The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-21
RICHMOND BUILDING ERA
HAS ASTONISHED SOUTH
Though Operations Here Have Shown Falling OFF In Common
With the Entire Country for Past Few Months the Record
of Recent Years Has Been Little Short of Remarkable
Many Imposing Structures Now Under Way
Photo by Foster.

IhouFh recently published statistics
show that Richmond. in common with
the cities in every section of the coun-
try, mas shown considerable falling
off in building operations in the past
month. few. II any. municipalities can
equal Ricamond's building record az
the past few years, the progress hav-
ng been little short of remarkable.
The decline for July. which was
general the country over, was due,
according TO quoted authorities, to
tight money" As to Why money Ii
tight" one must go higher and seek
further for his Information. but 1t IL.
The total percentage of decline In
Richmond for last month was 50 per
cent. as compared with the CORES
spending period of 1912. Last month
the sum OF Sl47,43a was spent locally
In building operations while for July
1912, the recorded figures were ST.
334, 096. For the seven months end
ing July 81, 1913, the building per-
Imits for Richmond totaled S2.6lo,319.
while for the corresponding period Of
1912 the figures were s4,350. 00--a
shrinkage of 40 per cent.
The fact must be borue In mind,
however, that iii July. 1912. permits
were issued 4or some notable public
i'm proyeL.eutB->Iteug hotel, $2i0.-s
Gee; Murpay'o hotel s425.o0e; chani-
Der of commerce building, $tTG,000.
while other big projects of the year
were the Virginia Railway and Power
company's building, s2T5,0 the Ly-s
ric theater. $4,000; the Bryan build
ing. 100000. and the First regiment
armory, 21o.0o0. Big building enter
prlseS completed during the year were
the First National bank building. one
of the South.s greatest skyscrapers,
and the home of the Life Insurance
Company OF Virginia, which is regards
ed as the handsomest structure in the
entire South: the addition to the
Richmond hotel. not to mention NUNS
erous handsome and costly private
residences in the city proper and tho
suburbs.
There are now no less than two hos
tels--two of them OF imposing pro-
poTions--undcr construction. while an
addition Is being built to a third hos
gIelrNs aud a hapdsAnaa alase .ihfataFss4
this week turned over 10 its owners.
The largest apartment house in the
South-Monroe Terrace-which is to.
cost it's owners 100000. is rapidly
nearing completion. In addition. plans
have been made for skyscrapers at
Tenth and Main and at Eleventh and
Bank streets 70 cost half a million
apiece. which Will probably reach
fFuition before the end OF the year.
! II il a notable fact that all OF these
and many more improvements ara
buildings which would res.
( fleet credit upon cities thrice Rich<
fmond's size. and buildings " Aicil -2ttl-
stand as monuments 10 the builders
for all time To come. M
Nor do Richmouders have to 20
away from home to find expert build-s
ing constructors, for Mt home they
have the men who know how. whetheE.
1t be tiny garage or a big skyscraperss
A recent instance--A. NJ. Walkupl
has just completed for the Thachefs
Shoe company four-story and baee~i
ment building Of concrete and steal
construction The job was done III
loi working days and was appr0ye5E
not only by. the Richmond buildin1
inspector. but by a representative
the company from New York; ana ael
8cepted without comment There T. AMH
more up-to-the- minute factory bul9
ifng hereabuutS. The Thatcher pe0T
i
! lcontlnaed on Second FaxeA M