed rooms, buge inclosed sleeping poreh, master-size den or library, oil burner, beautifui lot with trees, 2.car Brick garage—See the best Buy in this convenient in-town section of fine homes. A rare bargain for the home-seeker with substantial Cash. 1436 HEMLOCK STREET SHEPHERD PARK Charming Colonial Brick, care- fully built of best materials. Center hall, five well-planned bed rooms, spacious closets, huge living room, rear living porch, roomy den, attractive recreation room, oil burner, ot 162 feet, and many comfort- laden features. Inspect Saturday or Sunday REALTY ASSOCIATES, INC. 1508 K Street N.W. Nat, 1438 Two large center-hall bricks on generous size lots, the corner having 71-ft. frontage,' are offered for the first time. The first floor contains large living room, dining room, electric kitchen equipped with General Electric range and refrigerator, lavatory and living porch. . . . Second Floor—3 large, beautiful bedrooms and two lovely baths—with abundance of closets. . . . Third Floor—2 large bedrooms and cedar closet. Entire roof area is insulated with Johns-Manville rock wool. There is & brick garage with each house. Cellar contains delightful recrestion room and genuine oil-burning heating plant in one unit, including oll-burning domestic hot-water equipment. We have never offered homes more finely constructed, in better locations or more reasonably priced. No. 3105 Is Priced At $13,950 No. 3103, Corner, Is Priced At $15,950 Terms May Be Arranged OPEN SATURDAY P.M. ALL DAY SUNDAY, AND EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING UNTIL SOLD Offered Jointly for Sale by G. B. Likens 1519 M St. N.W. National 8005 L] Phillips & Canby, Inc. 1012 15¢th St. N.Wy Natjonal 4600 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1935, “NEW AMERICAN” HOMES POPULAR IN F. H. A. DRIVE Mrs. Florence Jones Vining Cites Dwellings Here as Yine Ex- amples of Construction. “New American” homes of the type being bullt here by Waverly Taylor, ., 88 part of a Nation-wide cam- paign sponsored by the General Elec- tric Co, are among the most popular exhibits in local better housing cam- paigns fostered by the Federal Hous- Administration, according to Mrs. Florence Jones Vining, special as- sistant to the director of the F. H. A, fleld division. Mrs. Vining, who has just returned from & tour of Midwestern States, said women particularly were show- ing much interest in these demon- stration homes. In Cincinnati Mrs. Vining visited three of the General Electric homes now under construc- tion along lines inaugurated the first year at the Century of Progress. R ENGLISH HOMES FOXALL Delightfully cool, adjoining and over- Jooking Foundry Park, 6 and 8 rooms with one and two baths, double screened porches, open fireplace, electric Fefrigeration, built-in garage. Permanently protected by parks and re- strictions . . . unusually dnitht neigh- bors . . . convenient to downtown 4« excellent schools. REAL ESTATE, F. H. A. APPRAISAL HELPS Survey Lowers Price of Man Beeking Mortgage. Special Dispetch to The Star. ROSELLE PARK, N. J, October 12.—Appraisal by Federal Housing Administration workers here saved $4,000 for Dr. Maurice Davidson, who recently applied for an insured mort- gage loan. Dr. Davidson was quoted price of $17,000 on a property and applied for a $15,000 loan. Housing Administration appraisers placed a value of $13,000 on the property be- If You've Wanted |cause of neighborhood conditions, | Several days later the agent with {Whom Dr. Davidson was dealing re- | duced the price of the property from $17,000 to $13,000. Now, according to the associate director for New Jer- sey, Dr. Davidson is a most enthusie | astic supporter of the Pederal Hous- ing Administration's appraisal system. —e Ventilator Removes Odors. A ventilating fan installed in the interior wall or a window of the kitchen will assist in removing unde- sirable odors and hot, humid air when the temperature is uncomfortable. to Live in a Really SELECT Intown Section, in a Home MOD- ERATELY Priced SEE 2712 CORTLAND PL. N.W. WOODLEY PARK Distinguished homes close to the Kennedy- & new compact air-conditioning unit || heat, water supply and drain connec- || tions and is usually installed in the || Visit our Model Home . . . drive out ; Que Street to Wisconsin Avenue, north | one block to Reservoir Road, west to “44th Street and turn left to 1541 44TH STREET 4 WAVERLY TAYLOR. e 1522 K STREET NAT'L 1040 Sales speak for themselves. sold quickly—because they Warren in a section of $30,000 homes. The other homes in this group were priced RIGHT, offering REAL VALUE. Beautiful semi-detached brick homes with stone trim on lots 28x100. Three large bedrooms, 2 baths, first floor lava- tory, recreation room, furred walls, weather-stripped screened, 2 open fireplaces; Sanitas French panel trim in li and dining rooms and halls. ing High tiled baths, Newest kitchen equipment; gas heat; Norge refrigeration. BROWN BROS. Owners-Builders—Col. 1755 4425, the VISUALIZE YOUR HOME BUILT AMONG THE TREES ON THIS UNUSUAL WOODED HOME SITE 100 BY 130 FEET IN SIZE. Out of fairness to yourself you should inspect this property before deciding on a location for your home. Information on the exceedingly low cost of home sites in Kenwood may be obtained at the property at Kennedy Drive and Chamberlin Avenue. Kennedy-Chamberlin Development Co. KENWOOD OFFICE, KENNEDY DRIVE AND CHAMBERLIN AVE. WISCONSIN WASHINGTON OFFICE, 2331 CATHEDRAL AVE. Office on COLUMBIA 7280 A new B. H. GRUVER-BUILT group is “fromt ge news” in importance in the new home market. Hundreds of owners of Gruver. built homes know that finer homes cannot be bought in the Gruver price range. The repu- tation and integrity of a &na-ur d. t- d families with their vestment, is your assurance of ing value and minimum cost Big all- rete colonial front porch, fin- hed and equipped as only B. H. Gruver completes a house. Unusually large living rooms; well proportioned dining rcom; room; ultra modern kitche: with latest type Oxford cabi: " 6 to 8 Rooms, OPEN DAILY AND SUNDAY UNTIL 9 PM. B. H. GRUVER A Master Builder Sets New Standards of Value Beautiful Glover Park ~ Exhibit Home 3923 Benton St. NNW. Furnished by Hilda N. Miller 2 éalho—at s9,450 and up OWNER—BUILDER Westinghouse refrigeration and linoleum floor. Master bedroom shower, cedar closet with gl door, alcove for dre: Two other bedrooms bath with built-in tub. Houses are copper screened, weather- stripped, caulked and insulated. Gas heat. Built-in gara; cious recreation room with stip- pled walls. Glover Park, at high, cool ele- one of the city’s most developed ingtown sections. Just 10 minutes from Dupont Circle, school within one square. Corner, semi-detached and in- side homes in a variety of sizes and prices to meet the require- ments of your family. Some with finished attics. Open today and daily until 9 P.M. Drive out Wisconsin Ave. to Calvert St., left to 39th, left to Benton St., right to homes. Investment Building—National 1737