Atlanta And Its Builders, Vol. 2 - A Comprehensive History Of The Gate City Of The South. Thomas H. Martin
but they fall short of showing the actual cost of the buildings, as all experience shows that houses almost invariably cost more than the original contract price.
The following tables show the amounts expended in new buildings and in additions and alterations of old buildings for each of the five years from 1896 to 1900. inclusive, according to the building inspector's books:
1896.
28 Brick stores, cost $ 172,525
26 Frame stores, cost 11, 038
19 Brick dwellings, cost 91,600
341 Frame dwellings, cost 380,984
28 Public and business buildings 596,984
280 Additions and alterations, cost 127,104
63 Miscellaneous building, cost 24,344
Total cost $1,404,486
1897.
22 Brick stores, cost $ 80,425
14 Frame stores, cost 5.925
5 Brick dwellings, cost 28,600
383 Frame dwellings, cost 376,332
27 Public and business buildings, cost 1,114,500
727 Additions and alterations, cost 183,063
136 Miscellaneous, cost 14.409
Total cost $1,803,304
1898.
14 Brick stores, cost $ 17,920
15 Frame stores, cost 6,350
10 Brick dwellings, cost 33,250
438 Frame dwellings, cost 398,268
30 Public and business buildings, cost 225,500
1161 Additions and alterations, cost 185,655
172 Miscellaneous, cost 23,209
Total cost $ 890,152
1899.
12 Frame stores, cost $ 8,980
10 Brick stores, cost 40,250
585 Frame dwellings, cost 553,417
14 Brick dwellings, cost 56,300
32 Public and business buildings, cost 383,200
1285 Additions and alterations, cost 224,663
181 Miscellaneous, cost 21,187
Total cost $1,293,997
1900.
13 Brick stores, cost $ 45.215
8 Frame stores, cost 1,975
5 Brick dwellings, cost 28,200
458 Frame dwellings, cost 437,045
41 Public and business buildings, cost 1,095,400
316 Additions and alterations, cost 343,088
238 Miscellaneous, cost 32,221
Total cost $ 1,983,144
RECAPITULATION
The total amount expended in new buildings, dwellings, additions and alterations in the last five years is as follows:
1896 $1,404,486
1897 1,803,304
1898 890,152
1899 1,293,997
1900 1,983,144
Total $7,375,083
SPENT FOR DWELLINGS.
The amount expended for new dwellings in Atlanta since 1896 is as follows:
1896 — 360 dwellings $ 472,491
1897 — 388 dwellings 402,932
1898—448 dwellings 435,518
1899 — 592 dwellings 591,517
1900 — 463 dwellings 465,245
Total $2,367,303
OFFICE BUILDINGS.
The construction of office and public buildings in Atlanta in the last ten years is one of the most important features of the development and growth of the city. The demands of the city for office accommodations have been far reaching and despite the fact that many great and magnificent structures have been erected and others are in course of construction the end of this growth is not in sight.
Practically all of the great office buildings have been erected since 1890. At that time, the city had not a single structure which its people would now call a modern office building. Now it has many complete up to date fire-proof office buildings which far surpass anything south of Philadelphia. It is a fact that even such great cities as Baltimore, Washington and Louisville have not within their borders such splendid office buildings as Atlanta has.
The Equitable building was the first of the great structures erected in which much of Atlanta's business is now carried on. It cost a much larger sum of money than the similar buildings that have been erected since for the reason that when it was built all material and labor was higher than at this time, or during the past five or six years, when most of the office buildings were erected.
The following table shows the names of the big office buildings erected in the past ten years, and the cost of each as shown by the building inspector's books, but these figures show in some cases only the original contract prices, without including the furnishings or elevators and other things which run the actual cost far higher:
Equitable building $ 700,000
Austell building 315,000
English-American building 200,000
Lowndes building 85,000
Inman building 75,000
Prudential building 325,000
Empire building 500,000
Temple Court improvements 50,000
Kiser building 100,000
Gould building 100,000
Norcross building 75,000
Grand building (including opera house) 200,000
Hirsch building 75.000
Total for ten years $2,800,000
The Federal prison which is under course of construction near Atlanta by the government will cost, when completed, about $1,500,000. This will be the largest federal prison in the country.
ATLANTA'S HOTELS
Atlanta's hotel capacity has been increased since 1890 by the erection of the Aragon hotel at a cost of $250,000; the Majestic hotel at a cost of $100,000, the conversion of the Jackson building and the Fitten building into hotels, the erection of the Bon Air, Marion hotel, Farlinger apartment house and many other splendid structures and large boarding houses, not to omit the palatial Piedmont hotel, now under construction at the corner of Peachtree and Luckie streets, which will be one of Atlanta's high grade hostelries. Not counting the Piedmont hotel, probably half a million dollars has been spent in building and furnishing new and old apartment houses, including the extensive improvements made by the Kimball house last year.
NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Since