Maphis, Shaw & Offley.
There are two things which should
be considered essential by every man,
insurance and real estate: one provides
indemnity in the event of calamity—
the other, either a home or an income,
or, if extensive enough, both. Of the
firms in our city engaged in these
lines, one of the most prominent is
that of Maphis, Shaw & Offley, who
occupy a handsomely fitted suite of
offices in rooms 2 and 4, Law Building.
The firm does a general line of insurance—
fire, life, accident, health, boiler
and liability—while under the title of
the "Southern Land Company"
Messrs. Maphis and Shaw conduct a
large real estate business. In the insurance
line they represent the Prudential
and the following Fire Insurance
Companies: the German Alliance,
Glens Falls, Milwaukee Mechanics,
National Union of Pittsburg,
North British and Mercantile, North
River, Philadelphia Underwriters,
Prudential of Tazewell, Republic,
Scottish Union and National, United
States, and Western Assurance. They
control the agencies of the Ocean Accident
Corporation, the Maryland Casualty
Company, and the United States
Casualty Company. All of these companies
are recognized leaders, and are
among the most substantial from a
financial point of view in the world.
Many large policies have recently been
placed in this section by this firm, and
they are rapidly building up an extensive
business. Only one Agency in
this city represents a greater number
of companies, and in strength of companies
their Agency is surpassed by
none in this State. In the real estate
line they buy, sell, and rent property
of all descriptions and make a specialty
of mineral and timber lands. Their
Property List is a most comprehensive
one and contains many bargains in the
realty market. The members ef this
firm are Charles G. Maphis, John H.
Shaw, and Edward H. Offley, and
they are all men of energy and sterling
business character. The company was
organized in 1904 by Messrs. Maphis
and Shaw, and has recently been enlarged
and strengthened by the purchase
of the real estate and insurance
interests of Mr. C. R. Randolph and
the addition of his partner, Mr. Offley,
to the Insurance Department of
the firm. They have already made
many of their older competitors look
to their laurels Mr. Maphis was
born in Shenandoah County and has
resided in this city about fifteen years.
He has long been prominently identified
with educational work in this
State and has recently been appointed
by the State Board of Education, Examiner
and Inspector of Schools for
the Fifth District of Virginia, which
comprises twenty counties and in importance
is second only to the State
Superintendent of Public Instruction.
He was for many years Secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce, and has always
been an earnest worker in any movement
calculated to advance the interests of
his town and State. Mr. Shaw is a
native of Canada, and came to this
city two years ago from Minnesota,
where he had resided many years. He
has impressed himself upon the community
as a man of fine business
capacity. Mr. Offley was born in the
Indian Territory, of a family long
prominent in the Army and Navy,
and came here about two years ago
from Texas and the Pacific Coast. All
these gentlemen are prominently
identified with fraternal affairs: they
are liberal, public spirited, and progressive
citizens, and are ever ready
and willing to lend a helping hand
towards any cause that is for the welfare
of Charlottesville, the town of
their adoption, their home, and the
city in which they have cast their
fortunes. There is no firm in the city
that is more progressive, enterprising
and at the same time safe and conservative
than this one. They will not
only attend carefully to any business
intrusted to them, but will be found
safe counsellors as well.
