The Real Estate Record

REAL ESTATE RECORD AND BUILDERS' GUIDE. VOL. XVII. NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MAY 13, 1876. No. 426. Published Weekly by We have in this age numerous and diverse we insist that every variety of dwelling known THE REAL ESTATE RECORD ASSOCIATION creeds, consequently our places of religious ob to the Old "World or the older civilizations could be utiUzed in thia country, where we have such 0. W. SWHET PKESIDENT AND TEEASUEEB servances extend from the ordinary meeting PRBSTON I. SWEET SECKETABY. house through all the ranges of the architectural an immense variety of natural scenery. Our L. I3EABLS BUSINESS MA.*fAGEB gamut. Thus while some are adapted merely modem Protestant faiths have developed the TEEMS. for speaking, others are arranged so as to be meeting-house, the best examples of which are OKB TEAR, in atlvance....^10 00. conformable to the requirements of the choir, seen in churches like those of Mr. Beecher and Communications should be addressed to the organ, the mass and the ritualistic spectacle. Mr. Hepworth, which are intended simply for the convenience of the audience in seeing and Nos. 345 AND 347 BBOADWAT. In like manner, a great deal of ignorant criti hearing the ministers, and not at all for spectac cism has been wasted on our public buildings, ular displays. The Corinthian, Doric, or Ionic and accordingly the Post-of&ce of thi^ city, on A CHAPTER ON ARCHITECTURE. temple would be out of place as a Protestant account of its composite character, has received meeting-house, as they were not intended for its share of opprobrium. Very eminent archi Mncli has been written respecting the want of sound, but for sight—for the offering up of tectural authorities, among whom, we believe, a distinctive school of architecture in this coun sacrifices, and not for the ministrations of an maybe mentioned Leopold Eidlitz, have de try. It is complaiuecl that Americans are servile eloquent preacher. It is in this regard that clared that it was a monstrosity, inasmuch as it copyists, that we reproduce here architecture, we show our incongruous and unformed tastes—, combined a great number of diverse ideas, rang both in oui- churches, our public edifices, and a mere imitation of edifices constructed for a dif our private dwellings, which is adapted for other ing all the way from Grecian, Eoman and Me- ferent purpose, and embodying a distinctive climates and for different environments. Many diseval ideas of architecture down to the present religious idea. We may recur again to this sub eminent architects thus are given as authority day, and including the inevitable Mansard roof. ject; but it is evident that we in this country de for criticising our churches and public build Nevertheless, to the ordinary mind the new mand an eclectic school of architecture, and that ings particularly as being anachronisms, and Post-ofiice seems to be a inagnificent building, any critic who objects to the composite charac not being adapted to the religious idea to be ex well proportioned, appropriate, and an ornament ter of our public edifices, or the great variety o pressed or the public use which the building is to the city, however it may violate such canons ideas which the "best modern work justifies, is intended to subserve. of the art as are laid down by Mr. Eidlitz and behindhand in the higher principles of his art. There is undoubtedly force in much of the de other critics. In truth, there is a theory of de Mr. Eidlitz himself, in his Synagogue on Fifth tached criticism concerning architecture in this velopment in architecture as well as in nature. avenue and the new Dry Dock Bank, wisely de country, but it must be bomo in mind that we The human embryo and foetus pass through parts from the rules he is in the habit of laying are a composite nation; we represent no one race all the inferior forms before reaching that of down touching the work of other architects. His and no one religion. Our country, also, has every man. As the fish, reptile, and mammal precede best work is where his theory is not associated variety of climate. "We have arctic cold, tropi the type of man, and as man embodies all pre with his practice. cal heat; we have river bottoms, lake exposure, ceding forms of life, so in architecture does the ocean fronts, as well as mountain sites, all of modem public edifice represent all previous A HINT TO BANK OFFICERS. which demand a varying style of architecture. It ideas in architecture; and hence what may was the pecaharity of architectural stnictures in seem incongruous to the mere critic, who has Why cannot we have a bank edifice intended the past that they represented the religion eras of not grasped this idea of development, and who for the comfort and convenience of the people distinctive faiths, or