2,.
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: M‘ODEIlN ARCHITECTURE.
MARKED CHANGE IN THE CHARAGI‘ER
or BUILDING OPERATIONS, IN
THE LAST DECADE.
NEW-YORK BOASTS or MANY AN Emmi? NAME.
AND HER sons HAVE BEEN mono m.
nos'r FAMOUS AND FOBEMOST haem-
mm on THE NATION—A wron
mo COMPREHENSIVE Known
EDGE REQUIRED.
Ill the realm ,0: architecture New-York boasts
' of many an eminent name. The building opera-
tions of the-last decade have beenupon an enor-
mous scale, involving almost aicomplete change
of methods and materials. The modern archh
tect has been'evolved just the ’same as modern
architecture has been evolved, under the new
‘ Influences which have exerted themselves. The
unalterable laws of an advancing civilization
haVe demanded new processes in the realm of,
construction. Art in architecture has been
'obliged' to join hands with science. The huge
structures which are appearing in the thor-
oughfares of this great metrOpolis so‘rapidly that
it is now no longer possible to keep count of
them have for their basis the principle of abso-
lute utility and practical purpose. They (have
been designed to meet the demands of commerce
and trade by supplying the largest number of
offices upon the smallest amount of ground
space. The architect, in his work has had to
reconcile art and science. It is to his credit and
commendation that in many of the high build~
ings of the city there has been realized a happy
blending of the two essential elements, and
these huge structures in many. instances are
an addition to the architectural exhibit of the
city. It is no uncommon sight to .behold a
building rearing itself Skyward until twenty
stories have been counted. That such a high
building could be made to have real artistic
merit would have been scoiled at a. dozen years
ago by members of the profession.
0f the six hundred or more architects who live
in New—York there are scores who have accom-
plishedno end of success» in almost every prin-
eipalf city ofjthe‘ Union. Scarcely is there a
competition opened but one or more New-York
" architects will be found among the contestants,
and in a large number of the cases they succeed
in carrying oi! the coveted honors. At the
'NVorid’s'Fair many of the most impressive and,
artistic results in the big buildings, which were
praised by all who were fortunate enough to
witness them, were Obtained through the skill,
ability and experience of some of the most
prominent of New-York’s representatives. Pub—
lic buildings in many of the capitals of the
' country stand as monuments to their genius
and enterprise. -
' -Many of the architects oceupyofficesin high
buildings which they themselves have designed
and whose completion they have superintende'd.
There are several of the large firms which re-
quire an ofilce space as large as, if not larger
than. important banking institutions, and it
may be mentioned in passing that as a rule the
architect has, for his "workshOp," quarters
which almost equal in elegance and furnishings
those of the prosperous banker.
NATIONAL PROMINENCE.
It has been said of New-York's architects
that they were the most famous and most-fa-
, vored builders of the Nation, and their genius
' had made New-York the wonder and admira-
tion or the stranger from every land, and was
. making it every day a more fitting monument to
‘ . American genius, art,_enterprise and commerce.
C In view of the revolution in building that the
city has witnessed in the last ten—yes, the last
five years-he would be rash indeed who would
“ venture to predict what the architects and
builders of New-York may reveal in new crea-
' tions of the near future, but doubtlesa the rapid
development of style as well as utility in archi-
tecture will progress._ ~ ~
The new' architecture is an evolution of only
ten Years, and it may well be said that it is too
’ much to expect even the premier architects of
the American metropolis, with all their artistic
’ and inventive genius, to perfect anew style of
‘ architecture in a single decade; and the future.
will no doubt evolve a style that shall correct
all that may be incongruous in the present, and
make New-York more and more pro-eminently
the most magnificent and stately of American
cities—a rank that it has ever held. and must
eyer hold-not less in its architectural than in
its other distinctive features.
The critics have not been backward in point-
!ng out the lncongruitias that are not lacking
. in the lower part of the city, and the aesthetic
'phase of the question has been thoroughly dis-
- cussed. It is conceded, however,
that New-
.York will compare more than favorably with
any of the big cities of the New World. No
doubt the sudden development of high buildings
has resulted in several architectural monstrOSi-
ties, buildings in which there is much to criti-
cise as regards style, but there has been a
wonderful. improvement in this line. Experi-
ence and careful study have enabled the archi-
tect to plan for lofty structures, which are really
beautiful in their art as well as their utility.
