The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-11-20

A permit was on yesterday grant,
ed for the erection of the five-story
building on the southeast corner oil
Front and Grace streets, and when the
same is completed it will be occupied
by the firm of |. NJ. Bear & Co. Thel
building is being erected for Mr.. J.. II.
Brunjes and the contractors are How
ard & Moss, of Newport News.
1t has been known for some time thatI
a building was to "a placed On the
above named corner nd all the exca-I
valiOns have been made and everythingI
is now ready for the work to begin
The building is to cost $34, 800 and will
have a red pressed brick front. 1T
will be one of the ~handsomest buildingsI
OF Front street. The contract callsl
for the completion of the building by
the first of October, 1907, and as soon
as completed Messrs. |. NJ. Bear &, Co.
will move in. Their present place of
business is too small and their large
wholesale dry goods business is in
creasing to such an extent hat they
were compelled to get into a larger
building to take care of their %increas-
ing trade. The building they now Occu-
by was sold to the Hicks Bunting Drug
Company.
Never before in the history Of Will
mington has as much building been
done in n year as during the past
twelve months. The city is not on a
boom but new buildings are going up
all over the city and some of them are
large and imposing structures. Direct
ly across the street from the Messen-
ger office a handsome four-story build
ing is being erected and it has been
only g. few weeks since several stores
on the same street were completed,
making Princess street one of the lead
ing business streets of the city. A
large building is to be erected immedi-
ately west of the Bell telephone office
and excavations have already been
made. AS one goes out Market street
they pass by the site for the large
apartment house, which will be six
stories in height. Work was begun on
the building several weeks ago. This
does not include many smaller business
houses that have been erected and
others on which improvements have
been made.
In addition to the business houses
dwellings have been erected all over
the city and some Of them are very
handsome structures, sthe most costly
being that of Mrs. Preston L.. Brjdger6
on South Third street. This IS one Gf
the handsomest residences in the
state.
/ The total value Of the buildings
! erected here within the past twelve
months. including those in course Of
construction, amounts in round num-
bers to 81, 600, 900. TheIe is certainly
no other town in the state with such
a record and the way the city IS moving
along it looks like this year will not be
an exception. No town in the state
offers the advantages of this city. a
fact which for a long time was lost
sight Of, but which is now being recog-
Missed not only by the people of this
! city but also by those in other parts
of the state. Wilmington is not like
the same town of a few years since and
there is every reason to believe that
during the mex few years there Will
be still greater advancement.
Despite the fact that such a large
! number of stores and dwellings have
been erected here recently there is Il
great demand for them and no vacant
houses are to be found in the city.