The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-02
BUILDINGS
ARE RISING.
The Activity in That Direction
is [ noreCedented.
IN ALMOST EVERY WAY
Building Material Now Easy to Secure
and Money is Plentiful Mar
velous Changes of Recent
Years.

The click OF the trowel and the sound
of the hammer and saw make music now
In every part of the city. With the open
Ing Of spring, building activity is seen on
every hand. New houses are going UP
everywhere-not small. temporary struc-I
lures. but residences, stores, factories and
office structures that would be credit 10
a far larger city. 1t Is not n squirt
This Increased building is hue to n
number of perfectly reasonable causes.
One Of them liz that II Is now possible to
get steel for the framing. n thing absolute-
~ out OF the question a year ago. Build
ings that have been In contemplation for
several years are now to be erected be-
cause 1t Is possible to get the material to
do so. The money has never been lack
ing. The banks and individuals of Rich
mond have abundance of money to be
= gotten Mt most reasonable rates on good
security and no trouble at all has arisen
from this source.
Other antecedents of this era of build
Ing are growth OF business in the city, the
Increase OF population and the enhanc-
Ing ra,ie OF property. making 1t neces-
sary to go up In the air for more floor
space. This and the demand for con-
venence OF location to save time and wor-
ry are directly responsible for the first
=
at the southeast corner OF Tenth and
Main Streets, by the American National
Bank
STOP DOUBLING up
The coming Of more prosperous times
had the effect OF unloading the residences
OF the families. who In tho hard times,
OF 1893 and after doubled up" to save
rent Many others who are prosperng
now as never before in their business arc
gratifying their long-cherished desire of
having residence built to suit their own
needs and ideas.
This 10 seen operative in Leo District
where probably $4,000 worth OF property,
is now In course OF erection and twice
that sum has been completed in the past
eighteen months .ss5
The two points OF transition in Rich
mond at present are Lee District and
II stald old Main Street from Twelfth TO
Fifth seven of the most important
squares on the street.
The visitor TO Lee Monument even three
years ago would not recognize the sur
roundngs now. It was an old field then.
1T is to-dayA wcll-buIt-up, beautiful Sec
ton OF the fashionable residence district
of Richmond.
ss Five years from now. nay three years
from the present time. the Main Street Of
today will not be recognizable
1t is easy to suggest some OF the
: changes which are to take place. The
latest trade In Maln-Street property is
the purchase by. Mr., VHrglnius Newton, of
Nos 11Oi1s to 11DS East Main, having a
frontage on. the northsidc OF Main of SO
feet and a depth of 80 feet. Small wooden
structures, better suited to n period OF
nifty years In the past than to the present,
are now on this valuable property. for
which Mr.. Newton paid Messrs. McVeigh
& CHM, real estate agents. $4,000. Mr..
= Newton Is at present out OF the city and
nothing can be learned OF his immediate
object In acquiring this Site Possibly
he will erect bank building to be the
more modern home OF the First National
Bank. Of which he is president It may
be another sky-scraper. with Offices iigu!
ratiyely. among the clouds. On the. next
square going uptown. on the same side
will stand the proposed million dollar
postoft,ce, covering the sites of the pres
emit office and the Shafer building. This
Ia not 10 assert that the new office Will
he secured In the next three years. re-
membering that It takes time to put
great government force into operation.
FIRST sKY-scRAPER.
On the other side OF the street will
shortly rise eight stories, the new nome
OF the American National Bank. with
offices on tho seven floors above the
5f,rst. Work OF demolishlng the present
four.story building to make room Tor
the frst sky-soraper has already be-
gun. and from the debris OF this Will rise
Tie stately walls OF the other.
Tho first OF next year the Mutual As
surance Society ofSyirginia will begin
the erection OF another sky-scraper Mt
the corresponding corner ut Ninth and
Main, This Is to be at least nine stories
Z. high, overlapping the Chamber of Com
merce by four stories, and an effort Is
being made by prominent men to have
the building ten or twelve stories sky
ward.
improvements at the corner OF Tenth
and Main, northwest corner. One or two
stores have been erected or repaired on
the north side of Main from Eighth to
Ninth. At the southwest corner OF
Eighth and Main the Whtlock estate is
10 erect handsome store and office
building. and preparations therefor arc
now being made. In five years prob
ably much less time, the Second Baptist
Church Will be gone from Sixth and
Main and stores or office buildings will
take Its place. But the chief change OF
all viii be noticeable at Fifth and Main,
( Here the entire appearance OF the place
will be changed Where the Allan house
pnce stood are now rising residences,