Tennessee Theatre - History

History

The Burwell Building was built in 1907. At a height of 166 feet (51 m), it was Knoxville's tallest building until 1912. The Tennessee Theater occupies an annex to the building that was added in 1928. In the 1790s, the lot now occupied by the Burwell Building was home to a two-story log structure where the classes of Blount College— the forerunner of the University of Tennessee— were first held.

The theatre first opened on October 1, 1928, and with nearly 2,000 seats in the auditorium, was billed as "Knoxville's Grand Entertainment Palace". Its interior was designed by Chicago architects Graven & Mayger in the Spanish-Moorish style, although the design incorporates elements from all parts of the world: Czechoslovakian crystals in the French-style chandeliers, Italian terrazzo flooring in the Grand Lobby, and Oriental influences in the carpet and drapery patterns. The theatre was one of the first public buildings in Knoxville to have air conditioning. The theatre also featured a beautiful Wurlitzer Organ.

During its heyday, the theatre played host to a few world movie premieres, including So This is Love (1953), and the adaptation of James Agee's All the Way Home (1963).

After a refurbishment in 1966, the theatre's seating capacity was lowered to 1,545.

The theater changed owners several times over its life, and eventually closed for the first time in 1977, and then was open and closed intermittently for the remainder of the late 1970s. The theatre was purchased by local radio company Dick Broadcasting in 1981, who started a renovation effort to prepare it for the 1982 World's Fair. On April 1, 1982, the theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Portions of the 1999 film October Sky were filmed in and around Knoxville, and the facade of the theatre can be seen during a scene in which the main characters go to the movies.

More recently, the theatre was the home for the Appalachian Ballet, the Knoxville Opera, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.