Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-19
500 BUILDING PERMITS
ISSUED IN HOPEWELL
DEMONSTRATION Week" Shows Big
gest Boom In History Of
Powder Town.
BRICK STRUCTURES STARTED
Fire Is Regarded as Having Been
blessing In Disguise" Though
Increasing Values Make Agents
Sny Disguise Was Unnecessary.
Especial to The rimes.r,,sn,,c,

lSpeclhl 10 The Times Id snatch
liOFEWElI.. VA. December lS.-Re-
, construction Week--ror that is what
this week will be known In Hopewclrs
p, history-brought wonderful changes
III the appearance OF the powder town
since last Saturday. The rebuilding OF
! the devastated wonder city WAS started
early Monday morning. many persons
securing the necessary permits for
temporary construction the first day
mat building was allowed.
liopewclls fire has been said TO have
! been blessing in disguise" The
blessing is very evident, but from the
increase. in property values there does
not seem to be any disguise about the
fact This is the way one real estate
agent described the reaction from the
ire: "a lot that could have been pur-
chased for $4,000 on Thursday before
! the fire was held for $4,000 Oh Friday
the day after the fire, and to-day that
very same piece of property cannot
be had for less than $4,000. This one
case shows the Increase of the property
values better than amy other. and yet
the entire section Of the town that was
burned has made big jumps in value
i'll the past few days"
CONTRACTS ron SCI, 900
For PORTABLE HOUSES
business men with the firm of Louis
Bossert n Sons. of New York for the
immediate delivery Of portable houses
at cost OF $4,000. This firm has
promised to rebuild the town almost
As rapidly az II was consumed bv th.
flames.
On last sunday this firm announced
in The Times Dispatch that it could
deliver Immediately 1000 houses
No skilled labor il required In put.
ting up these houses which are built
III sections. They are also desirable
Tor persons who rent or lease property.
for they can be easily taken down and
moved to another site. The only tool
required To put up or take down one
Of these houses is monkey wrench
The Vaughn CONSTRUCTION Company,
Of iiopewcll, Petersburg and Roanoke.
has been appointed local agent for
Bossert x Sons.
The first car load OF these houses
viii arrive here this week. Mr Bossert
said
MANY PERMANENT
STRUCTURES STARTED
The rebuilding OF the to~n is gen
crti. but the most progress and the
erected in the center OF tn. burned
business district. With the develop
mcnt OF the week many permanent
structures were started. on which work
viii be rushed with all possible haste.
The construction companies have
placed large forces OF workmcn on the
buildings under erection, with the re-
suit that they are being rapidly COM
plctcd.
Estimates furnished by tn, military
authorities in control OF the town. and
who are expected to remain III Hope
well until the city.is incorporated by
the Legislature next month. place tho
number OF permits issued during tho
week ending to-day, at between 500
and 900. While a large percentage OF
the buildings are only temporary struc-
lures. To be allowed for th:rty days
have been started. Erick and con-
crete rule III rebuilding the city.
ON the corner of Hopewell and
broadway streets. on the site Of the
old Dudley Eiotel. "A block of * stores
is being erected. and the stores AFRO
nearing completion. This building
fronts nifty feet on Broadway and 10
feet on iiopcwcll Street, and will be
erected of concrete blocks. There will
he two stores In this building fronting
on broadway and three on Hopewell
street, while the second iloor will he
devoted to Offices
SEVERAL BRICK STRUCTURES
NEARING COMPLETION
The Harrison Construction Company
has received the contract for the crcc-
ton OF an attractive tWo-story brick
building for the Hopcwcll- Richmond
Real Estate Corporation, TO take the
place Of the frame structure destroyed
in the fire. The brick building TO be
occupied by the Moore Combination
stores will b. completed in the next
few days This is a two-story brick
structure. OF which work was started
before the fire. but which suffered
some damage from the flames.
The first brick store to be started
since the fire. located on the corner
Of Hopewell and Poythress Streets, is
being erected BY the Singrey Construc-
ton Company for well-known shoe
company for a branch store. 4 mem
Der Of this construction firm TO start
the first brick building since the fire
was the first person TO build q brick
structure in Hopewcll.
There are also numerous one and
two-story corrugated buildings being
erected on various streets, while
ground is being cleared and founda-
tions laid for other brick buildings.
The site of the Stewart Building Is
being cleared, and work will be start
cd in the next few days on two
this site.
RAILROAD BUILDING
BIG FREIGHT WAREHOUSE
Work was started this week on the
second large warehouse for the Nor
folk and Western Railway. This
building will be 300X60 feet, and with
the other structure of like size prac-
ticnlly completed Will give HONEYWELL
vastly improved freight facilities.
The new passenger station is also prac-
tically completed. while work on the
large frame building to he occupied by
the Southern Express Company and
the Western Union Telegraph Company
is progressing rapidly. These four
new buildings stretch along the rail-
road tracks for several hundred yards.
| Real estate was active this week.
although the greater part Of the bust
! ness was for suburban lots. The agents
| reported many sales and there was
! little decrease in the operation rs COM
! pared with weeks before the fire. The