The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-10
THE HABLISTON BUILDING.
Owned by Mr.. c. 7. Davis and Will Be Re-
built-Lcss and Insurance. ~

OWueu ny HlI. ". 81 JAWS dHu ~ AZ " NS
blilt-Lcss and Insurance.
The Habliston building, the smaller
structures to the west on the Main Street
side, and the lot to the rear on Seventh
Street, on which is being erected a. plant
for the Richmond Telephone Company,
are all the property of Mr.. Charles T.
Davis, forlnerlySa well known contractor
OF this city; but now retired from active
business. pursuits.
I The building destroyed by fire was
erected some eight or ten years ago under
the supervision of Mr.. Davis himself. The
cost of construction was something. DE
tween So, COO, and $4,000. The structure
was four stories in height and measured
about TOx12O feet. There was a cellar de-
signed for the purposes of storing goods
Above on the first floor We're the display
| rooms, large and corlmo dious. Double
show windows looked out on Main Street
For three floors above there We're sarge
| rooms to be used for offices or ether pur-
poses, and a. hail. 80
Shortly after the completion OF the
building}it was rented by the furniture
firm of Habliston & Sons. and thus got It's
name The store was occupied by TINS
firm for five or six years. ana was then
| vacant for some, time. A few months ago
|. it was leased for ten years to the Virginia
Electric Railway and Development COM
| pally, and seven or eight thousand dollars
! worth of improvements was placed upon
/ it Thirteen or fourteen rooms were add
| ed on the second floor.
isss:s HOW OCCUPIED.
| A norton of the building was sublet by
! the: development Company to the Tower ON r
iaBnfords Electrically Company, an0 IT. was Wa.
| also occupied by the executive ohlces OF
| the Richmond Traction Company Inc
Tower Binford people, it IS unaerstoou,'
/ used one-half of the cellar, one-hali OF
| L a,,,}S rv-y-
/ half of the cellar and of the store anu
| tbe second floor were occupied by the VIZ
| pinia Electrical Railway and DeEelop-
mont Company. and the Traction Company.
/ The third floor was unused.
/ M the west Of the Habliston building
were five one-story frame stores an
| owned nv Mr.. Davis. The first was oc-
/ o,,niad nv smith & Webster, jewelers.; the
1 newt by Joseph Bickerstaff. repalrer OF
/ hicycles. and a third by ]. r. Llpscomo.
! ,,be other two. one of which had just been
rented to a plumber. were unoccupleo:
/ The ziewelry shop was knocked mo :.
/ cooked hat A piece of wall tufn piea ~
/ Ton of it. and then and there ended IT'S
i life. Bickerstaffs place was gone up d.
| ,,,,,st as hadly. The Others were less DAM
] aged. ..,e ;.84.o,,,-
jS,n1a+aIv suited Some walls are standing,
hit that is about all so far as It's iulslis
/ nse is concerned The estimated loss ;. -
i something like s35, 600 on the structure IL
| se1f 1rha2 smaller stores don't amount 10
/ ,,,,c,, and probably won't foot up more
/ e+l,,nF. thousand dollars. The insurance,
/ 60 far as is known amounts only 10 ABOUT ABOUT
/ $40 600 carried by the Mutual Assurance
| Company. of this city.
i - LOSSES OFaTHE OCCUPANTS.
] The Virginia Electrical Railway ana
i DEVELOPMENT Company had its Offices on
i the tirst and second floors, as did also the
i richmond Traction Company. On Vic
4 second floor. to the front, was the Office
/ Of the president of both companies. Nj:
/ T.. Bemiss. The auditor offlce' eng
! the ca shier.s and the engineers We're 81
I. so insthe building. One side Of the cel5'lr
/ uyas@,,sed as a wareroom by the Develop.
i newt Company. i'll which was stored IL Il
5oonsidara HE quantity of electrical appa-
/ ratI,s and tixturez. While valued collsltl-
i erably a bove this figure, the, stock OF pom
companies. the DEVELOPMENT ahd llie I -.
! ton was damaged only TO Tue ieAeeilet "
/ about ,s10 00O,ss probably not SO znluc Zen =
! rood deal of it can be saved. Inc STOCK
| S,as fully covered by insurance
/ With regard to the loss to the property
i of the Tower Binford Company, little IS
i known. OfIicers of the concern absolute
{! " refuse to- make any statement VIVA. Wtnat g.
Z. soever, either as regards the insurance SUI or
4 tbeS loss. The company occupied the west
y A
|scsi,.r nd also the garnet. They had on
hand a. large stock Of cleo trical equipment,
4 fsI ,.sN motors, and a. general assortment
Of supplies: Practically all is gone, The
insurance, SO far as can g:be learned, is IS
1 only $1,000. carried by the Royal. Company:
sssssss no REBUILD AT ONCE.
tIt is understood that Mr.. Davis will lose
no delay In rebuilding. The site is a
1 Ys1ua BE one. and will not be left vacant.
Tie new structure may not be SO high
respects equal to it.. Moreover, it is prob
able that large brick stores will be
erected where the late wooden shops
} stood. Herein the change will be much
q for the better. The delay on the constr,,c-
| ton of the plant of the Richmond Tsle-
s phone COMPANY. on Seventh. Street. viii
j be slight The foundations are down md
the work. it is thought, can proceed
without interruption. .sy5