General Building
Encyclopedia
The General Building, also called the Tennessee General Building or the First Bank Building, is an office high-rise located in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee
, USA. Constructed in the mid-1920s, the 15-story building is the only high-rise designed by Charles I. Barber
, and has over the years housed the offices of dozens of banks, physicians, and various financial and architectural firms. The Lexington, Tennessee
-based First Bank is the current anchor tenant. In 1988, the General Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
for its architecture and its role in Knoxville's commercial history.
s along the entire height of the building, and the roof is decorated with a terra cotta
cornice. The elevator penthouse
atop the building typically bears the name of the anchor tenant (currently First Bank).
The main facade, facing Market Street, consists of three arched openings, with the north opening leading to the general lobby, the south leading to the bank lobby, and the middle opening containing a window. The bank lobby is the most elaborate interior room, consisting of arched ceilings and a second-story mezzanine
with a balustrade. The general lobby contains marble floors and bronze-plated elevator doors. Much of the building's interior was extensively remodeled in the early 1970s.
The General Building is situated near the heart of the Knoxville's Central Business District. Gay Street
lies one block to the east, Market Square
lies two blocks to the north, and the courthouse and other municipal buildings lie just over a block to the south. The cluster of buildings across the street to the south were listed on the National Register as the South Market Historic District
in 1996.
's original 1791 plat
of Knoxville, although the lot had been incorporated into the city by 1800. During the late 19th century, the large sanctuary of Knoxville's Methodist Episcopal Church, South, congregation occupied part of the lot (the congregation, now the Church Street United Methodist Church, moved to its new sanctuary on Henley Street several decades later). By the early 1900s, the lot was known as "Old Rambo Corner."
In late 1924, several investors formed General Building, Inc., with the intention of addressing the need for a "modern office building" in Knoxville. One investor, A. P. Brown, investigated several sites in the downtown area, but failed to find a site that could be acquired for a reasonable price. In 1925, the real estate firm Alex McMillan Company agreed to sell Old Rambo Corner at a bargain price in return for a 25-year lease on a portion of the proposed building's first floor. The building, designed by Charles I. Barber of the firm Barber & McMurry and constructed by Worsham Brothers, Inc., was completed in 1926.
Along with Alex McMillan, early occupants included Barber & McMurry, who operated out of the building until 1934, and prominent Knoxville physician Herbert Acuff, who had offices in the building until 1931. Anchor tenants through the years have included Third National Bank, the Bank of Knoxville, and BankFirst. BB&T
was the General Building's anchor tenant from the late 1990s until 2003, when it moved to the larger Riverview Tower
on Gay Street.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, USA. Constructed in the mid-1920s, the 15-story building is the only high-rise designed by Charles I. Barber
Charles I. Barber
Charles Irving Barber was an American architect, active primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, and vicinity, during the first half of the 20th century...
, and has over the years housed the offices of dozens of banks, physicians, and various financial and architectural firms. The Lexington, Tennessee
Lexington, Tennessee
Lexington is a city in Henderson County, Tennessee, United States. Lexington is midway between Memphis and Nashville, lying ten miles south of Interstate 40, which connects the two cities. The population was 7,393 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Henderson County...
-based First Bank is the current anchor tenant. In 1988, the General Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
for its architecture and its role in Knoxville's commercial history.
Design
The General Building is a 15-story "L-shaped" building rising on the northwest corner of Church Avenue and Market Street. By 1958, a four-story annex had been added to the rear of the building, giving the first four stories a square shape, rather than an L-shape. The first three stories of the Church and Market facades are covered with a rusticated limestone veneer. All four corners are delineated by concrete quoinQuoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
s along the entire height of the building, and the roof is decorated with a terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
cornice. The elevator penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
atop the building typically bears the name of the anchor tenant (currently First Bank).
The main facade, facing Market Street, consists of three arched openings, with the north opening leading to the general lobby, the south leading to the bank lobby, and the middle opening containing a window. The bank lobby is the most elaborate interior room, consisting of arched ceilings and a second-story mezzanine
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
with a balustrade. The general lobby contains marble floors and bronze-plated elevator doors. Much of the building's interior was extensively remodeled in the early 1970s.
