Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1890-04-17
BUILDING BOOM
NEW HOUSES GOING UP IN
EVERY PART OF THE CITY.
Views Of Prominent Builders.
A Better Glass OF Houses. Brick Mere
I'm Use Now. Prospects for the Com
ing Season are Good. The Best Year
Yet. sOme Fine Residences.

year than at any period in the histo.
ry Of the city.
Not only was that number greater,
but the class and style OF the build
ings was far superior to those OF pre-
vions years. In the first rush for
places OF residence and business wood
was the principal material used, and
in the hurry of their construction
they were not put together in the
substantial manner characterizing the
buildings of later years. Salem and
Norfolk avenues, the two main bust
ness thoronghfares, were built up
largely with wood, and in con
sequence portions of these avenues
are q standing menace to the safety
of the city.
Last year brick in business houses
and many residences took the place
of wood, and Roanoke can now boast
of some as fine buildings as can be
found in any city. The number of
houses erected from January LIST 1889,
to January LIST 1890, has been various
y estimated at from 800 to 1000, and
there are many who believe that the
latter figure will be increased this
year.
a TIMES reporter has conyersed
with a lumber of contractors and
builders in the past few days and find
nearly all of them sanguine as to the
outlook for 1890 AS the views Of
some OF them may not be uninterest
ing to the readers of the TIMHs, the
following interviews are appended:
Mr.. L. Blair, of the firm of w. j.
and l. Blair. jr., when asked how
many houses his firm had completed,
said
We have finished three frame
houses this year on Church Street, of
eight and ten rooms, and are build
ing large frame house of ten rooms
on Elm Street near Jefferson, one
brick cased house on Church street,
valued at ST. 500, with lot, and one on
Blair Avenue, part brick and shingle
cased.
What are the prospects for building
this year?
Better than have ever seen them
before. We have an abundance OF
work in view and know of a great
many to be built. The style and
quality of the houses constructed last
year is far superior to those erected
in previous years, and notwithstand-
ing the number already built and
now under construction all are taken
as soon as competed and many
are rented or purchased before they
are finished.
Mr. H. J. Shomo, Of the firm of h.
7. Shomo, contractors and builders,
was the next man seen by the report
or and in reply to the houses he had
built or was constructing this year
said:
"Ihave nearly completed seven six
room frame houses at the furnace,
also three-story brick building for
G. O'Leary, nine-room frame house
on Terry's Hill for DR.. Cannady, and
am building four houses of eight
rooms each on Mountain street for the
Roanoke Investment Company"
Last year we erected sixty-eight
buildings of all kinds, and.while | do
not think the prospects as good for
work as last year on account of so
many new towns springing up in this
section, still l believe the number of
houses built here will be decidedly
above the average of other cities in
the State. My firm is also building
six houses for Mr. Allemong in Salem
There is a great improvement in
the size and quality of the houses
built last year and those now being
built.
Mr.. G. W. Lambert, contractor and
builder, in reply to the question as to
how many houses he had built this
year and was now building, said:
II have completed one eight-room
frame house on the corner of Tenth
avenue and Franklin road and am
building two more siX-room frame
houses on the Franklin road not far
from the one first mentioned. All of
these belong to Mr.. Lewis Blair, of
Richmond, who cohtemplates erect
ing three more.
The prospects for building are very
good, and the houses are improving
as to size, style and material every
year. No city in the country has built
more houses in proportion to its popus
latiop. than were built in Roanoke
last year, and Notwithstanding this,
don't believe there is half dozen
houses for rent in the city, all are
rented or purchased as soon as COM
pleted.