Old City, Knoxville
 |
Jackson Avenue Warehouse District and Extension | |
| Location | Jackson Ave Knoxville, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| NRHP reference No. | 73001802; 75002148 |
| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1973; March 10, 1975 |
The Old City is located at the northeast corner of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. Its boundaries, while not completely defined, correspond roughly with the Jackson Avenue Warehouse District, a National Register historic district. Presently, the Old City is known as an offbeat urban neighborhood, home to several unique restaurants, bars, clubs, and shops. There is also a smattering of small offices and apartments.
History
Now considered the "club district" of Knoxville (currently no strip clubs), the Old City is generally made up of warehouses, buildings of light industrial use, and a small historically commercial strip along South Central Street. Several railroad lines, originally part of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, run through the northern edge of the district. Trains pass through often on the main line on a grade crossing over Central Street, and still serve at least one factory in the neighborhood. White Lily Flour, a long-established and rather famous operation, is in the process (2008) of being shut down. Lays's Meats, at The Old City's eastern edge, is still in operation as a slaughterhouse and packing house for hogs and cattle. The whistle of a train is a familiar noise in the Old City. Manufacturing and warehousing have always been the main industries in the Old City. JFG Coffee was for decades located in several buildings in the Old City, but has recently moved. John H. Daniel Company, a custom Tailoring company makes clothing in a large factory on West Jackson Street.
This neighborhood is where the street numbers begin for Knoxville, in all directions. In earlier days it was a center of the rail industry, and had its attendant turn-of-the-century (20th) bars, etc. Kid Curry, of the Hole in the Wall Gang of Butch Cassidy had a rather notorious fight here.
The Old City was the location of race riots in 1919, when a mob of people broke into several warehouses to arm themselves. This was the result of an incendiary story of the rape of a white woman and trial of her black assailant. National Guard troops were called up and set up a machine gun on the streets of Knoxville. At one point this emplacement opened fire on a crowd. This an important moment for Knoxville which led to the emigration of many African Americans out of town.
As Knoxville's industrial boom ended, many warehouses were abandoned, and many were lost to demolition or fire. A few abandoned buildings can still be seen throughout the district.
After decades in decline, buildings on South Central Street and Jackson Avenue were bought by developers (notably Kritopher Kendrick) in the 1980s, who converted them into bars, retail stores, restaurants, loft apartments, and offices. Annie's, a cabaret and gourmet bistro, was a foundation business, and in 1987 several businesses opened which survived and led the neighborhood to its first flush of success: Old City Mercantile, Manhattan's Restaurant, Kerby's Antiques, and eventually Sullivan's Saloon, Hewgley's Music, and other businesses formed a community of interest who promoted the neighborhood and Knoxville's Downtown across the region. Meanwhile, Gay Street, Knoxville's "main street" continued to fail and its stores shut down or moved.
The Old City during the 1980s and 1990s reversed the flight of higher-quality businesses out of the Downtown, and gave other developers the confidence to open new businesses, notably in Market Square, Knoxville and along a newly-developed Gay Street.
Revitalization of the Old City and Downtown has continued in recent years and abandoned buildings are being renovated for future development in many locations. Mast General Store and Regal Riviera Theatre now are anchor businesses, made welcome by the Knoxville City Government under the leadership of Mayor Bill Haslam. One element which has greatly contributed to the new success of Downtown is the free parking on evenings and weekends offered in new garages.
Downtown Knoxville's growth and current positive attitude is a direct result of The Old City's efforts in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Geography
The Old City is in the northeast corner of downtown Knoxville. It is a relatively small district that is concentrated around the intersection of South Central Street and West Jackson Avenue. Interstate 40 passes directly to the north of the Old City. A new exit was constructed in 2006 enabling quick access to the Old City from Interstate 40 utilizing Hall of Fame Drive. The Old City is in a low lying area around First Creek, down from the hill on which downtown Knoxville was originally laid out.
Population
There are several loft apartments in the older buildings of the Old City, many located behind and above offices and stores. The Jackson Ateliers Building and Hewgley Park lofts have been residential locations for many years. The Jacksonian Condos, JFG Flats, and Fire Street Lofts, located at the intersection of South Gay Street and West Jackson Avenue, have been redeveloped more recently as upscale condominiums, some listing in excess of $.5 million. The Emporium Lofts and Sterchi Lofts are located just a few buildings away on Gay Street, but it is debatable whether these qualify as part of the Old City since they are generally referred to as being in the "100 Block" neighborhood.
The area tends to attract young single adults, who are sometimes affiliated with the University of Tennessee, which is less than a mile away. The Old City's proximity to entertainment and nightlife make it an attractive place to live for many young adults. The Old City has a noticeable presence of homeless people, but violence is uncommon and the main concern is panhandling.
References
- The Future of Knoxville's Past: Historic and Architectural Resources in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Knoxville Historic Zoning Commission, October, 2006), pages 20–21.
External links
- National Register of Historic Places: Jackson Avenue Warehouse District
- Knoxville MPC Historic List: Jackson Avenue Warehouse District
- Library of Congress - Historic Buildings Survey: Jackson Avenue