The new architecture may be said to have found
the way to subserve the practical purposes and
. to have kept well within the artistic proprieties
It the same time. _
THE TRIBUNE BUILDING THE PIONEER. ‘
The change in the skyline of New—York in
the last ten' years has been of so marked a.
character that it can only be fully realized when
a comparison is made of a view from the lower
bay ten years ago, and one of the present time.
When The Tribune Building was constructed,
it was the tallest building in the city, and it
was one of the first objects to greet the eye of
the incoming passenger on steamships from Eu-
rope. Unlike‘ the steel shell buildings in vogue
at the present day, it was built of solid ma-
sonry throughout. rising from a foundation
upon the solid rock. It is doubtful if there is a
structure in the city that can equal it in point
of solidity and strength of construction.
The high buildings in the lower part of the
'clty have been the result of the high price of
land. In the lower end of the Island ofMan-
battan there is an enormous trade centred in a
comparatively small, space. Every foot of
. Mother Earth has become of great value. It ’is'
understood that the ground plot for one of .the
big office structures cost $180 a foot. To yield
a. satisfactory income on space of this value it
has been found necessary to carry up the floors
.:1.;._,
, principles of his ’
- thorough mastering than ever beipre in the his-
I -:»v—.::
‘ . ,,.»-...:_... .—-?~ , J.
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“a. large number of offices: The oldetlme' five?
- story building can no longer be afforded on a-
i
space of such price. Only about seven years}
ago twelve stories were considered of quite re—
»markable altitude; then sixteen storiesbegan
to be looked upon as among the possibilities,
and to-day one. would scarcely be surprised to.
‘ hear that a building was going to be carried up
1 to thirty stories. - *
:Under such conditions it is not dimcnlt to up.
derstand that the architect of the present day
must-- indeed be of a versatile turn of mind. He
tails involved in architecture from any stand-
point. The economic, artistic. and structural
profession require a. more
tory of the art.
Just what an architect should know has
been made plain by the Editor of “Architecture
and Building" as follows;
“Inthe first place, the first demandhas been
for buildings, and that for their utilitarian uses.
regardless 'of other qualifications. Artistic ef-
fort or conformity to style was not for a mo-
ment considered. In the earliest years of build-
ing, in both countries, simple and good styles
prevailed from two causes, one from the fact
that the demands of the people were for. unpre-
tentious accommodations; the second from the
fact that our mechanics were under the influ-
ence of the really good architecture prevailing
in the Old World. As a result, the earliest or
colonial work is even now a model of good archi-
tecture in this country. Since then, as wealth
increased, there was a demand for elaboration
and ornamentation, without either taste or
training to furnish it on the part of the archi-
tect or .builder, or discrimination or knowledge
on the part of the public to appreciate it. There
were few if any skilled architects; almost every,-
thing was committed to the carpenter-archi— ;:
tects who had lost the traditions. which. gov-
erned the early colonial mechanics, and as a
consequence everything was seized upon and
made use of in the design ‘of their. buildings.
Details were selected and grouped" together with-
little idea’ot harmony or appropriateness, and
the consequence has been grotesque and unbe-
coming combinations that ofifended later and
much more cultivated tastes. -This period of
American architecture,‘ and 'in American we
,may'include Canadian as well, for both have
grown up under much the same conditions,
has not as yet altogether passed. Many of
our older architects who are still doing much of
the work are self-made .men who have been
graduated fronrthe carpenter’s bench, and have
had neither the, time nor the inclination for any
systematic study of architecture‘from its his-
torical or artistic side. Under such- circum-
stances, what wonder that the ‘lych gate' of old
for the protection of mourners on their way to
the grave should 'be ignorantly adopted as a
feature at the entrance of. the grounds of a
summercottae‘e!
CHANGE IN THE PROFESSION.
“This period of American architecture is pass-
ing away and a more cultivated class of men
are entering the profession. The“ architect is
‘more of a scholar if less of a. mechanic. Per-'
haps there is here a. risk that he may become
too much of a student of style and the niceties
of his art to the neglect of the practical ques-
tions of construction. A study of the work of '
our schools shows that historical architecture
occupies by far the largest place in these
studies, and the tendency is to leave the prac-
tical questions of construction to be obtained
later in the office. In a measure, this must be
so, but it is very questionable if it may not be
carried too far.
