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A brief history of the Jeffries Building 1902-1923 Take plenty of time to read this one. Jim seems to produce his magnum opus with each new treatise. This article, with the history of one of Columbia's most significant landmarks, is one of those. Readers should pay particular attention to the events of 1922, when Columbia, led by Lindsey Wilson, was in a boom time - EW Click on headline for complete story By JIM A brief history of the Jeffries Building 1902-1923 Ninety-nine years ago this month--July, 1914--W.F. Jeffries & Sons Hardware and the First National Bank of Columbia, next-door business neighbors on the southeast side of the Square for over a decade, made a collective improvement to their respective store fronts: an addition which quite serendipitously gave shady comfort to Columbia's idle class. In early November, 1899, Mr. W.F. Jeffries and his son Horace bought of Mr. N.B. Miller the lot on which they had conducted a hardware establishment since the mid-1890s, the property being located on the corner of Jamestown Street and the Square. (For those who keep track of such, they paid $1,200 for the site, the equivalent of about $33,000 today.) Hot on the heels of the transaction came news that Jeffries pere et fils would erect on the lot a handsomely finished two-story brick business house, "the work to commence as soon as winter is over." However, despite a followup announcement in the spring of 1900 that ground was being broken; another anticipatory announcement in November of that year; and yet another in the fall of 1901, it wasn't until July 1902 that a "contract for making the brick and putting up the walls of a large two-story brick business" was let to Mr. C.R. Hoskins of Campbellsville. In order to assure a sufficient supply of brick for the project, Mr. Hoskins made arrangements with S.D. Barbee to open a brickyard on a Greensburg Road lot owned by the latter-named gentleman. New edifice adds greatly to the appearance of the public square The July 16 edition of the News informed readers the building would be thirty feet wide and eighty feet deep, and that the new edifice would "add greatly to the appearance of the public square." A later article somewhat grandly stated of the Jeffries Building, "When finished it will be one of the most imposing business houses on the square." A later edition of the paper commented that Mr. Hoskins was "a good mechanic" (that is, skilled at his craft) and that "in the past [he] has done a great deal of work in Columbia." Shortly thereafter, work got underway and progress was steady. By the end of July, the Jeffries' stock of hardware had been removed to "their iron building on the rear of their lot," and while not so noted in the paper, the old storehouse had been taken down, and "The foundation for their new building is under course of construction." Various updates about the rising business house appeared over the next few months. By mid-August, the foundation was complete and Mr. Hoskins was ready fire the brick kiln. Also in that month, the elder Mr. Jeffries journeyed to Evansville, Ind., to purchase a metal front for the building. Come early October, the brick masons had reached the second story and before the advent of November, the brick work had been completed and tinner L.V. Hall was busily engaged in roofing the structure. It was also around this time that the News dutifully noted "The front of the building is have a very handsome finish." Work continued apace for the next two months, culminating in these comments (in separate articles) in the first issue of the News dated 1903: W.F. Jeffries & Son opens for business in 1903 in new building "Messrs W.F. Jeffries & Son begin with the New Year in a new building and a new and complete stock of goods. They have succeeded in completing one of the best business houses in the town and Mr. Jeffries will leave in a few days for Louisville and other cities for the purpose of buying a full stock of hardware which they will keep in connection with farm implements, harness, saddles, fertilizers, field seed, etc. Their building shows enterprise and thrift and worth to the town and community;" and "They are now comfortably situated, ready to entertain their friends and to sell goods in their line as cheap as the cheapest." During the entirety of the construction process, the Messrs. Jeffries continued operation of their store. This ad, which featured a rendering of farm equipment, ran in theNews sporadically throughout 1902: "To the farmers: Empire wheat drill, disc and hoe, 6 or 8 hoes or disc is the best. Repairs kept on hand at all times. "We also keep field seed. "Buggies, harness, saddlery, farm implements of all kinds, fertilizers of the very best brands. Our prices are also lowest, come and see us. "W.F. Jeffries and Son, Columbia, Kentucky." Just days before the new store building opened to the trade, it rang with the sounds of laughter and childish glee. An article in the edition of the News dated Christmas Eve 1902 mentioned (in part) that Little Baptists have candy pulling in Jeffries' large store room "All the children of the Baptist Sunday-School in this place were made happy last Monday night [December 22nd]. The Superintendent and teachers gave them a candy-pulling, using W.F. Jeffries & Son's large store room as the place in which to make merry. It was a joyous time for the children." Almost exactly two years later--on January 1, 1905--"Mr. T.E. Jeffries took an interest with his father and brother in the hardware and implement business in this town" and the firm name was changed to W.F. Jeffries & Sons. Fast forward almost a decade to early July, 1914, and news of the earlier mentioned addition to the hardware store and bank came to the front: New metal awning added in 1914 "Jeffries Hardware Store and the First National Bank have erected a metal awning running the full length of two buildings. It will prevent the hot rays from reaching their fronts, making the interior of the buildings much cooler." To this, John Ed Murrell, constitutionally unable to resist appending an opinion at so much as the drop of a stet, wryly observed of the awning, "It will also furnish shade for those who have time to sit under it." It became R.L. Davis Hardware in 1920 The spring of 1920 found the brothers Horace and T.E. Jeffries in failing health and their mother, Caroline, in her mid-seventies, so when the chance to sell the hardware business came along, they took advantage of the opportunity. In April, R.L. Davis, his sons Fred and Shreve, and Miss Mollie Caldwell (a younger sister of Mr. R.L. Davis' wife Nina Caldwell Davis) effected the purchase and the firm became (formally) known as the R.L. Davis Hardware Company. The Jeffries family, however, retained ownership of the building and rented it to the Davises. (Mr W.F. Jeffries, father and husband of the aforementioned family members, had passed in 1909.) The week following the announcement of the sale, the Jeffries family ran a long thank you card on the front page of the News to their loyal patrons and requested that the patrons continue trading with the new owners. The piece also included this bit of reverie: "For the present, we go out of business but the happy years spent in the brick, in the southeast corner of the square, will continue to bring up the most pleasant memories of by-gone days." Columbia Lodge No. 96 ensconced with another story added to the building in 1922 In the summer of 1922, Columbia Lodge No 96 of F&AM closed a deal with Mr. Horace Jeffries wherein Mr. Jeffries would have "another story added to the Jeffries Hardware building and a lodge room fitted with all conveniences." The addition was to be ready for use by the opening of 1923. The News, never short on helpful suggestions, opined "[This] will be an incentive for the First National Bank to raise its building another story." 1922 was a boom year for construction (As an aside: The summer and fall of 1922 saw a building boom in Columbia. The August 22nd newspaper stated that "During the fall months there will be more work done in Columbia than in any three months for many years. There will be not less than twenty mechanics employed on the new tobacco warehouse, a large number on the Bank of Columbia, and ten or twelve on the Jeffries building. Besides a number of cottages will be erected, and the gymnasium at the Lindsey-Wilson [is] now in progress...") Work on the additional story commenced in mid-September under the capable direction of foreman Charles Murrell. A few weeks later, Mr. J.R. Garnett and Mr. E.W. Reed attended Grand Lodge in Louisville and while there, reported the paper, they were to "buy every thing needed in the way of carpets, curtains, etc., for the new hall which is now being built by the Jeffries Company." By early November, 1922, the News proclaimed that "The roof over the Jeffries three story brick building was completed last Thursday. The work on the inside will now be pushed to completion..." And pushed it was, with the finishing touches applied not too many weeks into 1923. - Compiled by Jim This story was posted on 2013-07-23 08:29:04
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. (AD) - Many Reunion organizing efforts are also advertised in our REUNIONS category in our CM Classifeds. These are posted at a very low cost. See RATES & TERMS More articles from topic Local History:
Confirmed. Snake handling has never been a very popular activity in this county. Memories of Millerfield Proprietorship, Credit, Sales & Doctoring Country Store History: L.R. Chelf Account Book, 1925-1928-- Query: re: Confederate Soldier Thomas Patterson-Thompson Happenings in the Harrodsfork Community, 90+ Years Ago-- Lives of Great Adair Countians: WM Hurt, for Independence Day Adair County Fairs, A Brief History Genealogy: A note from Robert Burbridge' great-granddaughter On to Creelsboro...(once called Campellsburg) TheatreFest! series starts tonight with Perfect Wedding View even more articles in topic Local History |
 
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