The 3 Mystery Houses of Vista Road
I try to fill this blog full of details, architects, and backstories…but sometimes you’ve just gotta share a mystery. Perched up on a high hill are three mid-century houses that sit right next to each other. The houses give off a strong Prairie Style vibe (a-la Frank Lloyd Wright) but
Bon-Air Motel by Painter, Weeks & McCarty
Structure: Bon-Air MotelLocation: Gatlinburg, TennesseeArchitect: Painter, Weeks & McCarty, Bruce McCarty (associate)Date: 1953Story: Gatlinburg, Tennessee has always been known for its motels. Long ago, in the 1950s, motel owners were local families, working to profit off of the ever-increasing amount of travelers headed to the Smokey Mountains. 1950s motels were uniquely designed,
Knoph House by Felder Weeks
Structure: Nic Knoph HouseLocation: Knoxville, TennesseeArchitect: Felder WeeksDate: 1967Tidbit: Nic Knoph was ready to build his dream home and he wanted it to have a stunning view (as dream homes are wont to do). So he selected a site on a sheer cliff overlooking Fort Loudon Lake. He enlisted local architect Felder
Shaw House by George Fred Keck
Architects (and brothers) William & George Fred Keck were thrilled. They had been asked to design a "House of Tomorrow" for the 1933 Century of Progress International Exposition in Chicago. During construction of the house, however, a funny thing happened: As the workers built the house, the greenhouse effect from
Still House by Hayes Fleming
Structure: Stanley Still HouseLocation: Kingsport, TennesseeArchitect: Hayes B. FlemingDate: 1973Tidbit: In Kingsport, Tennessee, there lived a man who loved the water. His name was Stanley W. Still. Now Still loved the water so much, he opened a bait & tackle shop, so he could sell the tools of the sea. But alas,
The Horizon Homes of Tennessee
Enough of this ephemeral stuff, let’s be concrete! In the 1960s, house construction was booming. New housebuilding materials, many created for WWII, were making their way into the hands of house builders. The Portland Cement Association (PCA) saw this as an opportunity to bolster their trade. They created the Horizon Home
Tennessee Valley Bank by Painter, Weeks & McCarty
Structure: Tennessee Valley Bank, Chapman Highway BranchLocation: Knoxville, TennesseeArchitect: Painter, Weeks & McCartyDate: 1955Tidbit: In 1956, Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture held an exhibit called A Half Century of Architectural Education. The exhibit featured 72 buildings (selected from over 500 entries) designed by school alumni. Three Tennessee buildings were featured in the