During
our exploratory drive through parts of Roane County Tennessee, we spent a bit
of time in Rockwood checking out 4 different historic places, all very
different from each other…
As we
approached Rockwood on US Hwy. 70, we diverted onto Post Oak Springs Road to
the intersection with Old US 70. The
Post Oak Springs Christian Church was built in 1876. This is an independent, non-denominational
Christian church, associated with the Restoration Movement. It is said to be the oldest Restoration
Movement Christian Church in Tennessee.
The congregation was formed in 1812 and this was the 3rd
building occupied by the church.
Services are currently held nearby in a newer facility…
The Restoration
Movement is a Christian movement that began on the United States frontier
during the Second Great Awakening (1790–1840) of the early 19th century. This movement sought to reform the church from
within with the goal "the unification of all Christians in a single body
patterned after the church of the New Testament." It has been described as the "oldest
ecumenical movement in America". Since
the mid-20th century, members of these churches do not identify as Protestant
but simply as Christian. There are 3
main branches in the US: the Churches of Christ; the unaffiliated Christian
Church/Church of Christ congregations, and; the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ).
The
Rockwood Post Office is a Colonial Revival style Federal building constructed
by the Works Projects Administration (WPA) in 1937. It was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1999. The grounds are
landscaped with original Japanese Hollies.
We
should have gone inside! Research
revealed that this post office features a terra-cotta relief sculpture by New
York artist Christian Heinrich. It’s the
only ceramic post office decoration in the state. Entitled ‘Wildlife’, the seven by three-foot
panel weighs approximately three hundred pounds and depicts a family of three
deer.
OK…This photo at the National Register of Historic Places
listing in Wikipedia for Roane County, allegedly shows the historic Molyneaux
Chevrolet Dealership/Fire Department facility.
It totally threw me off base on this search and posting. First of all, the address on this building is
230 and it’s on the wrong street as well!
On the other hand, it obviously is the old showroom and it is better looking than the correct structure
turned out to be…
Laurie
and Dawn had taken the photo of this structure at 104 North Chamberlain Street
in Rockford. Even though the address
matched the listing, I couldn’t imagine that this was the correct building as
per the NRHP. Well, when I subsequently researched
the listing on the actual National Register of Historic Places site, I
discovered that the ladies were right.
This was the place! To see the
photos that were originally submitted with the building’s justification for its
listing on the NRHP, you can go to http://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp/GetAsset?assetID=2220a38a-14e8-431d-845c-401452e1587f.
This
structure was built in 1923. It’s
constructed from poured concrete. It was
poured in forms with reinforcing rods, which resulted in the block-like
pattern. It was constructed as a
single building to house 2 separate operations.
Historically, the fire hall was in the easternmost bay, and the Molyneux
Chevrolet Company was located in the 3 western bays. This building housed the city's first fire
engine as well as John Molyneux’ auto business.
That dealership was later recognized as the oldest Chevy dealer in the
state.
Note:
Former Union
general John T. Wilder noted the iron ore and coal deposits of the Cumberland
Plateau region while operating in the area during the Civil War. After the war, Wilder and Ohio-born Knoxville
Iron Company founder Hiram Chamberlain purchased 900 acres at what is now
Rockwood. They selected the location due
to the ore and coal resources, the proximity to the Tennessee River and based
on an assumption that the encroaching railroads would descend the Plateau at
nearby Emory Gap. The Roane Iron Company
was chartered in 1867 and it was producing iron by late 1868…the same year that
the town was founded. The Company closed
operations in 1929 but remnants of the operation remain near the edge of town.
This eye-catching Tennessee
Highway Patrol building in Rockwood is located on the corner of Kingston Avenue
and Nelson Street, actually on the original State Route 1/U.S. Highway 70 in
Rockwood. Built in 1936, the building
was used as a sub-station for the Tennessee Highway Patrol until circa 1952
when a new facility was constructed.
This 80
year old highway patrol building is an excellent example of Tennessee's
response to the expansion of motorized traffic and the public’s concern for safety
along the new and expanding system of highways.
The building is an excellent representation of the use of Crab Orchard
stone. In addition, the Craftsman
influence of the building can be seen in the cut stone and use of clay tile
roofing. This building is an example of
the huge impact the automobile has had on American culture and life.
As small
as this building is, it not only served as a workplace, but also as living
quarters for unmarried patrol officers. The
back room of the building was fitted with beds and contained a kitchen and
bathroom. A former patrol officer
recalled that this arrangement kept officers’ working day and night. The front room was used as an office and it’s where
they had a desk, did paperwork, and provided tourist information.
This
building may look much like the 1936 facility…but it was actually built in 1952
to replace it. One reason that it looks
much like the original building is that it was also built using Crab Orchard
Stone.
The ‘new’
building is located on the same piece of land as the original but it was
situated so that it faced the ‘new’ US Hwy. 70.
Its back faces the back of the older Highway Patrol building. After this facility was constructed, the 1936
building was used only for storage.
Later it was abandoned! Fortunately,
local preservationists have ensured that the original building has been
restored…and even nicely landscaped.
That’s
all for now… Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.
Thanks
for stopping by for a visit!
Take
Care, Big Daddy Dave
Such a fascinating post, Dave, and I love your photos! When you mentioned the Restoration Movement I knew what you were referring to, because I am a member of the Church of Christ! However, here in Montreal, even with 3.5 million people there are only 3 or 4 congregations. Thank you so much for sharing, and I hope you have a great week. I really enjoy your posts. :)
ReplyDeleteYou were so close us US when you visited Roane County. I recognized the Crab Orchard Stone --since there are many older home and buildings around here made from that... You NEED to visit our area and check out the interesting Homesteads area... We also have a Military Memorial Museum, and of course there is the playhouse and the state park... Come see us!!!!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy