The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-11-19
KRAMERS TO PRODUCE
READY BUILT HOMES
Elizabeth City Now Has Largest Mill Work Plant
in Northeastern North Carolina Soon to
Be i'm Full Operation

eastern North Carolina. That
nIant viii be the new mill of the
kramer Brothers Co. now being
erected at the intersection of
Pine Street and Pennsylvania
Ave. and facing on Knobhs
Creek. 1t has a frontage of over
4DO feet on Pennsylvania Avenue,
-N9 feet on Knobbs Creek, and
O0 ieet on Pine Street and will
rtiIize a site of a little over five
acres.
Til. site was secured last January
fr.,,. the Richmond Cedar Works which
formerly carried on the extensive man
tf,rtllrc Of shingles there; but closed
down about three years ago when the
manufacture of cedar shingles assum
cd unprofitable stages. Kramer Bros. Co.
had long been looking around for sat
i>factorv site upon which to extend
enough to accommodate their increasing
business and were quick to take an Op
rion on it They found they could util
iz4 some of the old buildings and the
deal was closed at once, involving
consideration of about $4,000.
Tie completed plant with its seven
large buildings and modern machinery
will be the best equipped, and will have
the greatest capacity of any similar
plant in this section. It will have on
the south side an immense lumber shed
81 by 1O2 feet in which upwards of
100000 feet of lumber can be stored.
This she'd will have ample driveways On
each side and will be used mostly for
the storage of finished door and win
dow frames and similar millwork. There
is also larger shed for the storage of
ceiling and other dressed lumber. 81
feet wide by 160 feet long which will
hold practically a half million feet of
lumber. These storage buildings are
protected by over 500 feet of fire wall
in two sections. The fire wall is 13
inches thick by IS feet high and is made
of brick and concrete and costs shout
$1,000
The planning mill located to the north
of this wall is a feet wide by 40 feet
long and will be thoroly equipped to
turn out anything needed in woodwork
for home building. 1t is equipped
one 15 horse power steam engine
which will drive two, four-side planning
machines, one surfacer, two gang rip
saws. one single ripsaw one band saw
and two moulders. Steam for driving
this and other machinery will be fur
ni>ied by two 125 horse power boilers.
This part of the plant costs about $16,-
6Nu
The next most impartant part of the
mill is the millwork plant occupying a i
building S3 by 10S feet in which will be
Installed all necessary machinery for
that work such as sash -stickers, morti>-
ing dovetailing. sanding. relishing AMI
mitrring machines, and cut off saws. .
Thj> machinery will be driven by a Is j.
horse power high speed Atlas steam
engine. all of which cost about $1,000. !
These two finishing plants will take ,
care of the rough lumber after it is
brought from the lumber shed which ,
ha> frontage on Knobbs Greek of 2N i,
feet and a depth of 50 feet. 1t VIII
convenient to both railroad spur and
creek 50 that lumber can be readily un-
loaded from either barges and RATS, or
rar> and stored inside the shed with
Tq1aI facility.
R"Sidps these buildings a warehouse
ha> been erected 1O7 feet long by AZ
feet deep which will be used as paint
display room and glazing room. This
Is adjacent to the business Office which
was formerly the Richmond Cedar
= Works Office, which is about 20 by 81
t"et in size
This plant will be supplied with by
drantS from the street water line. 1t
mas l,4OO feet of railway sidings and
fronts on Knobbs Creek which has a
uepth Of Is feet and will accommodate any
vessels plying in this section. These
features, and its adjacence to the steam
ooaf depots make it the most conven-
lehtiy located mill in Elizabeth City.
What is now Kramer Bros. Co. has
oern identified with the growth of E1iz- +
aoffh City for nearly half century. It
"ao small beginning in little mill
'"Arh over by D. s. Kramer who came
I" Elizabeth City in 1872 from Penn
|''sha, to engage in a general. con-
,r't ,T"rtng and building business here. i
."'H little mill was located where the .
-,orlo.k Southern freight station now
" p''h's and was worked only two or
."''t days week, when Mr.. Kramer {
""''d take his workmen and run the
',''' '"ng enough to get out the neces- f
materials for his building business. I
q ~ the business had increased and 1
W. "''h was moved to Martin Street /
+ alter six years two sons, c. E. I
- "''''' and J, \. Kramer were taken {
''" business and the firm was nam e
- -. Kramer & Son. Later a third
H. : ~ Kramer was taken in and v
T. ''~Iii"Ss went under the name of q
Hros.. until 1891 when a fourth Y
- L Kramer and r. O. Preyor, an i
't became partners in the bust !,
:, winch was reStyIed for the third v
!, Nh"r the name of Kramer Bros. bo
About two years ago this firm to