Bluff View in Chattanooga in Hamilton County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Hunter Museum of American Art

Three Views, Three Buildings, One Museum

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, July 18, 2021

1. Hunter Museum of American Art Marker

Inscription.

Hunter Museum of American Art. Three Views, Three Buildings, One Museum. , The Hunter Museum is composed of three buildings representing 100 years of architecture. Each building reflects the tastes and the technology of the time when it was created.

Like the diverse artwork inside the Hunter, each building has the power to evoke a different response from you, the visitor.

Which architectural style do you find most interesting?

The West Wing - built in 2005 , The dramatic zinc clad building, designed by the Los Angeles architectural firm of Randall Stout and Associates, was completed as part of the city's 21st Century Waterfront Project. Randall Stout, a native of Tennessee, drew on the natural wonders of Chattanooga for his design, such as Umbrella Rock, the limestone bluff, the Tennessee River and the mountains surrounding the city.

"The roofline reflects the imaginary symbolic hawk of Cherokee legends and the white water rapids that used to flow in the river below the bluff. The temporary exhibition gallery hovers over the cliff like Umbrella Rock. These sort of abstract ideas get me excited about the exploring forms of the project but shouldn't be seen as literal forms representations in the building." , - Randall Stout, architect of the West Wing

, The Mansion - built in 1905 , The Hunter Mansion was designed by the Cincinnati architectural firm of Mead and Garfield (son of President Garfield) for Ross and Annie Faxon. After passing through another owner, the home was purchased by the widow of Benjamin F. Thomas, the founder of Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Company. It then became the home of her nephew, George T. Hunter. The home was converted to a museum in 1952.

"Designed during the height of the 'American Renaissance,' the Faxon-Thomas House is one of the country's finest neoclassical buildings. The river side of the residence with its long porch of eight two-story Corinthian columns, recalls that side of George Washington's Mt. Vernon facing the Potomac, while the city side of the house, distinguished by its semi-circular two-story portico, is derived from the White House. , - Dr. Gavin Townsend, Professor of Art History, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

, The East Wing - built in 1975 , The solid reinforced concrete addition was designed by the Chattanooga architectural firm of Derthick and Henley. The architects could have built another brick wing, but choose instead to celebrate the sleek lines of American abstraction, as well as advances in concrete slab building techniques of the 1970s.

"We didn't want to match the traditional style of the mansion. We wanted to create a quiet base, one that was totally different from the mansion and respected its integrity, one that would blend in with the limestone cliff." , - Alan Derthick and Carroll Henley, architects of the East Wing

The Hunter Museum is composed of three buildings representing 100 years of architecture. Each building reflects the tastes and the technology of the time when it was created.

Like the diverse artwork inside the Hunter, each building has the power to evoke a different response from you, the visitor.

Which architectural style do you find most interesting?

The West Wing - built in 2005
The dramatic zinc clad building, designed by the Los Angeles architectural firm of Randall Stout and Associates, was completed as part of the city's 21st Century Waterfront Project. Randall Stout, a native of Tennessee, drew on the natural wonders of Chattanooga for his design, such as Umbrella Rock, the limestone bluff, the Tennessee River and the mountains surrounding the city.

"The roofline reflects the imaginary symbolic hawk of Cherokee legends and the white water rapids that used to flow in the river below the bluff. The temporary exhibition gallery hovers over the cliff like Umbrella Rock. These sort of abstract ideas get me excited about the exploring forms of the project but shouldn't be seen as literal forms representations in the building."
- Randall Stout, architect of the West Wing

The Mansion - built in 1905
The

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Hunter Mansion was designed by the Cincinnati architectural firm of Mead and Garfield (son of President Garfield) for Ross and Annie Faxon. After passing through another owner, the home was purchased by the widow of Benjamin F. Thomas, the founder of Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Company. It then became the home of her nephew, George T. Hunter. The home was converted to a museum in 1952.

"Designed during the height of the 'American Renaissance,' the Faxon-Thomas House is one of the country's finest neoclassical buildings. The river side of the residence with its long porch of eight two-story Corinthian columns, recalls that side of George Washington's Mt. Vernon facing the Potomac, while the city side of the house, distinguished by its semi-circular two-story portico, is derived from the White House.
- Dr. Gavin Townsend, Professor of Art History, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

The East Wing - built in 1975
The solid reinforced concrete addition was designed by the Chattanooga architectural firm of Derthick and Henley. The architects could have built another brick wing, but choose instead to celebrate the sleek lines of American abstraction, as well as advances in concrete slab building techniques of the 1970s.

"We didn't want to match the traditional style of the mansion.
Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, July 18, 2021

2. Hunter Museum of American Art Marker
We wanted to create a quiet base, one that was totally different from the mansion and respected its integrity, one that would blend in with the limestone cliff."
- Alan Derthick and Carroll Henley, architects of the East Wing

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1905.

Location. 35° 3.334′ N, 85° 18.379′ W. Marker is in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in Hamilton County. It is in Bluff View. Marker can be reached from Bluff View Avenue, 0.1 miles north of East 2nd Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Bluff View Ave, Chattanooga TN 37403, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Site of Battery Smartt (a few steps from this marker); From Oblivion to Rebirth: Archaeological Research at the Bluff Furnace Site (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Beginnings of Iron Manufacture in Chattanooga (about 300 feet away); Innovation and Disaster (about 300 feet away); Bluff Furnace Historical Park (about 300 feet away); Bluff Furnace Historic Site (about 500 feet away); Headquarters Row (about 500 feet away); Ross's Landing: River Crossing and Port (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chattanooga.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 208 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2021, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.