“There are many matters that can be made
part of the regular course of study in the schools
which we have thought are passed over too
lightly with the idea that they will be acquired
in the course of office experience. In‘a way
this matter is being recognized, however, and
‘ must possess a knowledge of- the necessary dew
there is an effort to meet this requirement by’a.
division of classes into what are termed archi~
tectwre and architectural engineering. This last
course, while giving a certain amount of artis-
tic training, aims to give theengineering feat-
ures of construction, dividing, as it were, the
coming. architects into artists and constructors.
This division we 'see exemplified in modern prac-
tice. In all our great architectural ofiices we
find this classification recognized, and the place
of the constructor is in frequent cases'filled by
skilled engineers whose training in bridge work
and difficult foundations, such as are required
for public works, railroad bridges; piers, etc.,
has fitted them to handle the foundations and
ironwork of the modern skeleton structures. The
last ten to fifteen years have brought entirely
new problems to the architect, and ‘what he
should know‘ covers a vastly larger field than
was required of earlier practitioners. It is told
that an old architect, once asked this question
by his student, replied, 'He must know every-
thing.’ Under the present réglme everything
has a wider significance than ever before in the
history of building. 0n the bid-time lines a
calm, restful, dignified and significant exterior
and planning to meet the moderate require—
ments of those times for interior accommoda-
tions filled the bill. But to-day there is as much
difference between our buildings and those of
that day as between the modern man-of-war
and the old line-of—battle ship. '
COMPLICATIONS or TO-DAY.
"To grace, beauty and good proportions in ex-
terlor appearance are added the complicated
services of the building. The Structure must
be threaded with electric wire. traversed.by
pipes for steam, for hot and cold water, for
drainage, and also wrought into the structure of
the building, that they may work in harmony
without trouble or complication. If the archi—
tect need not know every detail of his work, he
must at least know how to plan for it, and
must know who to call on to execute the mi-
nutest detail of all this diverse an complicated
outfit. In contemplating these var ous require-
ments of a modern building the question of
‘what the architect should know" assumes in-
creased, magnitude. The range of knowledge
required is a very .broad one, and covers so
many subjects that we are disppsed to ask,
rather, ‘what he should not know.’ At the
least, he must be endowed with artistic taste,_
be trained in the usages of the art, be an en-
gineer of no mean ability, possess inventive
genius, be quick in devising new methods for
meeting contingencies and have the ability of
directing and using other, men,, and, withad,
have good business capabilities.
-. “Thismultiplicity of qualifications, involving
special talents, training and universal knowl-
edge of materials, devices, usages and forms,
may perhaps be difficult to secure in single in-
dividuals, but can be obtained by a. specializa-.
tion and combination, the two great teaturu of-
as high utwenty and more in order to provide
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[theme-entail.”
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when-muse rim? 1 ,
. The preservative qualifies'of good paints are
too well known ‘to require more than a. more
mention here. A fact that is frequently over-
looked, however, is the ill effects of bad paint.
which are quite as far-reaching. and are com'
quentiy to be avoided.
In the particular line of goods made by the
Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company arefound
many qualitie- whlch commend themselves to
the purchaser. In its special line the policy has
not been to produce articles as good as those
made by some other. manufacturer. but goods
which were better. ‘ , - > 1
' The. products of the Bridgeport Wood Finish-
ing Company are made of strictly pure silica.
which is found in the form of crystallized
quartz. In hardness it is but a few retrieves
from that of'the diamond. '
Nothing will clean and polish‘ginsn, marble,
metal and paint like silex. Thousands of tons
of the silex ground by this company are used
by soapmakers for manufacturing scouring
soaps, and also by manufacturers of polishing
powders andcompounds.
. Wheeler’s Patent Wood Filler, another spe-
cialty of this firm, was first introduced to the
public in 1876, and its reputation has become
world-wide. The finish of the interior wood-
work in a train of Pullman cars, like that. com-
posing the Chicago Limited on the Pennsylvania
Railroad, illustrates the value of this article.
It may also be seen in many of the fine public
buildings throughout this country, as well as
many palaces abroad. Its benefits can also be
seen in the cottage of the laboring man, where
the pine has been finished in its natural beauty.
One of thelargest and most prominent rail-e
road corporations in the country, whose practice
it is to test all pure and compound leads each
year, has invariably found that Breinig’s Lith-
ogen Lead, which is made by this company,
stands better than any other composition which-
lt has ever tested. . v
.. Breinig’s Lithogen Silicate Paints have earned
for themselves an enviable reputation. They
have been tested in the most severe climates,
and, have been found to stand everything.
- Owing to their covering properties they are
economical to use, and will last, when properly
applied, from five to eleven years.
