The East Tennessee Historical Society presents its Downtown Home Tour 2025 this Saturday, June 14. Previously presented by the now defunct City People organization, a downtown home tour has been a staple of most years since around the turn of the century. This year’s tour features five homes for general admission tickets and an additional home, plus a kick-off event for those holding VIP tickets.
The Downtown Home Tour offers an opportunity to walk through a wide range of homes across downtown and, for myself and my wife, it offered our first glimpse into how we might see ourselves fitting into the downtown lifestyle. We came to know the buildings and the kinds of homes inside each, attending the tours from the early 2000s. When our eventual home came on the market in 2009, we were already familiar with the homes at Kendrick Place, making the decision an easy one. That Kendrick Place home was featured on the 2017 Home Tour and boasted a grand early 20th century feel. Built a few years post-Victorian, the homes felt like a comfy step back into time. Coincidentally, it is now, 16 years and major renovations later, back on the market.
We adored our new downtown home and the courtyard there will forever remain my favorite single spot in downtown Knoxville. But situations change. After nearly 10 years there we felt the time had come for a single-level home. We moved from the over 2,500-square-foot three-story home into a one-level, 1,750-square-foot home over Mast General Store in Gallery Lofts. We only missed the extra 750 square feet during the nine months of the pandemic when we had our grandchildren move in. Otherwise, we liked having a smaller space and the massive amounts of exposed beams and bricks, along with the high ceilings, made for a lovely home.
We enjoyed our five years there, but for a decade we’d had our eye on a particularly beautiful downtown building which, as the years passed, was increasingly filled with many of our downtown friends. When a home inside The Holston became available last year, we quickly decided we’d found our forever home. This round, we lost another 300 square feet but entered a large renovation project that stole inches in every direction, leaving us a very efficient small home. Designers Jim Harness and Rick Kennedy, owners of The Interior Market (5204 Kingston Pike, Suite 5), provided design finishings and furniture. Danny Iliea with Affordable Elegance completed the remodel and trade finishes.
The building at 531 South Gay Street, constructed in 1913, opened its doors around 1920 as the Holston Bank. Evidence of the original incarnation abounds in the Marble facade and the opulent lobby with ornate vaulted ceilings and the 1920s brass mail system that still greets visitors today. The basement vault used by the bank remains and the space around it now serves as The Vault, a cocktail lounge, located directly below the ground floor restaurant, Vida, which opened in January 2021.
“Designed by John Kevan Peebles of Norfolk, Virginia and built by George Fuller Construction Co. of New York, The Holston was the tallest high-rise office building in Knoxville and a champion of Neo-classical architecture.” By 1928 Holston National Bank merged with the Union National Bank and the new bank optimistically added two floors to increase the building height to 14 stories. (Fun fact: The 14 stories in the Holston are numbered to the 15th floor because there is no 13th floor!)
Unfortunately, their optimism was misplaced, markets crashed in 1929, and the bank closed in 1930. Hamilton National Bank, the largest bank in Knoxville for a time, bought and occupied the building from 1931 to 1975 when the bank was taken over by Jake Butcher’s United American Bank and the headquarters left the Holston, though a branch remained. The building continued to serve as offices for a range of businesses, though its occupancy level continued to decline over the next decades.
In 2008, in one of the early condo-conversions in downtown Knoxville, David Dewhirst and partners reconfigured and renovated floors two through 15 into 45 condominiums and a community room. The ground floor became the lobby and a large commercial space, with additional commercial space below. In 2008, the penthouse became the first home in downtown Knoxville to be sold for over $1,000,000. Now, a growing number of homes in the building, particularly on the upper floors, would command well beyond that price.
The floor plans, all of which may be viewed here, vary in size and amenity by their side of the building and their floor. Ranging from one bedroom and about 1,000 square feet (floors two through 11, facing the park, with a large balcony), to three bedrooms, 3,465 square feet (top three floors facing west), the building offers a wide variety of footprints and price points. Most units come with additional storage in the basement, and all come with water and WIFI included in HOA fees. The front entrance is staffed (part-time) with a doorperson.
