B

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced the recipients of Tennessee Historic Development Grants, with seven going to buildings in the Lakeway area, including five in Morristown.

The city of Morristown held an announcement ceremony Friday to explain how the funds will positively improve Downtown Morristown, an important piece of the area’s retail community.

Approved by the Tennessee General Assembly in April 2021, the program will provide $8.7 million to projects that aim to renovate and preserve historic buildings across the state.

The program encourages communities and private developers to invest in buildings that have contributed to a community’s history but now sit idle. These buildings can once again contribute to the economy through job creation and commercial opportunities.

For this round of the program, the state’s $8.7 million investment is expected to leverage more than $18 million in private investment.

TNECD partnered with the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC) to structure application requirements and review grant applications to ensure that each proposal would rehabilitate the structures while maintaining the historical integrity.

“Tennessee is known for its quality of life, and at TNECD, we have the privilege to take part in community development programs that assist in restoring and preserving some of our state’s most unique and historic assets,” said TNECD Commissioner Stuart McWhorter. “Through the latest round of the Historic Development Grants program, communities across Tennessee are taking steps to revitalize their historic buildings so that they can continue to serve as catalysts for future economic opportunity.”

The THC’s mission is to protect, preserve, maintain and administer historic places and encourage the inclusive diverse study of Tennessee’s history for the benefit of future generations.

“The Tennessee Historical Commission is proud to have the opportunity to provide assistance in this program to ensure that the legacy of Tennessee’s historic landmarks continue to inspire generations to come,” said Patrick McIntyre, executive director of the Tennessee Historical Commission and state historic preservation officer. “Historic properties are being rehabilitated across our state, including the Snuff Factory Warehouse in Memphis and the Vose School in Alcoa where work is being accomplished thanks to the economic incentives from the Historic Development Grants and Federal Historic Tax Credits.”

The TNECD sent more than $2 million in funds to locations in the Lakeway Area to aid in the restoration process.

In Morristown Ashland Holdings LLC, KBD, LLC, Rhonda D Click of 109 Lofts and Randall B DeBord of DeBord Enterprises, all received $400,000 to rehabilitate their buildings In Morristown.

The funds will help restore the J.W. Arnold Building, Felknor Building, Sheeley Piano Building and the J.G. McCroy 5 & 10 Cent Store.

Kenneth B Smith FLP received $129,340 to rehabilitate 177 West Main Street.

The J.W Arnold Building is a One-story, two bay brick building, with raised parapet with corbelled inset panels. Two bays have vertical division in brick between, indicating slightly different dates of construction, but both are joined by engraved stone panel in center reading “Helms 1927.”

South bay has a central replacement full-view aluminum entrance door; North Bay has a central full-view wood entrance door. Flanking storefront windows and transoms boarded in. Newer metal paneled roof built over top of both bays.

The Felknor Building is a four-story, two bay building of yellow iron-spot brick. Three-story flattened bay windows in each bay, arched at fourth floor. Four one-over-one windows with transoms at second and third stories. Engaged pilasters at each side and dividing the two bays, with carved Tennessee marble blocks at springing course, with egg and dart ornament, and bas-relief “1907” incised at central pilaster

177 West Main Street is three-story, three bay brick building. Westernmost two bays have one-over-one paired double-hung windows on second and third stories, with a modification on the second story that substitutes a door for one of the paired windows. Eastern bay has replacement windows on second story, with one pair modified to allow the insertion of an entrance door (ca. 1964).

148 West Main Street is a two-story brick single bay building with raised pedimented parapet, overhanging metal cornice with modillions above terra cotta Greek key string course with central corbelling. Corbelling tops rectangular attic windows, painted over; they in turn are flanked by two rectangular panels of corbelled brick. Six windows with transoms are centered below these panels and the attic windows, with one removed for a door opening to the elevated walkway. Aluminum storefront (ca. 1964) with paired aluminum full-view doors

The Sheeley Piano Building is a two-story brick single bay building with raised pedimented parapet, overhanging metal cornice with modillions above terra cotta Greek key string course with central corbelling Aluminum storefront (ca. 1964) with paired aluminum full-view doors. Transom above doors; remaining transom area above storefront has been covered or removed. Storefront has been combined with eastern bay of adjacent structure to the west (156 W. Main Street). Turkey Creek passes through culvert below the building.

Several Morristown leaders spoke on how the funds will greatly improve the Historic Downtown Morristown which The Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce is working to revitalize.

“The legislators recognized that historic buildings and their preservation expands the state economy, create new employment opportunities, revitalize communities, create an environed for investment and promote tourisms in rural areas,” said Director of Downtown Development Heather Blackmon Brooks.

“This program encourages communities and private developers to invest in buildings that contributed to a community’s history that sit idle. These buildings can now once again contribute to the economy through new job opportunities, housing and commercial opportunities.”

Morristown City Mayor Gary Chesney, said this is part of overall growth in Morristown.

“We are leading most of the state in creating jobs, we are leading most of the state in growing retail eating and shopping venues. Our rate of growth of new rooftops is also turning attention our way. Our transportation routes that allow people to easily travel to Morristown are part of the Department of Transportation’s priority list,” Chesney said.

“The words ‘cutting edge’ are easy to call on because it evokes the image of the latest in forward progress. This morning I want to use the words to shine a light on how Morristown is on the ‘cutting edge’ of remembering, preserving and growing our historic downtown.”

Chesney explained how many cities have struggled to restore their downtown areas, but Morristown is working diligently to do so.

“Revitalizing a downtown has been the challenge for thousands of cities and towns around the USA for decades and the success rate has not been very high. But we are Morristown and that aggressive ‘we must succeed’ attitude has been applied to our downtown association and this morning we are announcing some results.”

Randy DeBord, owner of J.G. McCroy 5 and the 10 Cent Store discussed how he plans to use the funds to renovate his buildings and how Morristown will benefit from the changes.

“These building are the face of our community and I am so excited that we have the chance to develop a program to leave a legacy for Morristown and Hamblen County,” DeBord said. “During the revitalization process we will repair these once plighted structures to much need residential units to the upper levels of the skymart.”

“On the top floor of the 133 W. Main Street building there will be four apartments developed and six additional residential housing units on the skymart level of the 148 W. Main Street building. This effort will drive more people downtown and will create an economic platform that will pay dividends for years and generations to come.”

Further north, in Greenville, Charles C. Doty Jr received $320,000 to rehabilitate 129 South Main Street and in Rogersville Christopher Allen Canclini received $200,000 to rehabilitate the Presbyterian Church Parsonage.