The General Building is situated near the heart of the Knoxville's Central Business District. Gay Street
Gay Street (Knoxville)
Gay Street is a street in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, that traverses the heart of the city's downtown area. Since its development in the 1790s, Gay Street has served as the city's principal financial and commercial thoroughfare, and has played a primary role in the city's historical and cultural...
lies one block to the east, Market Square
Market Square, Knoxville
Market Square is a pedestrian mall located in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Established in 1854 as a market place for regional farmers, the square has developed over the decades into a multipurpose venue that accommodates events ranging from concerts to political rallies, and has long provided a...
lies two blocks to the north, and the courthouse and other municipal buildings lie just over a block to the south. The cluster of buildings across the street to the south were listed on the National Register as the South Market Historic District
South Market Historic District
The South Market Historic District is a cluster of five buildings at the intersection of Market Street and Church Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996...
in 1996.
History
The General Building stands on a lot that lies just outside Charles McClungCharles McClung
Charles McClung was an American pioneer, politician, and surveyor best known for drawing up the original plat of Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1791. While Knoxville has since expanded to many times its original size, the city's downtown area still roughly follows McClung's 1791 grid...
's original 1791 plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
of Knoxville, although the lot had been incorporated into the city by 1800. During the late 19th century, the large sanctuary of Knoxville's Methodist Episcopal Church, South, congregation occupied part of the lot (the congregation, now the Church Street United Methodist Church, moved to its new sanctuary on Henley Street several decades later). By the early 1900s, the lot was known as "Old Rambo Corner."
In late 1924, several investors formed General Building, Inc., with the intention of addressing the need for a "modern office building" in Knoxville. One investor, A. P. Brown, investigated several sites in the downtown area, but failed to find a site that could be acquired for a reasonable price. In 1925, the real estate firm Alex McMillan Company agreed to sell Old Rambo Corner at a bargain price in return for a 25-year lease on a portion of the proposed building's first floor. The building, designed by Charles I. Barber of the firm Barber & McMurry and constructed by Worsham Brothers, Inc., was completed in 1926.
Along with Alex McMillan, early occupants included Barber & McMurry, who operated out of the building until 1934, and prominent Knoxville physician Herbert Acuff, who had offices in the building until 1931. Anchor tenants through the years have included Third National Bank, the Bank of Knoxville, and BankFirst. BB&T
BB&T
BB&T Corporation is an American bank with assets of $157 billion , offering full-service commercial and retail banking services along with other financial services like insurance, investments, retail brokerage, mortgage, corporate finance, consumer finance, payment services, international...
was the General Building's anchor tenant from the late 1990s until 2003, when it moved to the larger Riverview Tower
Riverview Tower
The Riverview Tower is an office high-rise located at 900 Gay Street in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Completed in 1985, the 24-story structure is Knoxville's second-tallest building, and along with its sister building, the First Tennessee Plaza, anchors Knoxville's downtown office market...
on Gay Street.
Current tenants
The General Building contains roughly 50000 square feet (4,645.2 m²) of office space. Along with its anchor tenant, First Bank, the building houses offices for Clayton Bank and Trust, the Legacy Parks Foundation, the Cornerstone Foundation of Knoxville, the Chapman Family Foundation, and the HealthCare 21 Business Coalition. The building also houses offices for numerous financial specialists and real estate agents.See also
- The HolstonThe HolstonThe Holston is a condominium high-rise located at 531 South Gay Street in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Completed in 1913 as the headquarters for the Holston National Bank, the fourteen-story building was the tallest in Knoxville until the construction in the late 1920s of the Andrew Johnson Hotel,...
- Andrew Johnson BuildingAndrew Johnson BuildingThe Andrew Johnson Building is a high-rise office building in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Completed in 1930, the structure was Knoxville's tallest building for nearly a half-century. The building was originally home to the Andrew Johnson Hotel, and is now used for office space by Knox...
- Mechanics' Bank and Trust Company BuildingMechanics' Bank and Trust Company BuildingThe Mechanics' Bank and Trust Company Building is an office building located at 612 South Gay Street in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Built in 1907 for the Mechanics' Bank and Trust Company, the building now houses offices for several law firms and financial agencies...
- Medical Arts BuildingMedical Arts Building (Knoxville, Tennessee)The Medical Arts Building is an office high-rise located at 603 Main Street in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Completed in 1930, the 10-story structure originally provided office space for physicians and dentists, and at the time was considered the "best equipped" medical building in the South...
External links
- Tennessee General Building, 1920s — early photograph of the General Building, on file at the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection
- Tennessee General Building - Bank lobby — early photograph on file at the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection
- General Building - Bank lobby mezzanine — early photograph on file at the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection
- General Building - Bank lobby and furniture — early photograph on file at the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection