BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION, REAL ESTATE

BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION / REAL ESTATE

BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION

Among the business blocks recently completed the seven story Maritime Building, a picture of which appears on another page, is the largest, and one of the most modernly equipped office buildings in this section of the province.

The White Building, a brick and concrete fire-proof structure, two stories high, erected this year at a cost of nearly $20,000, has been leased by F.W. Woolworth Company, the well-known owners of a line of 10 and 15 cent stores. The large clothing firm of Fanjoy's Limited, erected a modernly constructed three story building in 1914, and J. Fischer Grant completed an up-to-date two story brick building while the home of the Royal Bank of Canada, recently built is an attractive structure.

During 1915 also the West Side school building was completed at a cost of $50,000 . W.M. Fraser, the contractor and builder, under whose direction it was erected, was also the builder of the Fisher block and the Willow Street School, in Truro, besides other public and private structures.

I connection with his building operations he also conducts a wood- working factory, for the manufacture of the wood building material utilized in his various building operations, in which he employs some twenty-four people.

The New St. John Parish brick school, now in course of construction, is being erected by John Johnston, a well known local contractor, closely identified with the building operations of the first district for the past thirty years. He erected the Potters Brook bridge 128 feet long, with concrete piers 40 feet high, the first built in the county, the last addition to Aberdeen Hospital, the residence of Colonel Thomas Cantley, that of Captain Peter Graham, and other public and private structures.

The Edgerton Building Company, Limited, during the past five years, has purchased several tracts of land in and about New Glasgow and Trenton, on which they have erected some fifty houses. The Itzit owners are building a new moving picture house. The Academy of Music, Limited, is also constructing a new theatre, the excavation for which has been executed by Chisholm & Company, a local contracting firm, which has recently erected a boiler house, with steel smoke stack eleven feet in diameter and 125 feet high for the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company, Limited. The Company has also constructed some 10,900 feet of sewers in New Glasgow, and about 5000 feet of concrete sidewalks, besides other excavating, concrete and steel construction operations. It owns a large stone quarry, a full equipment of hoisting engines, concrete mixer and stone crusher, and in its various contracting operations pays out yearly in wages about $18,000.

Stellarton also has done considerable building. Park Street school is a beautiful structure. Lynch's Limited have built a modern bread factory. The Pictou County Dairy is a new building. The Jubilee Theatre has only recently been erected, and the Albion Machine Company has re-modeled the skating rink for the manufacture of explosive shells. In Westville the government has erected a new brick post office building, and the Bank of Nova Scotia has a modern brick bank building. In Trenton A.T. MacKay has built a fine brick block, while in all the towns a large number of dwelling houses have been erected during the past few years.

All the towns during the past three years have done and are at present doing a great deal of construction work. In 1912 Forbes Lake Dam, the head of the New Glasgow water system, was completed. The dam has a height of 23 feet;a width at the base 190 feet, and a length from bank to bank of 300 feet. It contains about 1000 yards of concrete, and 25,00 yards of earth embankment, riprapped on the water side with 1300 cubic yards of stone. It was constructed by Gammon and Weir, a well known firm of New Glasgow contractors, who laid down a large part of the town sewerage. They also reconstructed the Trenton reservoir, by having a concrete bottom placed in it, and the sides newly graded and riprapped, making it one of the cleanest reservoirs in the county.

The firm owns a large stone quarry, and are directors of the Pictou County Supply Company, besides being interested in sand banks at Pictou Landing. They own the only Trestle Pocket Dumping Siding in New Glasgow, and in their various contracting operations employ about 100 men.

REAL ESTATE

Among the suburban subdivisions that of Parkdale, largely owned by Mr. Walter McNeil, who is one of the largest holders of real estate in Pictou County, is one of the most important. It is attractively situated adjoining New Glasgow, near the South East, less than fifteen minutes walk, and by the trolley line less than five minutes from the New Glasgow Post Office.

Parkdale has 237 lots. It has already some thirty modernly built houses with electric light, water and sewer connections. Located as it is near the works of the Standard Clay Products, Limited, which employs about 150 men, and with the prices for lots low and payments easy it offers special advantages to those who desire homes near these works, as well as to men working at Trenton, Stellarton and Westville, as the street car connections are such that any part of the district can be quickly and easily reached.

Sunnycrest, of which Fraser and Hoyt are agents, situated on the West Side, on an eminence overlooking the town and the East River, is a subdivision that cannot but recommend itself to the home seeker. Not only is the location one, which, removed from the industrial part of the town, escapes all the smoke and soot from the different works, but is central as well, as it is less than five minutes walk from the Post Office and the tram line runs within a few yards. The houses to be erected on these lots, which face wide streets, are required to be not only of a high character, but must stand at least thirty feet from the curbing, in conformity with those already erected in this section of the town. These restrictions, together with the wonderful view and its nearness to the business section, assure to the owner a home under the most favorable conditions. In addition, these lots afford an exceptional investment as they are low in price and are bound to increase in value with the growth of the town, this being the natural direction for the town to build up residentially.