, The continued demand for hard wood has
been the means of the use of many softer woods,
and where a, natural finish is not desired vari-
ous stains have been resorted to. In the case of
hard woods, also, it is often desirable to change
the natural colors. These demands have
necessitated the use of various oil and water
stains, which the Bridgeport Wood Finishing
glogmpany has made a specialty of manufactur-
Among the other products manufactured are
such well—known articles as Breinig's black-
board paint, white Japans and dryers, white
and. colored Breinig silicate enamel paints and
Bit'lc‘eénig’si floor paints. s
_ e pr ncipal office of the com n is at New-
Milford, Conn; New-York officef’aNoy. 240 Pearl-
st.; Chicago office, No. 215 East Lake-st, Gran—
ville M. Brelnig is president and general man-
ager, and Edward E. Porter is vicemresident.
~ —-——-—+
A CENTRE FOR HARDWARE.
It is a, generally accepted fact that Chamb~ers~
st., in this city, is the hardware centre of the
country. The number of firms who are engaged
in that line runs up into the hundreds, and there
is no part of the hardware trade which is not
represented. '
The amount of building hardware sold in New-
York in a single .year will probably average
from $3,000,000 to $5,000,000. - If to this is
added the various specialties of the individual
manufacturers, the aggregate will be considera-
bly over that mount.
While the. aJority of the factories are out-
side of the city, all of the firms maintain ofi‘ices
here, and the bulk oftheir business is increased
by travelling men, who are sent to every city
and hamlet in the country. ‘
American _ hardware also finds a market
abroad, and this” city is the 121ch for builders
and merchants from all parts of the United
States. A conservative estimate places the num-
ber of'persons employed in the hardware trade,
including factory help, agents and clerks, at
about fifteen thousand people. One firm in New—
York, which manufactures a single specialty, em-
ploys 180 men in its factory. A condition which
accounts for the extensiveness of the business
is the fact that the goods manufactured are in
such constant andgeneral use . that there is.
great wear and tear. Hinges, locks and the
other items of hardware used in building are
constantly wearing out. and demand renewal,
the effect being a steady demand for the arti-
cles in question, which helps tokeep the manu-
facturers active. _ _
..__.._..__...___.._
GRANITE INDUSTRY.
Although the city proper has no developed
granite quarry within its bounds, still this in-
dustry, like nearly all others, is making New-
.York its headquarters. The product of the gran-
ite quarry can be roughly divided into three
classes—monuments, building and road-making.
The finest grade of natural stone is necessary
for monument purposes, and, while the ‘qua'r-;
ries from which this material is obtained are
.locatedclsewherethey are represented in head-
quarters in this city, and conduct both selling
and'finishing operations from ‘this point. ‘ ’
The total product of finished granite for monu-
ment purposes last year is estimated at
$5,000,000, and the amount used for road and
building purposes will exceed that sum many
times. New-York is the largest user of building
granite in the country. and all the large pro-
ducers have offices here, sending their sales-
men to all parts of the country. 'Malne, Co‘n-
necticut and other States supply New-York with
its granite, the. easy water transportation mak-
ing this a natural point for shipment.
The crushing of granite for street purposes ”is
of comparatively recent develomnent, and the
product used here is mostly quarried and.
crushed along the Hudson River. It is this de-
mand that is aiding so materially in the destruc-
tion of the Palisades and other historical points
further up the Hudson.
The New-York d lers are_ called upon to
figure upon allot the largest contracts for gran-
ite required, ‘and the resources of the trade here
are such as to enable them to make estimates
in accordance with the lowest market rates.
In finished granite for building purposes, the
local stone works do a large. share of the coun-
try's business. -The local demand for granite is
exceedingly large at macaw“ is growing all
. Quarries in Nova
;‘-‘~ -:" - ._ 5
. .,
I of the time. Various fine ~office structures which
have been put up in the last few years have
served to attract attention to the peculiar beauty
of granite for building purposes, and its dura-
bility is likewise a feature Which commends it.
Its general use is indicative of the substantial
character to which modern architecture mil-u.
. 1.488113.
The marble trade has. assumed large DMD!“
tions in New—York. and this point is now the
centre from which manufactured marble is sent
all over the country. There are in New-York
and vicinity some fifteen large concerns which
deal extensively in manufactured marble, and
' which conduct likewise the business of its manu-
mcture. They import large quantities of mar- -
bio annually from Carrara, Sienna and. various
Italian cities. and consume a vast quantity of
the'American marble, which finds its chief no.
for building purposes.