in their domestic architec judges each type of architecture by its own who patronize such institutions? Gentlemen ture embodied certain marked climatic pecul narrow rules, may be its chief recommendation. who have occasion to deposit money, or to iarities. Grecian architecture, as evinced by their The Coria thian or Doric temple would be mani • transact business with the cashiers or tellers of temples, was based upon the sacrificial charac festly out of place as a modern Custom-house banks, are compelled to do so at the sacrifice of ter of their religious ceremonials. A polytheis or Post-office. Given the idea of the business their self-respect. Every person who deals with tic religion, the offering up of sacrifices, was fitly to be performed, it is competent for the archi a bank is treated as a possible thief. If ho symbolized in the Corinthian, Doric, and Ionic tect to draw from ail preceding styles of archi wishes to deposit money, he must do it through orders of architecture, and particularly in theii- tecture, and so long as there is a harmony of a hole where he bands it to the teller, who is temples. These were not intended for singing or ideas in the work he deserves commendation, guarded by glass and wire, so as to offer no speaking, but for spectacular ceremonials. Again, instead of adverse criticism. Modern archi chance for possible courtesy. Likewise, in the Gothic style of the Middle Ages represented tecture is a good deal like the modern orches handing his check for money, he is treated as if the Catholic ideal, the best specimen of which— tra as compared with the viol or flute of the an he were a possible thief; hence, we think, has the famous Cathedral of Cologne—shows that cients. It includes a great many different in grown up the reprehensible practice of allowing porters and office-boys to deposit moneys and there was this advance upon the ancient archi struments, instead of a single dulcimer, on which receive large sums intended for the firms to tecture that it was intended for the performance to express harmonic thoughts. So in our edi which they belong. No man with any self- of the mass, in which spectacle was united with fices, it is quite proper for us to have the Swiss respect wishes either to deposit money him- singing and choral music. Hence the fretted chalet, ihe Tuscan villa, the Boman country seK or receive it from a bank. There vaults and cells where music "lingered on as house, the Elizabethan cottage, the only re is a sense of humiliation in being treated loth to die." The temples of Egypt, Ninevah straint being that each style ot house should be as if you were a rogue in all your deal and Babylon were symbolic of the religious idea fitted to its environments. Thus it is evident ings with the bankers you patronize. It to be expressed, and each had its appropriate that such a style of villa as may be fit for a sea characteristic. The faith of Islam is also typi is of course desirable and inevitable that shore is not best midway up a mountain, banks should deal with persona whom they fied by the domed and minareted mosque. and that what wonld add beauty to a prairie do not know with a great deal of reserve and But, properly speaking, our modern architecture would be manifestly out of place on the positive suspicion; but surely the gentleinen typifies no special religious creed; or rather it shores of a river or a lake. It is the in- who are in the habit of leaving large sums of represents, wiih the religious ideas of the past, appropriateness of the locations very often money on deposit deserve somewhat better treat- many modern improvements and variations. wMch makes our architecture incongruous; but 366 REAL ESTATE EEOORD. ment than the stranger or oflice-boy. In the his vote for objectionable measui-es, or perhaps Part II is entitled "The Perlectibn of aLien," aud magnificent buildiugs which are erected could to withhold it from perfectly fair measures, be gives with great particularity the provisions of the not some attention be paid to persons who wish cause the selfish interests of the community are New York City Act of 1875, the Kings and Queens' to transact business with the bank ? Could not organized, are in a high state of efficiency, know Act, and the General or "State Act," which includes the balance of the State, excepting Rensselaer they be ushered into a room, and messengers the representatives, and have aU the persistence County, Onondaga County, and the City of Bufialo. employed, who would take their money or hand which sordid and selfish interests invariably com The practice under the three former Acts is given, them the bills in return for checks, without their mand when contrasted with a merely disinterest with the forms apphcable thereto.

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