Cold Spring Farm, comprising about thirty-one acres, owned by the A.C. Bell estate is located within the one half mile radius from the Post Office, between Mountain and Little Harbor road, a district embracing one of the most attractive residence sections of the town. A part of the farm has already been subdivided into some one hundred and eighty large lots with ten modernly built houses, facing Almont Avenue. The water supply is furnished from a spring and reservoir on the farm, while the town sewer extends to the property. Lying on an elevation overlooking the town, and the number of houses constantly growing they make not only fine home sites, but also a good investment.

The "Heights" sites in which are sold exclusively by S.R. Gordon, who also controls a number of other high class properties in New Glasgow and Trenton, is a leading subdivision located n the town of New Glasgow on an eminence overlooking the business section of the town. It embraces about sixty lots and is surrounded by many attractive homes. To meet their character and style, any new houses built on the property must be at least of a certain price with a restriction compelling them to be located a certain uniform distance from the street, thus assuring the purchaser a property which will give him a home under the most advantageous surroundings.

Along Abercrombie Road, one of the leading streets on the West Side and the select residential section of New Glasgow, is located "Plainfield", within the town limits, about seven-eights of a mile from New Glasgow Post Office. It consists of 179 acres, some of which are under cultivation while the remainder is utilized as pasture and woodland. It has a good house and modernly arranged barn, 113 feet long. The land is well fenced and drained, and having been constantly fertilized by the herd of dairy cattle, which its former owner, Mr.John MacDonald has maintained for years, it is one of the richest and most productive dairy properties in the county.

The property is owned by L. Connolley and D. McCormick, the latter a well known real estate man of New Glasgow, and is on the market either for farming and dairy purposes, or to be laid out as a sub-division, for which purpose some 60 acres facing Abercrombie Road are especially well adapted. This portion could be sub-divided into some 360 choice well drained lots, all commanding a fine view of the East River, the towns of New Glasgow and Trenton and the surrounding country for miles; and with the building of the bridge across the East River, which is sure to come, following the completion of the ship yard now in course of construction will bring them within easy access of the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company's and other industrial plants.

Abercrombie Road has bithulethic pavement to within a short distance of the property, and the water connections and electric light extend to it, thus giving it all the conveniences of any lot on the city, although these particular lots may be secured at a much lower price. As the prevailing winds blow from the West and South West, the smoke and soot of the factories of Trenton and New Glasgow is carried away from the property. Its location on one of the finest streets in the town, only a short distance from the street car tracks which will in time be extended past it should make these lots ideal home sites as well as exceptional investments, as the West Side is bound to grow residentially with the industrial development of the district.

What is known as the old Cameron property on the west side has been purchased by the Reid Newfoundland Company, and subdivided into some 300 lots with wide streets, water and electric light.

In Trenton J.T. Mackay & Son own two subdivisions, both of which face the locks now in course of construction. One of the subdivisions, situated about three hundred yards from the Canada Car plant, embraces 75 lots each 55x100 feet in size, one half of which has already been sold. The May Flower park property, a short distance north of the former has 185 lots, 50x100 feet, which also are selling rapidly and offer cheap and attractive home sites for men who are employed in the Trenton industries.

Logan's subdivision of about 300 acres, owned by A.T. and R.C. Logan, and comprising of about one third of the land in the corporation of Trenton, is located directly opposite the plant of the Eastern Car Company Limited. Of the property 100 acres has been laid out into 800 lots 60x112 feet in size each fronted by a street 60 feet wide, and a 16 feet lane in the rear. Duke Street facing the property has water mains, so that water connection may be easily made, with any new house to be erected. The four room school house built in 1914, in addition to a number of attractive homes are located on the property, the lots of which may be bought for from $100 to $300, on terms to suit the purchaser.

McColl and Ritchie own a 500 acre tract of land, facing the river and extending in a north easterly direction, which is being reserved for industrial sites, and which with the completion of the locks, the consequent increase in shipping, and the location of new factories must automatically increase the value of every lot located in this section of the town.

In addition to these other subdivisions which offer lots at a moderate price to the home seeker, the towns have many individual properties, which may be purchased at a reasonable price. Of late, following the making of war munitions the real estate market has become very active, and many properties have changed owners. As an instance it may be mentioned that D. McCormick of New Glasgow one of the most active real estate brokers in the district has placed more than $150,000 during the past 9 months and he is only one of others, all of whom predict that the towns are on the eve of a great real estate and building revival.