This State Street building (circa 1898) was built in the Vernacular Commercial style and was originally housed a clothing factory. It was constructed by Knoxville’s first African American philanthropist and is a rare example of a large commercial structure built by a former slave. Cal Johnson also served as a city alderman during his extensive career, which included the operation of several area saloons and one of Knoxville’s most popular and durable horse racing tracks. It could be a featured site in efforts to encourage heritage tourism related to Knox County’s African American residents and their ancestors.
The building is threatened by long term, ongoing deterioration and a lack of maintenance. Knox Heritage seeks to work with the property owner to make necessary repairs and capitalize on the current level of downtown redevelopment to spur the reuse of this important structure before it is too late.