Southside Historic District in Chattanooga in Hamilton County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Crane Building
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 16, 2021
1. Crane Building Marker
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1879.
Location. 35° 2.397′ N, 85° 18.762′ W. Marker is in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in Hamilton County. It is in the Southside Historic District. Marker is on Chestnut Street north of West 14th Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1317 Chestnut St, Chattanooga TN 37402, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A point in the 2D Line of Works (within shouting distance of this marker); Chattanooga Plow Power House (approx. ¼ mile away); The Chattanooga Brush Electric Light Company (approx. ¼ mile away); Military History of Chattanooga (approx. 0.3 miles away); Old Post Office (approx. 0.4 miles away); Terminal Station (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel (approx. 0.4 miles away); A Point in the 2d Line of Works (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chattanooga.
Regarding Crane Building. Excerpt from the National Register nomination:
…This particular building was part of a complex owned by the Cahill Iron Works. The iron industry, together with the railroads, was a major factor in Chattanooga's growth as an industrial center. … The Cahill Iron Works were started in 1875; in 1879 they expanded with John Cahill's purchase of a lot at the corner of Boyce and Hooke (now Chestnut and 13th St.) from Colonel A.M. Johnson. They started out making store and house fronts (The "Glass Building," formerly at 8th and Broad, one of Chattanooga's first cast iron buildings, was produced at the Cahill Works), then moved into marbelized mantles. Shortly before his death in 1889, Cahill had sold an interest to Frank H. Caldwell. The Chattanooga Evening News boasted in 1889, that "the sun never sets on Cahill Mantles. They are sold in every state and country almost on the globe." Caldwell ran the company until his retirement in 1922, when he sold it to the Crane Company of Chicago.
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The Cahill Iron Works was combined with the Mutual Enameling Company of Chattanooga (which was purchased at the same time) to form the Crane Enamelware Company. This new company used the 1317 Chestnut Street property as a warehouse and plumbing supply company. (It appears in the City Directories as the Crane Company wholesale plumbing supplies.) In the 1920's, the Crane subsidiary in Chattanooga produced all the company's bathtubs. The localplants have been expanded many times since then, and the Crane Company is still a major local industry. As the company grew, however, they moved out of the Chestnut Street area and expanded instead in Alton Park, tearing down most of the Cahill Iron Works properties on the east side of Chestnut, and apparently using 1317 for storage …Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 16, 20212. Crane Building Marker
Also see . . .
1. History | Coker Tire Chattanooga. History of the tire manufacturer, whose antique tire division now occupies the Crane Building as well as several other buildings nearby. (Submitted on October 17, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Tennessee SP Crane Building (PDF). National Register nomination submitted in 1983 for the property. (Submitted on October 17, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 16, 2021
3. The Crane Building
The building is now headquarters for Coker Tire's antique tire division, which produces new tires, wheels and accessories for vintage and antique vehicles. It also houses a special-events venue and a museum showcasing a collection of more than 100 vintage cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses, as well as three airplanes.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 17, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 195 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 17, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
