The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-24
Site at the Corner Of Tenth
and Main Streets.
THE HOME OF a BANK
Y AND MODERN OFFICES
t VIII Be Occupied by the American
National Bank-Work of Tearing
Down the Old Structure to Be
gin April Ist, and Contract
for New Building to Be
Let Soon hereafter

The American National Bank yester-
day decided to erect at9Tenth and Main
Streets an eight-story steel building to be-
a, home for the bank and a modern ottice
structure. u &
Alessrs. Oliver ]. Sands and William c.
Camp. the former president of the Amer
lean National and the latter malager$of
the savings department of the bank,
spent all yesterday in Baltimore in con-
sultatlon with the architect. After tbs,
conference they agreed upon the new
building instead of renodelling the old.
Mr. c. L. Wingo, vice-president OF the
bank, said yesterday that much would
depend on the result of the consultation
with the architect. Last night. when Mr.
Sands returned he said that the old
building. now the business home OF tho
Virginia State Insurance Company. Whit .G
tet e. Shcpperson, the Presbyterian Pub
lication Committee and others, would bn
sold and the work of tearing it down
would begin the first OF April About the
first of May the contract for the new
structure would be let and its erection
would begin at once thereafter. ME-
Sands said further that it was their prits-
pose to have the building ready for occlI a
t)tlncy4 sDy
MILL COST "A FORTUNE.
The cost of this tallest structure ever
erected in Richmond will be sl75.000 IL,
is to be a model and modern Office butld-f
ing from basement tc roof. The Ameri-s
can Bank will be on the street floor. and
will have as handsome quarters as any
bank or other financial institution in tho
South. The basemen will be handsomely.
fitted up for offices and beginning with
the second floor for seven stories offices
with every convenience Will be Piled one {.
upon another. There are to be eighty
rooms in all. These are for$ renting To H
lawyers and others.
This is to be R!chm ond first sky-scraper.i
1t will be the first modern office building
to be erected here as such.
Saturday night. Mr.. Robert Lecky, Jr...
vico-president and secretary Of the 'sVir- q
ginia State received notification that
tho bank would want their offices the
earliest moment possible. as the old build
ing would probably have to so. The Nir-
gnia State, never willing to stop the
march Of pro gress. but ever ready on the
other hand to join in and help
4 it along. oftentimes ambitious to lead IT,
a once surrendered Its lease and spent
Yesterday moving while Others took holi-
day. The company will soon be com
fortably fixed in Its Offices at Ninth and
NIaln formerly occupied by the Passen-
ger and Power Company.
WE'RE INDEPENDENT ENOUGH.
The fates of the other tenants of tho
bank are also worth following. 1t is a
remarkable and Interesting fact that
every ono of the chief tenants Of this
building will erect handsome business
homes OF their own. l
The Virginia State Is to have a, splendid
structure at Fifth and Main, Messn,
Whittet and Shepperson ara to have an-
other on Eighth Street, between Main and #
Franklin. while the Presbyterian Commit
tee is having plans drawn for an edlfce
at Sixth and Grace that the CITY will ba
proud of. So far from perplexing and
dlscouraglnG the business people Of Rich
tmond by running them out. It only gives
them good excuse to get home OF
their own.
Is The proposed offico building at Tenth
and Main will be a splendid ADVERTISE
ment of the prosperity OF Richmond and s
tho Aemrlcan Bank.