On the face, it appears there are a lot of options for potential buyers: Do you want a high floor with an expansive view, or a lower floor with a closer view of the ground (and people watching!)? Do you want to face Gay Street or the Sunsphere, the mountains, or Krutch Park. Lower floors get more outside noise and light (with the concrete floors and sound-dampening walls, there is virtually no noise from neighbors); upper floors get stronger winds on their balconies. More space or less space? One, two or three bedrooms? Standard size balcony or smaller?
The reality? Homes so rarely become available that potential buyers must evaluate simply what they can get. We’d waited a decade for our chance at one of the plans we wanted and could afford. It never went on the market. Rather, when it became available, friends reached out and we were able to arrange a sale with no listing. The 1450-square-foot fourth floor home includes two bedrooms and two baths, a laundry room, and an open kitchen/dining area and living space. The front view faces Gay Street with side views to the East Tennessee History Center and Krutch Park. A balcony extends over Krutch Park.
Original touches that remain include nine large double-paned windows, architecturally interesting ceilings that range up to 10 feet, Brazilian Cherry hardwood throughout, and a walk-in closet in the primary bath. Porcelain tile replaced the original tile in both bathrooms, and new cabinets and quartz countertops were installed in each. The tub was removed from the primary bath and replaced by an expanded shower, a custom storage chest/bench, and the addition of a second sink. The guest shower was expanded by incorporating about a foot hidden in the wall.
The kitchen renovations included new, updated appliances, an additional pantry in a small, empty nook, and new quartz countertops. The countertop facing outward from the kitchen, which was two small levels, was shifted to one larger level, opening the kitchen to more light. The 2008 light fixtures were replaced with all LED lighting, including both fixtures and recessed lights. All cable connections and phone connections were removed, and light switches were reduced to clean the look on the walls. We had the closets designed by professionals to grab every inch and we replaced the hot water heater in the laundry room with a tankless unit to make room for more shelving.
Yes, it was a lot to deal with, but we were very fortunate to reach an agreement with the purchaser of our former home to allow us to remain in place for two months of renovations. Once completed it made the home move-in ready and designed to our specifications.
Worth noting, as well, is the art. We love art and enjoy supporting local artists, which you’ll find is a theme in many downtown homes. You’ll see local art here like paintings by Cynthia Markert and Mark Carson English, drawings by Brian Pitman and Judy Jordan, woodwork by Gordon Coker, and sculptures by Bill Cook (marble) and John Malcolm McRae (ceramic). You’ll also see work by other artists, national and international, including glasswork by Scott Hartley of Kansas, as well as paintings by Russian-born Canadian artist Ana Razumovskaya and French artist Benoit Havard. Take your time and enjoy.
You know what I love about downtown, because I’ve told you about it for 15 years. I love the mix of people, the energy, the music and art, the opportunity. As for this home? We love the location in the middle of the most developed part of downtown, our balcony overlooking Krutch Park, our views of Gay Street and the Tennessee Theater, and the magnificent light which we get from three sides.
This is the smallest home we’ve lived in since the 1980s and we could not be happier with that fact. While it is smaller, the layout and design allow it to live much larger. The second bedroom includes a Murphy bed and offers an office/music room which I haven’t had since we had a much larger home. The entertainment space and kitchen, as well as the primary bed and bathroom, give us ample space for everything we need.
So, for us, this is what we are looking for in a downtown home. For you? Well, maybe this wouldn’t be your spot, but you could see yourself living elsewhere. You’ll get to see a range of homes tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission tickets cost $40 advance or at the door (at the East Tennessee History Center). Buy them here!
I hope to see you at my home! We’ll be joined by Jim Harness and Rick Kennedy, who did the design and furnishing, and they’ll have some “before” pictures for you to compare.
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