The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-08-20
GROW ING FAST.
EVERY SIGN OF A BIG BUILD
ING BOOM AT HAND.
INTERVIEWS WITH MANY MEN,
All Uniteln Saying that the Activity
i'm Building Operations Is UnpnraI-
Ieicd-DeaIcrs in Building Materials
swamped with Orders.

Roanoke is enjoying healthy
growth. The building activity is al
most unparalleled, and still the de
mand is unsupplied, houses being
rented in many instances almost a
soon as the foundations are laid. 1
can hardly be said that there is an.
new hooin here, but the boom, which
was started a few years ago, has beer
kept at high tide and continually
rising The builders and contractors
building companies and building
material manufacturers have beer
constantly increasing, yet The house.
they can erect do not begin to supply
the demand.
There are fifteen building and con
tracing films, two large construction
companies, five brick manufactures
and a number of manufacturers an(
dealer, in different kinds of building
material, nearly all of which have
more orders than they can fill. a
TINES reporter yesterday interviewed
number and found them satisfied
with their present business and san
culinary of the future.
The reporter found Mr.. j. IS. Levy
the president of the Roanoke Con
structionand Improvement Company
in his Office in the Exchange building
busy at his desk. Mr.. Levy said that
in his opinion, more building is now
going Oh here than at any time in the
history Of the city, and that the pros
poets are that the building activity
will continue. chen asked about the
business OF his company he said that
it had continued to grow since oper-
atoms were first begun. The company
is now constructing thirty residences,
and is beginning work on what is to
be n handsome business block on
Campbell street. Contracts have al
ready been made for the immediate
erection of several substantial bust
ness blocks.
Mr.. a. L. Corey, president of the
West End Brick anu Tile Company,
said that the business of his company
is better now than at any time during
the two years it has been in opera
ton. He said the demand for houses,
and especially business houses, was
much greater than the supply.
Mr.. John F.. Barbour, general
manager for the Roanoke Building
Company, said that the company is
doing very satisfactory business,
which has constantly increased dur
ing the five months it has been oper-
atlng. The company has dozen or
more buildings in course of construc-
ton. with bright prospects for the
future.
Manager S. II. Kefauver, of the
Roanoke Manufacturing Company,
manufacturers of building material,
took very conservative view Of the
situation. He was rather Of the
opinion that building is not altogether
as brisk as it has been at other times,
if the number of houses being erected
is to be compared. He, as we'll Us ali
the gentlemen interviewed, said that
IL better class of buildings is being
constructed, and gave it as his opinion
that equally as much money is being
put in houses now as at any time
within the history of the city. if not
more. The conversation with Mr..
Kefauver brought out the fact that
there is strong and growing ten
dency among the laboring classes,
and all classes who work on salaries
to provide their own homes.
This he regarded as adding much TO
building activity, and as one Of the
best indications of the substantial
growth of the town. 1.-THE company
said he, ''has been unable to supply
the demands OF the trade in this line
of building-material.n He did not
expect, nor did he want to see any
thing like mushroom growth, but
looked forward TO the substantial
progress of the city in full keeping
with the record of the past few years.
Many large real estate owners. are
erecting buildings for sale, and find
ready market for their houses. More
houses are being erected with this
view than for rent. New corners are
buying their homes, which is a good
indication. The Land and Improve
ment Company recently sold $4,000
worth of property, including thirty
houses, to Northern syndicate.
Hon. Henry L. Trout, who is inter
ested in building companies, thinks
there is as much building going on in
Roanoke now us at any time since
the growth of the city began, and
that this activity will continue.
j. w. Shields, of the firm Of Shields
& Mayes, builders and contractors
said that he had been in business
here for three years, and that he has
not seen greater activity in building
than now. The number of houses
erected by his firm during the last six
months, as compared with the previ-
GUS six, was in the ratio of five tc
three.
r. H. Woodrum, president of the
recently organized Building Stone
and Pavement Company, said build
ing operations were never more active
in Roanoke than now, and that the
demand was never greater. He men
toned several instances of persons
having remained here ten days try
ing to secure houses in which to dc
business. He thought that one of the
great needs of the city was more bust
ness houses.
The Roanoke Building Stone and
Pavement Company, is one of the
corporations recently organized tc
help the demand for building mater
ial. The company is placing the ele-
CANT sidewalk pavements on Church
street. 1t is prepared to do all kinds
of cement work. paving, coping
artificial stone building, stone trim
ming, and to furnish all kinds o.
artificial stone statuary. The capita
stock is $25, GOO, and officers are: r
81. Woodrum, president;C. o'Leary
vice-president; FL. s. Cole, secretary
and Iraesurer and T. r ST. John