photo by Tim Omarzu
Remodeling work is underway at a building a 619 Market St. that dates to the late 1880s.
The building, that was last occupied by Jazzy Casuals, has long been vacant.
Harmon Jolley in 2004 gave this history of the interesting building that is next to the Phoenix Block:
Based on my research, the building at 619 Market Street was built in the late 1880’s. The building which is shown on an 1885 fire insurance map is clearly not the present one, but an 1889 map shows a different structure and a description of it and its neighbors as the “Phoenix” building.
In the Chattanooga pictorial, “Pen and Sunlight Sketches,” the building which formerly adjoined it - 617 Market Street - has “Phoenix” inscribed on the top story.
In 1888, Gibson-Lee Manufacturing was the building’s first occupant. The founders were Fillmore Gibson and Gordon Lee. Mr. Gibson came to Chattanooga in 1877 and joined the queensware firm of Williamson and Frye. After that business went under, he started his own company with the help of Gordon Lee, who was a Georgia congressman. Mr. Lee departed after just one year, and William E. Love took his place. The business was then renamed Gibson-Love Manufacturing. They made stoves, ranges, and china at their foundry in South Chattanooga, and sold them at their Market Street store. In 1889, Gibson-Love moved next door to the 617 building.
In 1890, the Miller Brothers dry goods store became the next business at the 619 Market Street site. Gustavus and Franklin Miller had started the New York Racket Store at 510 Market Street in 1889. After renaming their store “Miller Brothers” and after a few changes of address, the Millers moved to 619 Market. A fire in 1897 destroyed the Richardson office building, which was at the southern end of the 600 block of Market Street. The Miller brothers saw a business opportunity in the burned-out property. There, they built a new department store building which still stands today, and is now the home of one of the offices of Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Tennessee.
Meanwhile, the building’s third occupant, the Fritts and Wiehl Paints and Oils, had been operating at 615 Market Street. The business was founded in 1882 by Benjamin Franklin Fritts. Mr. Fritts was a native of Roane County. There, he was in business with his brothers, operating steamboats between Knoxville and Chattanooga. He came to Chattanooga early in 1882 and was initially employed by the Standard Oil Company.
Within a few months, Mr. Fritts started his own business at Eleventh and Market Streets. Frederick Ferdinand Wiehl, who was an officer with the Bank of Chattanooga and active in the livery business, became Mr. Fritts’ business partner in 1883. Mr. Wiehl was a native of Pittsburgh, Pa. As a member of the Federal army, he had come to Chattanooga in 1863, and decided to move here after the war. He married Kate Foster, a native Chattanoogan. Wiehl Street, near Erlanger Hospital, was named for Mr. Wiehl.
The Fritts-Wiehl company moved into the vacated 619 building, and continued to expand their business. They grew by carefully managing their financial responsibility. An 1898 Fritts-Wiehl receipt, which is archived at the downtown library, reads, “After railroad or steamboat receipt is taken, our responsibility ceases.”
In 1900, following the death of Mr. Wiehl, Kate F. Wiehl took over as partner in the business with B.F. Fritts. The company soon went into the wholesale drug business, while continuing their paint, oil, and plate glass sales (I hope that they never got their varied products mixed up!). They also made a line of patent medicine under the “Dr. Granger” brand name. I could not confirm the connection, but did notice that at that time, Fred Granger was listed in the city directory as the company’s bookkeeper.
Benjamin F. Fritts passed away in 1926 at the age of 82o. Kate Wiehl, who was 77 when Mr. Fritts died, retired and spent winters in Florida before her passing in 1934. The Duff Drug Company acquired the Fritts-Wiehl firm.
On August 11, 1928, Haverty Furniture Company opened a store in Chattanooga in the 619 Market Street building. This was the sixteenth store of the Haverty chain, which was founded in Atlanta in 1885. Its founder, J.J. Haverty, Sr., commented in a 1929 interview that he had been in business long enough to see furniture that he had sold in 1885 become antiques. Prior to the opening of the new Haverty store, the old Fritts-Wiehl headquarters had undergone an extensive renovation, which included new lighting and a passenger elevator.
On opening day, customers were given a silver tea bell as a souvenir. The tea bells were tied to the new store’s advertising: “The bells will ring today at Haverty’s. This is get-acquainted week.” That evening, company officials were interviewed on WDOD radio during a special program, and introduced the store to the community.
Some of the opening week specials included:
* metal bed complete with mattress and springs for $19.95
* 3-piece living room suite for $79.50
* chiffarobe for $24.50
* pie safe for $49.85
* consolette phonograph at $2.00 down, and $2.00 a week, or $89.50 cash.
In 1957, Haverty’s expanded into the upper floors of the adjoining building to the north at 617 Market Street. The National Peanut Shoppe, founded by Ernest H. Longworth in 1938, was allowed to remain in business on the first floor of 617 Market. Many long-time Chattanoogans recall the nutty aromas from the store’s roasters, and the employee dressed as “Mr. Peanut.” When Haverty’s expanded again in 1968, the Planters Peanut Shoppe was a casualty of the expansion. The 619 building also was given a metal façade.
In August, 1982, Haverty’s closed its downtown store. The store’s management had already seen other retail centers leave the area for the acres of parking available in the suburbs. Several old buildings had been razed in downtown to create parking lots and parks. A major customer base had been removed by the West Side urban renewal and construction of the I-124 (U.S. 27) freeway and Riverfront Parkway. Haverty’s business had been declining to the point that they could not justify renewing the downtown lease. Today, Haverty’s continues to operate stores in other cities in the southeast, and also maintains its credit operations department here.
Following the departure of Haverty’s, the Jazzy Casuals store was briefly located in the 619 building. Their sign still hangs there today as the building awaits its next occupant. If the paint and the metal façade were removed, the 619 Market Street building would complement the restoration of the old Miller Brothers Department Store which was done several years ago.