The use of white, marble- for fine buildings has
given an impetus to the trade recently, though
it has always been an important one. It is es-
timated that more than 200,000 cubic foet of
white marble will he need in this city alone
within the next year. and as the local dealers
and contractors will supplyi'much that is re.
quired elsewhere, the aggregate buSinesu done
by them will run into millions offldollarl. In
addition to the marble sold for building :pur-
poses, the local firms do an extensive business
with the manufacturers of fine monuments.
They maintain large works at which employ-
ment is given to between two thousand“ and
twenty-five hundred men. Designers, clerks
and agents bring the number of persons, em-
ployed by this industry up to three thousand
or'more men. . . "
Those who are connected with the trade, say
that the signs at present point to a. more gen-
eral use of marble'for building than has ever
before been known. The New-York firms are
prepared to furnish estimates upon thelargest
contracts, and to handle any amount of busi-
ness. There are also many firms in this city
which make a specialty of individual kinds of
marble, and also many others which are engaged
in cutting to a. limited extent and whicha-re able
to execute small contracts. The larger works
are fully equipped with all of the modern steam
appliances and machinery which has made
modern stone and marble cutting so wonderful,
and rough marble is converted here and shipped
to its destination in form and shape for im-
mediate use. As New-York is the centre for all
skilled labor, the manufacturers here enjoy the
advantage of having a large field to draw' from,
and the result is that their product is especially ‘ '
artistic and effective. , ,
The agents and dealers transact such a- large
volume of business that their'facilitiw for quota-
ing low prices cannot be excelled.
________._____—-—-—-
BUILDING PLASTEE.
There are at present in New-York five largo
concerns engaged in the manufacture of build-
ing plaster, representing an output of more
than three million barrels a. year and an aggre-
gate business of many millions of dollars. In
'addition to the large firms. there are many
smaller onea'and the business is being con-
stantly increased by the starting of new firms.
-The plants at which the manufacturing is done
are located in Staten Island, Hoboken and
neighboring points, but the business is trans-
acted almost entirely through local oflices situ-
ated in this city. The actcry buildings and
machinery alone represent in the neighborhood
of $1,500,000, and the oflice and factory force of
a single firm in this city is three hundrEti men.
In addition to this number, the firm employs
about fifty men at its sand banks. It has large
Scotia, which call for an addi—
tional complement of men, and it employs other:
to operate its own sailing vessels, which are
used for bringing the gypsum rock to the mills.
Some of the other firms also own their own sand
banks, the operation of which entails consider-
able labor and expense. Still others engage sim-
ply in the business of the manufacture of the
plaster. and buy their materials from other local
concerns or from the Western quarries. _The
business is at present in a most flourishing can-
dition. as. the increased number of new build-
ings which are going up makes the demand for
plaster a large one. _
The local firms are particularly gratified-with
the growth of trade in States outside of New-
York, as ,many of the contractors elsewhere
have learned that in this line, as in others, New—
York affords the cheapest and most satisfactory
market. . .
——-————+—-__ ‘f' .
SAND AND GRAVEL.
The introduction of the underground trolley
has added materially to the volume of business
done recently by the firms in this city who con-
tract to supply sand and gravel, but apart from
the orders incidental to these improvements
the condition of the trade is such as to warrant
the statement that it was never more flourishing.
There are six large firms engaged in the busi-
ness in this city, and .a numl r of smaller ones.
who. add to the general volume of trade. The
large firms control their own sandbanks, many of
which 'are situated at Hempstead Harbor and
Cow Bay, and a large quantity of the material
is shipped by local firms to various points
throughout the Eastern and Northern States.
A neW'method of screening for the removal of
gravelby water was introduced by a New-York
firm about three years ago, and had its effect in
adding to the demand. -
In addition to providing a. sand which is ready
for use when dumped, it furnishes several dif-
ferent grades of gravel, which are used for'con-
crete and paving purposes. The sand and gravel
are shipped in scows and sold in cargo lots. The
price of screened sand averages about 60 cents
a cubic yard, and the gravel brings as much as
$1 a cubic yard. The firms engaged in the in-
dustry operate and own their own barges, and
employ many men in the conduct of the Work.
A large amount of capital is invested in the
sandbanks. and in the machinery used .for
screening. The industry is an important on.
and is in a prosperous and paying condition.
Norwalk Chronicler