If you’ve walked around downtown Chattanooga, you’ve probably noticed how rich the city is with good architecture. So, we’re going to dive into the history of some of Nooga’s most iconic buildings, and we’re kicking off this series, called “Designing Chattanooga” with our city’s first skyscraper, the James Building.
The architect
Reuben H. Hunt. He was raised in Elbert County, Georgia and moved to Chattanooga in 1882. It was here he started working as a carpenter for the firm of Adams Brothers, who were building contractors. By 1885 he was one of the firm’s architects, and only a year later he started his own venture.
Fast facts:
- Among his first projects, arguably the most impressive was Chattanooga’s First Baptist Church (317 Oak St.), created in a Romanesque Revival style.
- He designed buildings + churches all over the South, including one in our sister 6AM city, Asheville, NC — Central Methodist Episcopal Church.
- Hunt’s last major project was the Federal Courthouse and Post Office in Chattanooga (1930-1933). It received national recognition by the American Institute of Architects as one of the top 150 buildings constructed in the US since 1918.
- In 1936, Hunt became ill, and he died on May 27, 1938 at 76 years old.
The style
Neoclassicism — think: order, balance, clarity, economy, and emotional restraint. It became popular in the 1700s, aka the Age of Enlightenment, and reflects the style of the Greeks + Romans. The movement declined in the mid-1800s, but its influence carried into the American Renaissance movement and architects continued using the style into the 1900s.
The James Building was constructed in 1906 and 1907 and is named after its developer, Charles E. James, who is also credited with the creation of the town of Signal Mountain. The 128,817-square-foot building is 187 ft tall, has 12 floors and 4 elevators, and had one renovation in 1987.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Look for:
- An emphasis in planar qualities — the size, shape, color, and texture + their spatial relationships to each other.
- Influence of ancient Greek and Roman architecture.
- Influence of Renaissance and late Baroque periods.
Current
These days, the James Building is used as a commercial office building + it houses Sleepyhead Coffee and men’s clothing store Bruce Baird & Co. on the ground floor.
Dew James LLC currently owns the building, after buying it for $5.8 million in 2016.
Quiz
Photo by Kelly Lacy via Pexels
