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Downtown Knoxville, TN

The Southern Railway Freight Depot was built in 1904 as an accessory building to the iconic main terminal building. It is a contributing structure to the “Southern Terminal and Warehouse Historic District”, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The buildings in this district, particularly the Depot, illustrate the prominence of commerce and the significance of rail transportation in Knoxville during the late 19th & early 20th centuries. Its corbi-stepped gables make it one of the most recognized buildings in downtown Knoxville.

As a result of several unsympathetic renovations, the original open freight areas were segmented into office and storage spaces and layers of contemporary interior finishes were added. The vision for this latest renovation was to reimagine what was once a container for goods and commerce as a container for people and events, once again providing a backdrop for the evolution of Knoxville’s unique culture. Restored is the sense of perpetual change- once through the constant coming and going of train cars and cargo, now through the diverse calendar of weddings, banquets, and fundraisers continually flowing through the terminal. To reveal the historic character of the building the interior was stripped of all unnecessary elements. A warming kitchen for banquet events and accessible restrooms were added in addition to code compliance upgrades throughout. New lighting, wood flooring, and a fire protection system were also included in the renovation. Historic freight doors were made operable and the original wood ceiling was repaired and refinished.