igS ROBERT W. DE FOREST 



could be occupied by a family. Later on — it may be at the 

 beginning — each floor was subdivided between front and rear, 

 so that it could be occupied by two families. One of the chief 

 evils of such tenements arose from cellar occupation, and con- 

 sequently some of the earliest tenement house regulations re- 

 late to the occupation of cellars. 



In its second stage the tenement house is built for the pur- 

 pose, imitating, not infrequently, in a servile manner, the ar- 

 rangement of the altered house, with its dark rooms, and only 

 gradually being adapted to a new architectural form growing 

 out of its special use. The introduction of running water and 

 city health regulations made it possible and desirable to locate 

 water closets inside. Courts and air shafts increased in size. 

 Fortunately, the process of evolution is not exhausted, and is 

 still going on. 



The tenement is still regarded in many places as an exotic, 

 not adapted to our climate. But, judging from the history of 

 New York and other cities, west and east, the tenement house 

 has come to stay, and is, perhaps, destined to crowd out other 

 and better forms of housing. I remember well when the first 

 tenement to be dignified by the term apartment house was 

 built in New York. It was in the early 70's. Now it is a 

 prevailing type of new building for dwelling purposes on Man- 

 hattan island. There were no less than 82,652 tenements in 

 Greater New York at the time of the last census. The develop- 

 ment of the tenement has been largely influenced by legislation 

 intended to prevent its worst evils. To test the reason for such 

 legislation, and to define its limitations, a brief summary of 

 particular subjects of regulation is desirable. 



Protection against fire is almost universal. Structural 

 provisions directed to this end are contained in the building 

 laws of all cities. In New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, 

 Jersey City, Providence, Syracuse and Nashville, all tenements 

 must have fire escapes. AU tenements over two stories in 

 height must have fire escapes in St. Louis, Baltimore, Louisville, 

 Minneapolis, St. Paul, Denver, Toledo and Columbus. In 

 Chicago, Cleveland and Cincinnati, this rule applies only to 

 tenements over three stories in height. In many cities tene- 

 ments must be fireproof throughout when over a certain height. 



