Chattanooga
Various sites around the city of Chattanooga
are undergoing constant change. The 700 block of Market Street
is being torn down. The Strong Building (Terminal Building)
was in such bad repair that when it was finally sold to be
restored it was gutted and will look completely different
than the original building.
There are many architectural sites in and around Chattanooga that are either in the process of being restored or have been restored. There are also still many sites that are still extremely threatened or are gone in the name of progress. The supermarket chain Publix has displaced the two Hixson houses in this collection. There are also two barns that hang in the balance….soon to be torn down.
The Dome Building, St. John’s Hotel, The First Methodist Church steeple, and the Industrial YMCA are still standing and either refurbished or in the process of being restored. St. Elmo, at the foot of Lookout Mt. has many historical structures. The fire station in this collection was restored as well as two of the homes featured. Other residences seen in this collection, the Highland Park and the Hixson home were selected for aesthetic reasons.
International Inspirations
Traveling the world always changes your view but you always take some of your aesthetic with you. In Italy the buildings and structures still capture my imagination.
After a long term volunteer experience in Peru my color aesthetic was challenged due to the bright palette of the people. Using some unusual layering techniques I managed to express the nature of the people without compromising my own style. Portraits and animals are not my usual genre but after the impact they made on me I could not ignore their presence. I hope you get a feel for the warmth and texture of the Peruvians.
Longholm
(1926-2006) Sophia and Sim Long built their dream home
in 1926 only to have it burn down in 1927. They rebuilt it
in that same year.
The home’s prominent features included
the terrazzo floors, gorgeous interior woodwork throughout,
the field stones on the exterior, and the distinctive mint
green ceramic roof tiles brought in from Ohio.
There was
a large Linden tree that grew in the back yard and a garden
that was shaped like a violin and featured boxwoods, wisteria,
azaleas and many more beautiful bushes.
Local Dayton resident,
Mike Long who grew up in the house was terribly distraught
that it could not be saved and was demolished in 2006 to
make way for condominiums.
Standard Coosa Thatcher
The company was originally founded in Piedmont, Alabama
as Coosa Manufacturing in 1891. Standard Coosa Thatcher was
established in Chattanooga in 1912 as the Standard Processing
Company for mercerizing of cotton yarns. The Thatcher
Spinning Company incorporated and was built in 1915.
In 1922
three companies consolidated (Coosa Manuf., Standard Processing
Co., & Thatcher Spinning Co.) and operated under the
Standard Coosa Thatcher name. The mills produced thousands
of spindles of yarn, did mercerizing, gassing, bleaching
and dyeing.
The company became the Standard Mercerizing
and Specialty Yarn Co. in 1987 and closed for business in
2001. Some small businesses worked there but essentially
it was abandoned and is currently under demolition.
Wheland Foundry
Started by George Wheland in 1866 in Athens, TN, the foundry
moved to the Chattanooga area in 1873. Mr. Wheland
built grist mills, saw mills, cane mills and water wheels. Later,
after recovering from a huge flood, they started making steam
engines. The company expanded adding gun manufacturing, brake
drums and other automotive castings to its inventory. The
foundry closed for operation in 2003 and has since been demolished.
U.S. Pipe
In 1882, David Giles established the Chattanooga Foundry and Pipe Company on the east bank of the Tennessee River. In 1898 this foundry joined with three Southern plants to form the American Pipe and Foundry Company and then consolidated with U. S. Pipe in 1899. Giles was credited with developing a turntable for pit casting and a mechanical rammer. In 1966, after joining with AP Smith Manufacturing, East Orange, NJ, production for valves and hydrants were moved to Chattanooga in 1970. US Pipe officially closed operations in 2007 and demolition has begun. |
