35.9594° N, 83.9204° W
Church Street United Methodist
Completed in 1931, Church Street United Methodist is one of the most distinctive and recognizable buildings in Knoxville.
Barber McMurry, with design consultant John Russell Pope Architects of New York, designed the intricately-detailed church — which was the home congregation of Barber McMurry founder Charles Barber.
The building is designed in the neo-Gothic Revival style, constructed of honey-colored Crab Orchard sandstone with a slate roof. The original sanctuary and church school wing are organized around a central arched courtyard. The massing, proportion and attention to detail in the design is carefully considered.
At the time of its completion, the asymmetrical spire in the southeast corner of the front tower was the cause of much discussion. When asked about its placement, Charles explained its importance in balance, aesthetic, architectural precedence, and feeling: "Gothic is an emotional expression, not a utilitarian one."
Reportedly, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed through Knoxville on his way to dedicate the Great Smoky Mountains National park in 1940, he remarked, “That is the most beautiful church I have ever seen.”
Since 1931, Barber McMurry has designed additions and renovations to the church.
Much was expected of the edifice from the very start. It was known that Charles I. Barber of Barber & McMurry, architects, had a special interest and opportunity in this building to exhibit his architectural talent and he had the advice of one of the foremost architects in the nation, John Russell Pope, as consultant. Since the building really began taking form, public interest has grown and the beautiful stone cathedral sitting high on its site across the sweep of Henley Street is a daily object of admiration and curiosity.
Client: Church Street United Methodist Church
Completion Date: 1931
Type: New Construction
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Service: Architecture, Interior Design
Recognition
- 2007 AIA East Tennessee - Top 15 Buildings of the Past 150 Years
