The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-11-27

That Sumter In growing very rap
Idly is fact that is daily impressed
upon residents and that Is brought 10
the attention OF visitors very shortly
after their arrival In town. Every
body knows that Sumter is growing
but how much II is growing few per-
sons realize: few real estate deal
srs and contractors perhaps know
approximately how much. When II
comes down to actual figures. they
could not come much nearer to the
actual value OF the work now golns
on. OF which has been completed In
the present year. than others who
have not been over tho entire city
and who are not 90 much Interested.
Therefore. when It 10 stated a. On
sotaai fact that at the present time
and during tho present year there
Aas been spent In Sumter In I'm
provements on old buiidinga In the
erection Of new buildings. that there
vii be spent on buildings. now In
course OF construction. considerably
more than half . million dollars Il ID
shown In concrete figures Of just how
Duch Sumter people and outsiders
believe In Sumter and It's present and
future growth and prosperity--fsures
that may be amazing to those who
do not visit the city often and who
don't know what progress Is being
nade at this time.
These figures are not the result of
mere Eness work. They were obtained
from reliable contractors, real estate
men. architects and owners. and
were given for as near the approxi-
mate cost. as these persons could
estimate the value Of the buildings ir
which they themselves were interested.
The results added together give
something over 100000. and then.
OF course. In q survey Of the town
there will be numerous smaller build
ings and lesser improvements. and
probably some expensive improve
ments. which are omitted.
Nor is this growth Of Sumter con.
fined to one locality or one kind of
structure. A visitor being taken
ever the town would be struck with
tne fact that buildings are going UP
Ia al sc ,tions OF the city, anG with
The varsc > Of buildings & a courae Of
construct IN or Just completed Every
part of cwn and nearly every street
10 represented In the building boom
and nearly every class OF building 10
among those which have recently
been completed or is In course Of
erection. A short time ago the ad-
vance agent OF q circus. after
going over the town. stated that he
had just been on q trip through the
south and Middle West. but nowhere
had be seen any town which had
grown 90 rapidly and made 80 many
improvements In the last four years.
80 hod ouhi'cf' ftc o6iu thut tO MIN
things appeared quite different from
what they were when he was here
four years ago. Never had he seen
such n growth In all directions and
N every class of business and variety
si building as he saw In Sumter. The
remark OF this gentleman very well
expresses the idea OF the growth OF
Sumter In the past four years. and In
this four years ty far the greater part
OF the building has been done within
q period of eighteen or twenty months
preceding the present time. the ma
jority OF which In turn has been done
within the present year.
To classify and name all OF the
buildings would be an almost impos-
sible task. although Sumter is still a
small city OF 10000 inhabitsnts--s.-
100 inhabitants was given by the CEN
sus OF 1910. although the city direc-
tori Of 1919 shows a list of 1880
names II will be Of interest, how
ever. To know of some Of the chief
buildings completed during the year
and now In course OF erection which h
will be completed early IN the yenr
1919. The greater number OF build
ings erected at large cost are bust
ness houses In the business section
Of the city. some being in the very
neart OF the city and others being on
the outskirts Of the business section.
Two OF these buildings will cost. com
plete. at least S75.000 each. while
others will cost In the neighborhood
Of $4,000.
In giving a partial list of the build
inss which have added to the city'r