Larry West Used His Contractor Skills To Craft Interesting Creation On Cameron Hill's Prospect Street

A Chattanoogan who was a leader in the South in street and highway paving and was also a contractor built an architectural beauty at 19 Prospect St. near the top of Cameron Hill in 1908.

Lawrence B. "Larry" West, president of West Construction Company, lived in the two-story home for about 10 years before moving to McCallie Avenue and then to Missionary Ridge.

The house was approached by a long series of concrete steps built above a low concrete wall. There were large arched windows at the front and sides of the house, taking advantage of the spectacular views. The second floor had an interesting design with four smaller windows in the center topped by a roof overhang, then a divided roof above that.

It was certainly different and less traditional than any house that had been built on Cameron Hill before. 

The house faced east with frontage of 100 feet. It was "about the same altitude as Missionary Ridge right in the city and commanding magnificent views. The first floor has the usual living rooms with hardwood floors and large eastern porch enclosed in glass. Upstairs there are five bedrooms, one handsome, well-equipped bathroom and large screen porch. A garage and servants house was on the west end of the lot reached on grade from a street on that side of the property."

The West Construction Company was at 1001-1007 Market St., and it featured concrete sidewalks, retaining walls, floors, fire-proofing, foundations, asphalt floors and drives, waterproofing, roofing, brewery work, tile ceramic mosaic and vitreous floor tile, hearth and mantel tile, enamel wall tile, general contracting, water works, sewerage and paving.

Larry West previously was at 517 Mabel St. as was the firm's vice president, E. Garth Billingsley. Lewis M. Coleman, a Lookout Mountain attorney, was the secretary, and Frank Conover was treasurer. 

West sold the Cameron Hill house to Mrs. T.F. Phillips, who lived there until the mid-1920s. Mrs. Phillips in May 1923 advertised the house for sale. The ad said the owner had moved to Florida "is only here for a few weeks and has made a bargain price for a limited time, offering this property for $11,000 - $3,000 cash with balance one, two and three years. Parties interested are urged to call us promptly and arrange for inspection as this property will be offered for two weeks only. Afterwards, if not sold, it will be leased."  The Longley family took advantage of the bargain price. Fuller M. Longley, a traveling salesman, lived there before moving to Signal Mountain. Mrs. M.S. Longley afterward lived in the West home. She regularly rented the second floor.

By then the street name had been changed from Prospect to Boynton Terrace and the new address was 319. 

By 1945, Larry West's interesting design on Cameron Hill had been partitioned into four apartments. He died in 1957 and was not around to see his creation toppled to the ground.