The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-13
improvements of Most Sub
stantiaI Character Have Been
Erected in All Parts of City
OUTLOOK GOOD FOR
THIS GOOD YEAR
Structures Which Have Gone
Up in Recent Years Have In
eIuded Skyscrapers. Schools,
Apartment and Business
Houses


past six years has been phenomenal
Not ony has the population largely in
creased, There has been wonder-
ful expenditure in building enterprises
The total amount OF money expended
during the six years just closed reach
es s2S.bol, sa1 in new structures, and
s2,sss.sio in improvements to old
buildings. This record. ii is stated BY
Building Inspector Butler, cannot be
exceited by any city of similar class
in the United states
number of school buildings,
churches, apartment houses, office
buildings. theaters, warehouses, ga =
RACES. have been constructed more
than equal to The amount of expendi-
tures for the previous quarter OF a
century.
The nine hundred thousand First
National Bank building was coInplet-
ed. the Travellers building, the new
Federal building. the Virginia Rail
way and Power Companys building,
the Chamber OF Commerce. Murphy
and the Richmond Annex The Mon
roe Terrace, number OF pul lie schoo,
buildings, the First Regiment armory,
the Blues Armory, two market
houses. have all added 70 wonderful
growth of the city during the past
six years.
Most Substantial city.
improvements and additions TO pub
lie and private buildings nave enhanc-
ed their valuation. and have tended
toward a more beautiful and substan-
tial city,
Besides the great number Of pub
lie and private buildings of "A more
or less business nature. there were
tnnumerabla dwelling houses erected.
Enough residences were built to form
q fair-slzed town. The total number
= of brick houses erected numbers =
622. frame houses T. -
In the year 1910 there were 25s new
buildings erected costing S3.5sS. SAG.
Among them were tho Hanover
school. the weather Bureau. engine
house In South Richmond completion
OF the Blues Armory. three bank build
ings, two churches, and one office
building. Tho amount spent for re-
PAIRS during the year was S494,lI3.
Banner Building Year.
The following year proved 4 great
one fer building. 1t was In this war
the First National Bank building Was
started, and the Times Dispatch Of
flee building was begun, The Grace
Arents' School and the William Fox
schools were completed and occupied,
The Chamber OF Commerce hdEdi0C
was started. and three schools were
contracted for The fire engine house
81 Tenth and cambridge Streets was
completed The new postoffice build-
ing was nearing the finishing touches,
and the Virginia Railway and Power
offices were In their incipienCy.
There were $50 buildings contract
ed for at a cost OF s5.4Ia.2sa. with
repair work at s544.4to. Among these
buildings were $40 brick dwellings and
172 frame ones,
The year 1912 was another banner
su IA rg ~
ef2 new buildings We're let valued
1t s5.74s.1ss. while repairs that year
amounted to $eo7,S
The contract for the First Regiment
Armory, for the Branch Public Bath
In the West End. a colored school. the
nav market at Seventeenth and Main
Streets, a large number of smaller
warehouses. and brick residences alone
valued AZ two million and a half dol
ears. .--
There were 455 brick dwellings and
152 frame dwellings contracted for
during the year.
Material Goes Up.
Contractors had experienced high
price for material and a concerted
fight was waged by many property
owners against tho section of the code
which gave the building inspector the
right TO condemn buildings deemed
dangerous. The building inspector
during that year reports 129 frame
buildings were ordered torn down. and
sixty-four brick ones weras ordered
torn odwn. In their places appear to-
day many handsome buildings
Then began something OF a slump.
There was a let-up In the building OF
large structures In 1919 except
schools and the progress made for
the following three years pertaining
mainly. 70 private residences. apart
n,ent houses. stores, warehouses. an
occasional church, and many garages.
The total was far less than upon the
nreredi,,g year. The reason given was
that there had been such excessive
hrildlng, for two years previous. with
4 semi-financial break throughout the
country. the people were holding
back for while,
Outlook Satisfactory.
Notwithstanding all this the outlook
was most satisfactory While there
were no great buildings contracted
fDr. work was in progress on many OF
the large buildings.
The John 3. Cary and Bellevue
schools. we're completed and occupied
md work was started on the new
Springfield School.
There were 2s2 brick and rs frame
hweIlinEE contracted for during the
CONTINUED on Sixth Page.)