Marble City Stories Presents: The Past and Present of the Century Building (Patreon Archive)

This article first appeared on the project's Patreon page on April 11, 2020.

Century Building, front facade. Knoxville, TN

It’s been six years since we first started seeing signs of life in the Century Building. Down the block from Mast General and across the street from Visit Knoxville, 312 S. Gay is an island in constant flux. For most residents, the only point of interaction they have with the structure is the decent taco shop on the ground floor. 

The Century Building was built around the mid-1800s, serving as a wholesale distributor for the area’s industrial and manufacturing businesses. Evidence of some unseen past is visible on the south façade, tracing lines of staircases and floors in the brickwork. Near the turn of the 20th century, a massive fire devastated the 300 and 400 blocks of Gay Street. Every building between the Tailor Lofts, now home to Blackhorse, to the Century Building was leveled. The Knox County Library’s McClung Collection has an excellent photobook detailing the damage, which is incredible to see. 

After the fire, the Century was repaired, and used by a variety of businesses through the 1980s, although it was allowed to decay like much of Knoxville’s downtown core through the suburbanization of the mid-century period. In the 80s, it was purchased by law firm Rowland and Rowland, the building’s owners and caretakers through 2006. The façade was restored early on, exposing original detailing and replacing broken terracotta accents. And that’s really where the building’s history ends; the Rowlands owned the building for 30 years, using only the bottom floors for their offices, and it decayed again. It wasn’t until the 2010s that we started to see another interest in redeveloping the site. 

Century Building, north elevation. Knoxville, TN

The recent history of the building starts with the development firm Henry & Wallace. If we knew then what we would come to discover later, we’d find the reports of this revitalization, and that of their other projects, were greatly exaggerated. Sometimes, we wonder why certain buildings downtown can struggle to find tenants, why plans and rumors never materialize. Why the Kress building has had a Wild Wing banner in its window for years. 

In the case of the Century Building, its stymied development is the responsibility of Henry & Wallace, which was something of a shell company for Brant Enderle and his wife, Amy. In 2014, they purchased the building. By 2016, the contractors hired to work on the Century Building had filed liens for lack of payment. Henry & Wallace kept the money, invested it elsewhere, bought Knoxville Center Mall, settled out of court. 

The same thing happened with the Kress Building, under the same developer. Today, the Kress building is owned by the owner of Wild Wing Café, rather than the Enderles, but it’s unclear how that development is progressing.

Century Building, ground floor detail. Knoxville, TN

You can read the whole story on Henry & Wallace on the late Knox Mercury. In 2018, the Enderles were found to owe more than $600,000 in back taxes on their properties, including the mall. There’s been little news about them since, but their website has been locked. It’s safe to assume that Henry & Wallace is no longer developing and may no longer exist at all. The Enderles bought the textile company Robert Allen last year and may have run it into the ground, so at least they’re finding something to do with their time. 

In the case of the Century Building, however, work has resumed under new actors. Oliver Smith Realty has placed the ground-floor unit adjacent to Chivo on the commercial property market, and residential units are being offered for sale by Gables & Gates realtor Heather Stiles. An elevator has been built on the side of the building for ADA compliance and ease of access, the former parking lot pit has been walled over and dug out, new windows have been installed, and floor plans exist for four properties within the building, all on the fifth floor. 

Century Building, top floor detail. Knoxville, TN

It appears that the troubled development may soon be coming to an end, at least for a time. I’ll be following up on this with the attached developers and agents next week to find out more about the future plans for this building, and who’s leading the charge this time. I think we’ve all been keeping our eye on this one for the past few years, and we’re all ready for it to once again become part of the city. Or at least stop being a construction site. 

Century Building, rear elevation. Knoxville, TN

Whatever the new developers are planning, it's clear from the state of the building that there is still considerable work to be done. It's a miracle this structure has stood for as long as it has, and a wonder that we don't consider it cursed considering its tragic and troubled history. Hopefully we'll find out more soon. 

As always, thank you for reading, and for your continued support. Tomorrow, we talk pies. Take care.