Money, money, money...

One day last summer I found a collection of general ledgers for the mill. It was amazing to see a window into the days when "the books" were hard books. There are thousands of orders from contractors doing residential work but also a great many churches, offices, schools and local universities.

A quick glance through the ledgers from 1951 through 1955 (post the last mill expansion) showed many notable clients. As the below entry shows the number of orders and the way they were tracked improved around 1953. In may cases the contractors placed orders and also paid advances on the jobs they ordered materials for.

In 1952 notable orders include work at the Washington District Negro Elementary School {no contractor} (May), Doyle & Russell at Calvary Methodist Church (Feb), and a job by A.H Ewing & Sons for faculty apartments at Virginia State College (Jun),

In 1953 the ledgers show a large order placed by Howard Mitchell construction for the Randolph School (April ) [a project I worked on for Better Housing Coalition }, another Thornton job at Carver Elementary(June) , Davis & Spiers doing work on Virginia Union University Residence (May), Davis & Spiers again for work at the Methodist Home for the Aged (May), W.T Clark & Co working on the Heating Plant at William and Mary (May), Claiborne & Taylor working at the Maury School (May), Gebhard Bucher at the Randolph School (Aug), F. Scott Rice at Weatherford Memorial Baptist Church (Sep), Ittner Construction at Sunset Hills Baptist Church (Oct) Thorington Constructionat RichRox office Buidling (Oct), Howard-Mitchell Construction on the Buchanan School (Dec) .

In 1954 commercial jobs included D.E. Ziebe for the Virginia Department of Highways in Ashland (Apr), Russell & B. Blank doing work at the Kingan & Co. Locker Bldg (May), Claiborne & Taylor at University of Richmond Law School (May), Howard Mitchel Construction at Friendship Baptist Church (July), Pettus Construction for the Black & Decker Building at 1424 Chamberlayne Avenue (Aug), Ramon E. Binns at Church of the Messiah in Highland Springs (Aug), Pettus Construction at Hampton High School (Sept), Bass Construction at Montrose Baptist Church (Sept), J. Leonard Moore at the Tuckahoe Women's Club on Dover Road (Nov), WT Clark & Company at High Street Methodist Church in Franklin, VA (Nov), Davis & Spiers for the First Presbyterian Church Addition (Nov), Pettus Construction working at John B. Cary School (Nov), Doyle & Russell at Bank of Virginia jobs, one on West Broad Street and the other at 8th and Main (Dec), and Howard-Mitchell Cosntruction doing work at Colonial Stores in Williamston and Mebane North Carolina (Dec).

In 1955 some notable jobs include WT Clark & Co. doing a large job for Methodist Children's Home (Mar), Johnson & Matthews doing work Reid's Lunch Room on Mechanicsville Turnpike (May), Bass Construction working at Wesley Methodist Chruch in Hopewell (Jun), Ittner Construction doing a small job at the Governor's Mansion (July), Doyle & Russell working at Petersburg Television Corp (Sept), Claiborne & Taylor doing large job at University of Richmond Library (Aug) TT Milby working at Battlefield Park (Aug), Milner Construction working at Dr. Bear's office at 2016 Monument Avenue (Nov), F. Scott Rice working at Harmony Grove Baptist Church (Nov), J. Kennon Perrin Co. working at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Penick Road (Nov), Townsend & Allman working on the School building at Fairfield Presbyterian Church (Nov), Doyle & Russell working at Marymount School on Cary Street Rd (sic) (Dec), and Doyle & Russell working at Overbrook Presbyterian Church (Dec).

Undated projects include Thornton Construction for Summer Hill School, and the pulpit at St. Paul's Catholic Church.

I also got a kick out of Bernard and Herman taking withdrawals at the end of every year of $69.00 each.

There are a number of entries just listed by date as well as with specific addresses. More time would allow me to cross reference these but I don't think that's going to happen.