The Friends of the Library and Oliver Hospitality are hosting a behind-the-scenes sneak peek event at the Andrew Johnson Hotel before renovations begin. Meet Me at the AJ is set for 5:00 – 9:00 on Friday, November 15. Tickets are available here. Presented by First Century Bank, the one-time-only event is a fundraiser for Knox County Public Library’s Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound (TAMIS). Each ticket includes a complimentary year-long membership to Friends of the Library.
One of downtown’s most historic buildings, the Andrew Johnson Building has been on a trajectory toward a better use — its original use — for a long time and appears to be nearing, if not the finish line, the beginning of the finish line. In 2015, then County Mayor Burchett first suggested the building be sold to a private entity. In 2017 an agreement for purchase was made with BNA Associates, but Knox County Schools didn’t fully vacate the building until the summer of 2022 at which time BNA closed on the building. In the wake of the pandemic, and with interest rates rising, financing was unstable and difficult. It appears that two years later, the start may be nearing.
I asked about the current plans and status of the project and heard via email from Philip Welker, one of the co-founders of BNA, along with Ethan Orley. He said the plans have changed slightly from those last presented here in April of 2022. “We’ve moved the restaurant onto the ground level, the lobby to the corner of Gay & W Hill and programmed the entire 2nd floor for events & music. We were also able to adjust the room floors to add a few more rooms.” The configuration has been fluid and drawings reflecting those changes are not yet available. While no beginning date has been set, the project is moving forward, and it should be soon, relative to the history of the project.
I was also afforded an opportunity, along with a couple of other media members, to see the inside of the building, talk a bit about history and plans, and to get a glimpse from the rooftop. Matt Morelock, who is working with the group regarding music programming (spoiler alert: there will be a lot) and venues, and Mary Pom Claiborne who is planning tomorrow night’s event, walked us through.
Matt said the owners are “interested in making it a culturally and historically relevant place.” The founders of BNA have connections to Knoxville and developed and own the Oliver Hotel and the Oliver Royale. He noted that the building is historic for several reasons, one of which is particularly important to the owners, its music history. The name of the new hotel is, once again, up for discussion.
While the details on various venues and music programming is evolving, the restaurant will be to the left as you enter and registration to the right. The center of the lobby will feature a restoration of the large marble staircase that was removed long ago and previously (and in the future) led to the grand ballroom. The low-hanging ceilings on the first floor will be removed and the non-historic walls removed to open the space as it was originally.
The ground floor restaurant will encompass the entire atrium on the north side of the building (it is currently cut in half by a modern wall) and a patio with additional seating will be included. Expect a range of musical programming in that space, as well as the ballroom above. While originally conceived as a jazz venue, Morelock said a range of musical genres may be presented in the various spaces to fit each unique spot.
A bar will be included in the ballroom, and another will be included on the rooftop, with different programing for each. It’s not out of the question that other music spaces will be carved out. The hotel is famous for having been the place where Hank Williams spent his last conscious hours and that suite (as best as can be determined) is on the fifth floor in the southwest corner. Long serving as an office, Matt is hoping the space will remain public with perhaps additional and appropriate music programming.
The 17th floor rooftop will include a bar with its own programming and (as you can see) some of the best views in the city. The programming will be “small ensemble,” according to Matt. It will be open to the public. Of his programming work, Matt said, “My job is to make sure that all of the public facing programming is something that locals want to do, as well as guests. I want everyone to feel welcome walking in.”
If you snag a ticket to the event tomorrow night, you’ll see the main floor and ballrooms and enjoy vintage footage from the era, courtesy of TAMIS. While sipping beverages, you’ll enjoy 78 RPM records played on a Victrola blasting out the sounds of the St. James Hotel Sessions recording just a few blocks away about the time the hotel opened.
You’ll be among the last to walk through the building before the renovations begin and you can view renovation plans by project architects from MHM, Inc. There will also be live muse by the Absinthe All Stars. VIP tickets are, alas, sold out, so you’ll have to come back when the hotel is completed to see the Hank Williams Suite and the rooftop bar.
Mayor Jacobs issued a statement regarding the event saying, “We are thrilled to see this project come to life. Not only will this important building be returned to the tax rolls, but the Andrew Johnson Hotel is central to the history and future of Knoxville. This event is a great chance to see the plans for its incredible transformation.”
The hotel, built just about a century ago served as a last luxury hotel stop before the Great Smoky Mountains. Amelia Earhardt stayed here on just such a trip about a year before she died. Other guests who stayed here include Duke Ellington, Tennessee Williams, Sergei Rachmoninoff, Jean-Paul Sartre, King Hussein of Jordan and many other notable historic figures. Of course, Hank overshadows them all with his brief visit on New Year’s Eve, 1952. It also served locals with its premier ballroom and other amenities.
Other musical connections include the 17th floor home of WNOX and its popular Mid-Day-Merry-Go-Round featuring live music in front of a studio audience by some of the towering figures of country music. The station broadcast via speakers from the rooftop that could be heard all around downtown. Eventually the crowds for the noon show grew so large the station had to move.
Expect the hotel to return to its original glory, but “with a modern twist.”
Limited historic photographic documentation of the hotel has been preserved or is known. The owners would be interested in any photographs or footage from the hotel or information about its history (if you can add anything to the Hank Williams story, you get bonus points). Leave a comment below and I’ll make sure they see it and contact you, if needed. And remember, while they last, tickets are available here.