Christus Gardens by Tom A. Windrom
VERY SPECIAL EDITOR'S NOTE: Today's blog is TennMod's first ever guest blog. It was written by my good friend (and pamphlet archivist) Brian McKnight. Although his passion is collecting history on film (as documented on his YouTube page), I appreciate him taking time to help make TennMod a well-rounded repository
Rich’s Dept. Store by Stevens & Wilkinson
Structure: Rich’s Department StoreLocation: Knoxville, TennesseeArchitect: Stevens & Wilkinson (Barber & McMurry, associates)Date: 1955Story: We do an awful lot of house stories here on the blog, this is true. But today, we’re doing a Knoxville city landmark: the department store called Rich’s. Rich’s was a chain of department stores that was
Rodgers Building by Shelton & Stachel
Structure: Howard Rodgers BuildingLocation: Knoxville, TennesseeArchitect: Shelton & StachelDate: 1947Tidbit: In 1947, a Knoxville, Tennessee contractor named Howard Rodgers commissioned the local architectural firm Shelton & Stachel to design a headquarters for his operations. A sale flyer featuring the architects' stamp in the bottom left The result was this building, designed
The 3 projects which sought to modernize Downtown Knoxville
Downtown Knoxville has always been an important part of East Tennessee. But Downtown Knoxville wasn’t always on the cutting edge of modern design. So, in 1957, a group of local business owners created the Downtown Knoxville Alliance (DKA), an advocacy group whose goal was to “promote the downtown district as
Hamilton National Bank by Robert B. Church III
Structure: Hamilton National Bank, Bearden BranchLocation: Knoxville, TennesseeArchitect: Robert B. Church IIIDate: 1974Story: Banking, as we know it, has been around for centuries. In the early days of what we might call "modern banking" (think the 1800s), banks wanted to project stability and safety. Their architecture reflected that goal (see,
Bramlett Motor Hotel by Frank Lloyd Wright
Structure: Bramlett Enterprises Motor Hotel (unbuilt)Location: Memphis, TennesseeArchitect: Frank Lloyd WrightDate: 1956Story: Tennessee Motor Hotels (aka motels) in the 1950s were a fantastic thing. The recently bourgeoning middle class (fueled by the return of WWII troops) led to an increase in cars, car travel, and car recreation such as trekking
Levi’s Manufacturing Facility by Howard Friedman
Structure: Levi Strauss & Company, Manufacturing and Administration FacilityLocation: Powell, TennesseeArchitect: Howard A. FriedmanDate: 1977Story: Levi’s was looking for architectural modernity. The famous clothier had made a name for itself designing jeans, now it wanted to take its design and build facilities which reflected the impact they were making in
Medical Building by Mann & Harrover
Structure: Medical buildingLocation: Union City, TennesseeArchitect: Mann & HarroverDate: 1953Tidbit: Built for a group of eight doctors, this medical building was designed to give each of the doctors’ offices light and views. The waiting room (above) featured an exposed steel-frame cage with its “three roof bays framed with diamond-shaped steel
Bon-Air Motel by Painter, Weeks & McCarty
Structure: Bon-Air MotelLocation: Gatlinburg, TennesseeArchitect: Painter, Weeks & McCarty, Bruce McCarty (associate)Date: 1953Story: Gatlinburg, Tennessee has always been known for its motels. Long ago, in the 1950s, motel owners were local families, working to profit off of the ever-increasing amount of travelers headed to the Smokey Mountains. 1950s motels were uniquely designed,
Tennessee Valley Bank by Painter, Weeks & McCarty
Structure: Tennessee Valley Bank, Chapman Highway BranchLocation: Knoxville, TennesseeArchitect: Painter, Weeks & McCartyDate: 1955Tidbit: In 1956, Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture held an exhibit called A Half Century of Architectural Education. The exhibit featured 72 buildings (selected from over 500 entries) designed by school alumni. Three Tennessee buildings were featured in the