The Tennessee Historical Commission has announced three Tennessee sites have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. It is part of a nationwide program that coordinates and supports efforts to identify, evaluate and protect historic resources. The Tennessee Historical Commission, as the State Historic Preservation Office, administers the program in Tennessee.
“The National Register is an honorary recognition for time-honored places that enrich our communities and make them unique,” said Patrick McIntyre, State Historic Preservation Officer and executive director of the Tennessee Historical Commission. “We hope this recognition helps generate and reinforce an appreciation for these special properties, so they can be retained for present and future generations of Tennesseans.”
Sites recently added to the National Register of Historic Places include:
Sewanee Fire Lookout Tower
The Sewanee Fire Lookout Tower is the first of several National Register nominations that will be listed under a context titled “Tennessee Division of Forestry Fire Lookout Towers 1933-1975.” The context provides a history of fire towers and the important role they played in the state forest service’s effort to manage their lands. The tower in Sewanee is an Aeromotor MC-39 steel structure built from 1933-1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The observation cabin has a panoramic view of the surrounding forest. In addition to the tower, the complex includes several other buildings constructed around 1934 that were vital to forestry fire management. There are two utility buildings, a crew cabin, a vehicle service platform, and the lookout operator’s cabin. In the 1940’s a new crew building was erected and in 1950 a radio tower with equipment building was added to the complex.
Christ Episcopal Church
The Gothic Revival-style Christ Episcopal Church was built in Tracy City, Grundy County in 1925. The one-story building is covered in weatherboards and is embellished with Gothic arched stained glass windows, multi-pane windows, and brackets under the eaves. Inside, the church retains woodwork from an 1873 church that was destroyed in a storm. There is dark wood wainscoting, wood ceiling and window trim, and plaster walls. The church has had no major changes to its historic materials and is a good example of Gothic Revival design in Tracy City. Christ Episcopal Church was the first church to be established in Tracy City in the 1860’s.
One Hundred North Main
Started in 1963 and completed in 1965, the One Hundred North Main Building in downtown Memphis stands out as a fine commercial example of the International style in the city. The Memphis architectural firm of Robert Lee Hall and Associates designed the 38-story building with marble chip covered vertical panels, anodized aluminum windows, and book-matched marble. Using columns or posts for support allowed for an open plan ground floor. Unique features of the design of One Hundred North Main were the revolving restaurant and rooftop Japanese garden. The restaurant was designed with canted windows, allowing for unimpeded view of the city. Although not in use today, the restaurant sits on rubber car tires and revolves 360 degrees every 90 minutes.