Jackson Avenue Warehouse District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Jackson Avenue Warehouse District and Extension
|
|
Warehouses along West Jackson in 1976
|
|
 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Jackson Avenue Knoxville, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Area | 11 acres (4.5 ha) |
| Built | circa 1888–1910 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival; Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001802; 75002148 |
| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1973; March 10, 1975 |
The Jackson Avenue Warehouse District is a historic area in the Old City part of Knoxville, Tennessee. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s. This district includes several old warehouses. You can find them along the 100-block of West Jackson Avenue. It also features the Sullivan's Saloon building on East Jackson Avenue. These buildings are important because of their cool architecture. They also show how Knoxville grew in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They were key to the city's big business of selling goods in bulk.
Contents
What is the Jackson Avenue Warehouse District?
The Jackson Avenue Warehouse District is a collection of old buildings. Most of these buildings are warehouses. A warehouse is a large building where goods are stored before they are sold. These buildings were built a long time ago. They show what Knoxville was like in the past.
Early History of the District
The district was first recognized as historic in 1973. This first listing included several warehouses. These were on the north side of West Jackson Avenue. It also included Sullivan's Saloon. This building is located on East Jackson Avenue.
In 1975, the district became even bigger. Two more buildings were added to it. These were the John H. Daniel building. The American Clothing Company building was also added. Both are on West Jackson Avenue.
Studying the Historic Buildings
In the 1980s, many of these buildings were studied. This study was part of the Historic American Buildings Survey. This survey helps record important old buildings. It makes sure we remember their history.
Why Were These Warehouses Important?
The Jackson Avenue Warehouses show a busy time in Knoxville's history. This was around the year 1900. Back then, Knoxville was a big center for "wholesaling." Wholesaling means selling goods in large amounts. These goods are then sold again by other businesses.
How Wholesaling Worked
Most of the buildings on West Jackson Avenue were built between 1890 and 1910. They had special loading docks. These docks faced the railroad tracks. This made it easy to load and unload goods. The front of the buildings, facing Jackson Avenue, had fancy designs. These designs were in a style called Romanesque.
Merchants from small towns would come to Knoxville. They traveled by train from all over East Tennessee. They would buy goods and supplies here. These supplies were for their general stores and other businesses. The warehouses were like giant shopping centers for these merchants.
Sullivan's Saloon Building
One special building in the district is Sullivan's Saloon. It was built in 1888. An Irish-born innkeeper named Patrick Sullivan built it. An innkeeper runs a place where people can stay and eat. This building is one of the few old buildings like it left in Knoxville. It shows the architecture from the late 1800s.
The Larger Historic Area
In 1985, the Jackson Avenue Warehouse District became part of an even bigger historic area. This larger area is called the Southern Terminal and Warehouse Historic District. It includes many more historic buildings. These buildings are along West Jackson Avenue. It also includes the Southern Terminal complex. Other streets like East Jackson and Central Avenue are part of it too. This shows how important this whole area was to Knoxville's past.
