Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-24
POE BUILDING IS LIABLE
TO COLLAPSE into Street
Home Of Southern Literary Mes.
sengcr Utterly Dccaycd, Says
Building Inspector.
MAY BE MOVED TO BYRD PARK
Only Small Part of Ancient Structure
Could he Used In Rebuilding, Com.
mittce Is TOld-Alattcr Referred
to Administrative Board.

Whether the building 1T Fifteenth
ana Main Streets, ut one time occupicd
| by the Southern Literary MESSENGER
! where Edgar Allen Poe produced some
| OF MS earliest works, can be preserved
| Tor poStcrity, is Il question which I.
now for the Administrative Board IN
Determine. After II public hearing nm
the matter last night, the Council Com
| mittee on Finance referred the whole
matter TO the board for investigation
ana report including the cost OF car
'NinS out whatever plan may be de-
vised. Interested citizens who appcor
ed before the committee declared them
selves satisfied with this course.
Building Inspector Butler took occa.
sion to state publicly that the build
'hS. me upper story OF which has al
ready been removed, is in an extreme
~ dangerous condition. 1T is liable
to collapse into Main Street at any mo.
ment. he said. He added that three
cracks developed in the walls yestcr.
DAY 1t was the opinion OF the com
m,ttee that the Administrative Board
could take steps which will safeguard
the public.
The hearing was on Il resolution Of
lercd by councilman English, asking,
the committee TO recommend an anpro-
pfiation to care for the preservation OF
me building: but stipulated no amount,
MI. tiutlcr declared that it would cost
not less than $4,000 to raZe the struc-
turc. carry the material to William
Byrd Park and restore It. lie also de-
clarcd that only about one third of tn,
material in the original building could
be utilized. The building is rapidly
crushing downward" he said There
is no life or vitality in the bricks; /,
is all gone. The building has lived it's
life. and know of no way in which
ii can be preserved. All OF it's tim
bcrs havc"decayed."
Nor PHACrICARI.E, SAYS
BUILDING INSPECTOR BITII:I.
In response TO Il question by Chair
man Grundy, AIR. Butler rcuIicd that
II WAS not practicable to reconstruct
til" old landmark.
Nh Of us, am sure said Council
man POWELL, favor this matter. If pre-
scented TO us in proper shape: we must
consider il from !, financial standpoint
ana YOU must let us know what il Is
gong TO cost before we can do any
thing" His motion to refer the Who'll,
question TO the Administrative Board
for Investigation and recommendation
was adopted.
Several prominent men appeared be-
fore the committee in behalf of the
preservation Of the Messengers old
home. Joseph w. Everett. editor of the
FirG nia Journal Of Education. dnclar-
ed that Richmond College had come
forward with an offer TO furnish a site
on its campus At wes,hampton for the
Messenger building. should IT he de-
cidcd to remove and restore il. lie read
II letter from William r.. Dabncy. bust
ness manager Of the Chambcr OF Com
mcrcc. urging that the structure be
preserved. T.. V. Valentine, the sculp-
tor. also spoke In behalf Of the matter
Wyndham X. Meredith told the commit
tee that ii was u disgrace that the city
had never erected monument 10 Poe
nor TO Matthew Fontaine Maury. the
pathfinder of the Seas
Chairman Grundy called attention to
the fact that years ago the City coun-
ell appropriated $1,000 for the cree.
ton Of monument to Poe. with the
provision that Il similar sum be rails