The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-27
G00DALL-BR0WN
 FIRM BUYS HOME :. IT IS OCCUPYING
Estimated That Property Involved Worth $4O0,-
 900 On Market Today

Murray Brown, president of Goodall Brown Dry Goods company, Saturday announced the purchase by his firm of the five-story building and lot at Twen- ty-second street and First avenue, which the company has occupied under lease since it was built in 1905. The prop erty was acquired from the Caldwelll Real Estate and Improvement company, comprised of heirs of the Caldwell estate, the family having owned the site for nearly 50 years. While the consideration was not given, it is un- derstood that the replacement value of the building has been estimated at S250, 900, and the value of the lot at $150,000.
 The lot, fronting 100 feet on First avenue and extending 14O feet to an alley on Twenty second street, was the site of the old Caldwell hotel, Birming- hams first hostelry of size, which was largely the center of the city's social and bussiness life up to the time of it's destruction by fire in 1895. The Cald- we'll family acquired the lot in 1876 for Sl25, the property having increased 1,200 times in value in IS years
 Government Grant
 The tract of land which was des- tined to become Birmingham business section originally was grant from the government to the University of Alabama. a tract of 1,035 acres having been transferred in 1924. In 1890 the university sold the tract for $1O,- GOO, which would have made the value of the present Goodall- Brown lot S3. The Elyton Land company sold the corner site in 1876 to Mrs. Lizzie Cald- well, wife of Dr. >Henry NJ. Caldwell and the Caldwell hotel was built in 1888. Among the. Caldwell heirs are J. NJ. Caldwell and Mrs. C. 0. Locke of Birmingham.
 The corner of First avenue and Twenty-second street. in the eighties was the hub of Birmingham. The old dummy line crossed the Twenty-second street bridge to the Southside. and this street was the main stem of town.
 Founded In 1900
 The Goodall- Brown company, which long has ranked as one of the ma for wholesale establishments of the south. was founded in 1900 by the late R. NJ. Goodall and Murray Brown, both of whom came to Birmingham from Nash vile. The first headquarters of the firm was the old building located on the site Of the present Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company building. Even as late as 1900, this nelghborhood was regarded as the ere tail business center of the city, the es- tabllshments of Drennen's and Ca heen's having previously occupied the same building. In 1905 the present commodious home of the Geodoll- Brown company was built. on the firms specifications. by the owners the Caldwell Real Estate and I'm provement company. Ample provision was made for future growth and ex- panslon of the firm, since each of the five stories and basement contains H. Oo0 square feet of floor space. This glves adequate show room space for the firm for years to come. aecordina . to Mir. Brown, and if additional ware. house space is needed later provision Will be made for it elsewhere.
 The Officers
 The original firm was known as Goodall & Brown. The present Good all-Brown Dry Goods company was or ganized in 1913 with Mir. Brown presi. dent; George B. Mccormack and Er- sklne Ramsay. vice presidents: Ie- brand C. Wilson, vice president and secretary, and w. l.. Wilson, treasurer The Alessrs. Wilson came to Birminy- ham from Nashville with Mir, Brown and Mir. Goodall. The firm conducts an extensive wholesale trade, it's travel. ing statesmen covering a territory em. graclng Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida. p'' 'i si'
 When we built in 19O5.' said Mir Brown, MT. Goodalls comment was Murray, we're going bit far with 1ms proposition But fortune has gretted it. : 'e' The deeds for the formal transfer of the property were filed in the nrobota court office Saturday afternoon