Year: 1872

on Church Hill will convince tile most scep-
tical that Richmond is growing and improv-
ing, and that the West End is not the only
portion of the city which ia feeling the good
effect Of immigration and new industries.
Before the war Church Hill was esteemed n
most desirable place Of residence, and there
abode many families Of wealth and refine
mcnt the heads Of which Were men pros
Ferrous in the ownership of fact orirs, fouI-
dries, and stores. Removed from the hustle
and busy scenes of the newer parts Of the
city. and vet within easy walking distance OF
the haunts Of BUSINESS, it combined many
OF the surroundings of both city and coun-
try life, without many Of the disadvantages
of either. During the war, however, and
since the tide of emigration was tunt d
to the west, and property on Churs b
and Union Hills declined in value. But
within the last six months the suburbs just
named have revived dastoni> >hingly, and bid fair
10 be as popular, or more popular, than ever.
The new settlers come both from abroad and
from other parts Of the city. and while they
are not numbered hy thousands, they are
sufficiently numerous to occupy the hundred
houses which had long been placardcd as
"for rent" and 10 cause 4 demand for more.
Real estate has advanced in value twenty-five
and fifty per cent, according to locality, and
rents have risen fifteen per cent. though
still lower than in tic West End. The real
estate agents who have the rental of most
of the property in the section Of which
we are speaking are just HOW bcSieged
bv house-huntcrs. To-day only one house
OH Church Hill and one on Union Hill are
offered for rent, and neither OF these is now
vacant. MIR. Baker, WHO Owls numerous
houses on Union Hill, was applied to a few
days ago by u 3altimorean who was about to
commence business here, and who, after
searching several days for Il house on Church
Hill, was obliged to give up the job. In de-
spair he telegrapled to his wife and children
not to come on, is he couldn't find house
in Richmond TO pat them in. But he was
too late. His family had embarked before
the telegram reached its destination.


We note the following among other recent
building improvements Two framed houses
Oh the corner Of NJ and Clay streets, three
OH New near Ncnable, four on Twenty-siXth
street near \, four Oh Twcnty-seyenth street
near \, two on niy-scyynth near Clay,
ten on the block on Twenty-eishlh street
between Clay and Leigh, one brick on the
corner Of Twenty-cightll and Clay, one
framed on the corner Of Broad and Twenty.
ninth, one framed (now building) on Twenty
ninth between Broad and Grace, and two
framed on Clay street near Twenty-lfth. As
soon as the weather improves other houses
will go up. Among others we hear
of three tenemcnts to he built by Hiram
Oliver on the corner Of Twenty-tifth and
Marshall streets. 1t is noteworthy chat all
of the buildings referred TO ere small, that
being the kind particularly in demand. Some
are liuilt by capitalists, but most OF them are
built by persons intending to live i'll them,
the land being cheap and building associa-
tons utiording easy means OF raising money,
with the lot alone aS security.


In this connection we may mention that
the City Railway Company is considering the
prorriety of laying Il track up Ferable street
and down Twenty fifth. The grade along
this line is easy, the localities haversed are
thick'y settled, and there seems to be little
doubt that the patronage Of the extension
would be very liberal. We hear that an
agent is canras>ing Church and Union
Hills with view to asceltaining the feelings
of the people OH the subject, and is also Sc
curing subscriptions to the stock Of the com.
ranv. At another time we shall speak of the
improvements and proposed improvements
in Rockets and Port Mayo.