The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-20
JUST MOVING ON.
That Describes the Develop
ment of Topeka Now.
j. T. Davis Talks of the Build :
ing Expansion.
BUILT INV HOMES.
Fourteen Erected and Sold in
Year by This Firm.
People Want Good Up-tO-Date
Houses.

Houses.
! We'll, I don't know that there is a
building boom on" said ]. p. Davis,
CT the Davis Welcome Real Estate
company, in answer to a question.
There is rot any greater boom than
We have been enjoying for the past
year or So. There is a squirt just at
this time caused by the approach of
spring and the seasona bleness of the
weather. but there has hardly been a
dull week all winter and we have ad-
ded over 100000 worth of property to
the tax rolls of the county during the
past year.
1t has been but a little over a year
since we began the construction of
modern residences in Topeka and dur
| ing that time we have completed ana
sold IA properties which have cost from
$5,G0O to $500 and have four left which
we nave as yet not disposed of. Every
one or these houses are as modern as
money can make them and are located
in the southwestern portion of the city
west of Kansas avenue and south on
Tenth street.
Some of the properties were built
for the people to whom they were af-
forwards sold but many of them were
built as investments and in several
could get them completed We have
introduced some novelties in the style
OF architecture in this city and there
is an individuality about the homes we
have built not 10 be seen in the ordi-
nary residences"
Every one of the Is buildings erected
by Davis, Welcome & Co., have been
designed and their construction super
intended by Byron H. Davis. one of the
members of the firm. While not an
architect by profession the structures
which have been erected under the
supervision of Mr.. Davis indicate the
study and painstaking methods of
their designer.
Before the firm began the erection of
the homes Mr.. Davis visited number
of eastern cities and spent his time in
homes of the wealthy class of citizens.
Aside from the fact that they are as
modern as can be devised the beauti-
full in architectural has been borrowed.
Dormols, gables and extension windows
have been used extensively as decora-
tive features and sweep roofs have
been used in every instance.
The first truss roof for front
porches ever seen in Topeka is one
of the innovations introduced by the
Davis-Welcome houses, though the
style has been extensively copied since
the first one was built by that firm.
The houses-4fave all been built by day
labor and for abDnt eighteen months
this firm has had a gang of twenty
men constantly In their employ under
the supervision of Mr.. Byron H. Davis.
Everything which has entered into
the construction of the buildings has
been purchased from Topeka dealers,
Notwithstanding the fact that carloads
of the different grades of lumber have
been used. All the plumbing has been
done by Topeka firms and the fur
naces placed in position by Topeka
furnace men.
1--WE believe in a Greater Topeka"
said Mr.. Davis, "and feel that the way
to make a Greater Topeka is to pat
ronize our home institutions we
have found that there is not enough
difference in prices to be obtained out
side of the city to warrant the pur-
chase of materials elsewhere, even If
a person had no home pride
1--WE have demanded some of the
finest work for the interior finishing
of our houses" continued Mr.. Davis,
and we have not had the slightest
trouble in securing just what we want
ed of the Topeka planning mills, and
the doors and sashes were all made
by a Topeka Institution. We have
found that the best that can be OBJ
tanned any place in the land can be
secured from our home manufactur-
ers and dealers and we have patron
lied them exclusively as we shall con-
tinue to do in the future
OF the eighteen residences built by
the firm but four OF them remain IN
sold and contracts may be closed for
two of them at any time, while the
other fourteen have been sold to the
following people who are now occupy
ing them as their homes:
f J. Shakeshaft, 1901 West Tenth
street ..
F. L. Parks, 503 West Tenth street.
F. N Riste 1916 Harrison street.
Dr. J. R. Fay, 1914 Harrison street.
J. S. Leach, 1915 Jackson street.
w S Hayslip, 1917 Jackson street.
Frank Petro,, 1907 Polk street
John C. Burnett, 100 Polk street.
GUY Morse, 1904 Polk street.
E P. Hotchkiss, 1925 Topeka ave-
F. L. Campbell. 1907 Buchanan.
Professor o. P. McClintock, 1909
Buchanan street.
K. A Shumaker. 1415 Buchanan
street.
A. T. Lucas GA Fillmore street.
Davis Welcome and Company and
George D. Lyle. manager for the
Westlawn addition to the city and the
annex. have had 81 modern residences
erected ii the southwestern portion |
during the past wear at a cost of some |
thing like 100000. There has not
been a building erected by either |
firm at a cost of less than $4,000 and
some of them have cost more than |
double that amount. Ninety-f1Ve per |
cent of them have been sold to their
present occupants who in most in |
stances have paid cash for their pur-
chaSes.
nv