Prominent Insurance Agent Henry N. Martin Built Home At 314 Cedar

  • Tuesday, June 21, 2022

A prominent Chattanooga insurance built a home for himself on Cedar Street in the midst of the Boom period in the late 1880s.

Henry N. Martin moved into his new frame home at 314 Cedar St. in 1887.

The house featured a front porch with decorative trim, two tall chimneys and a spacious downstairs area.

Martin, who was also infected with the current real estate fever, was the agent for several prominent insurors. They included City of London, Union of California, American Central of St. Louis, Commercial of London, Citizens of New York, and Travelers Life and Accident of Hartford, Ct.

However, Henry Martin died a short time later. His widow moved to 509 Pine St. just a few blocks away.

Members of the Parsons family took over 314 Cedar, then it was occupied for several years by P. Theo Seiter, who was the general freight and passenger agent for the Tennessee River Transportation Company.

Seiter also died. His widow, Pauline, moved to the house at 309 Cedar that earlier had been occupied by Z.W. Wheland.

Major R. Jones, who was the foreman at the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railroad yards, next lived at 314 Cedar. 

It later passed to Samuel W. Shweidelson and then to Samuel Sovelove, a shoemaker. S.C. Simpson also lived there.

At the start of World War II, D.S. Randall and T.J. Warren Jr. were at 314 Cedar. Three others were in the lower section, including some more Randalls.  

In the final days of 314 Cedar St., it was divided into A, B. and C apartments.

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