Daily Republican

John Ward Improvements

P. Allen's Beautiful Home—Pickels & Foulk's Homes for Mechanics—Grading Market Street—Queer Clay Deposits.

Wilmington is particularly favored with high, healthy, eligible building sites. Amongst the latter is all that section stretching out Delaware avenue from Market street, all west of Franklin street, the highlands along Broome street, and in the Eleventh ward, and the elevated plateau in the Ninth ward receding back from Vandever avenue and Jessup's lane to the next natural terrace formed by the high grounds upon which stand the residences of the Elliotts. From all of these localities named, there is a splendid view of the Delaware river—a view that never tires the sight—but from none of them is there a more beautiful view than that from the elevated plateau in the Ninth ward, on the north side of Market street from Twenty-third to Twenty-sixth streets.

This section of the city for a long time resisted the march of city improvements simply because the grade of Market street was not established and water could not be introduced until the street was graded. Lately, however, the barriers have been broken through and full scope has been given to real estate agents, contractors and builders. Since then the terraced grounds on the north side of the street are being covered with beautiful dwellings fronting the river.

Amongst these fine residences that of Pancoast Allen from novelty of cottage architecture, beauty of finish, and being located on a lot 125 by 180 feet, amidst winding garden walks, and flower plats of varied designs, stands pre-eminent.

To the rear is well supplied prolific fruit gardens, and Mr. Allen has just finished the erection of a green house in which to propagate his flowers. Directly adjoining are four beautiful new houses, built in the latest style of architecture, by J. C. Pickels and William H. Foulk. Double terraces lead from the building line up on the front porches from which two-thirds of the manufactories of Wilmington, the P. W. & B. Railroad and the Delaware river lay in plain view.

These houses are built with an eye to comfort and convenience, and a handsomer home for a well-to-do mechanic or business man cannot be found in Wilmington. The lots are 24 by 107, with 24 feet for double terraced yards, six feet for front porches, and six feet wide side yards. The houses are conveniently divided into seven rooms, besides an outside kitchen and a bath room, and supplied with hot and cold water, and gas if desired. Mr. Foulk himself did the carpenter work in a substantial and handsome manner.

Without particularizing, the houses are everything that could be desired for convenience and comfort, and they are so elevated that the view of the Delaware will not be obstructed. One has already been sold to George W. Borrell the head foreman of H. F. Pickels foundry. Messrs. Pickels & Foulk intend to proceed with the erection of three more houses, fronting on Twenty-fourth street, as soon as the city grades the street. Some sixteen more new houses, it is said, will be built in the immediate neighborhood during the summer.

The grading of Market street will add greatly to the beauty and advantages of this section of the city. Martin Keogh has a large force of horses, carts and men at work, and already has one side of the street cut through from Twenty-third to Twenty-sixth street. He expects this week to turn the travel into the newly excavated side, and next week he will attack the other side. He expects to finish his entire contract by the first of June. The excavated clay is dumped on Twenty-eighth street near the boundary line of the city, thus forming a solid street of made earth across the marsh in that section. The geological formation of the earth here is a curiosity, the first layer of earth being a rich soil, the second gravel, and the last a greasy loam, easily mistaken at sight for sand, but which proves to be a damp, soft loam.

The deepest excavation is between seven and eight feet, sufficient to show the peculiar formation of the earth.

One of the queerest sights is the deposits of white earth resembling puddling clay. These deposits look as if they had been dumped into ladle shaped holes in the earth, and they seem to be located at equal distance from each other. The strata of turnpiking is of very little account. In fact the paving was completely worn out so much so that it was thought not worth making an effort to save it.

Mr. Keogh is making a good job of his contract and when it is finished Market street, from the Brandywine bridge to Riverview cemetery, will be one of the prettiest drives in the country. It is no surprise that mechanics in search of pleasant and picturesque homes are attracted to this locality. Here they are convenient to the great work shops of the city, and public schools and churches all lay within two or three squares. For the present the Pioneer Coach Line runs out to Twenty-fifth street, and after the completion of the grading of Market street, it is said the coaches will run on out to Riverview cemetery. No doubt the Wilmington City Railway will soon take the place of the coaches.