Alexander Inn on endangered places list again

The Alexander Inn in Oak Ridge has again been named an endangered place in East Tennessee.

The vacant, two-story hotel was included on a list of 17 endangered places released by the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance on Monday. The Alexander Inn, which could soon be converted into an assisted living center, has been on the list in previous years as well.

Announced Monday in Knoxville, the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance’s list includes endangered historic buildings and places in a 16-county region.

ETPA and the organization’s Ethiel Garlington have played a key role in the project to convert the Alexander Inn into an assisted living center.

Originally known as The Guest House, the Alexander Inn was built in Oak Ridge in 1943, during World War II. The wood-framed building served as guest quarters during the top-secret Manhattan Project, and a number of dignitaries stayed there, including Enrico Fermi, Robert Oppenheimer, and Gen. Leslie Groves.

In 1949, a 44-room addition was completed to accommodate the expanding Oak Ridge community and in September 1950, the name changed to the Alexander Inn. It was sold to a private owner in 1958, a press release said.

“For a number of years, it remained in private ownership and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places,” the release said. “Despite its listing, its condition deteriorated and soon it was in serious disrepair.”

The press release said ETPA worked diligently with the City of Oak Ridge and the U.S. Department of Energy to secure a grant to purchase and stabilize the historic Alexander Inn as part of the mitigation for the demolition of the East Tennessee Technology Park, which has historically been known as K-25. ETPA is working with a local company, Family Pride, that intends to purchase and redevelop the building for assisted living facility.

“The restored property will not only better serve the community by contributing higher, local property taxes, but it will also retain its legacy as one of the most significant, privately owned buildings in Oak Ridge,” the press release said. “Unfortunately, until the transaction is complete, the Alexander Inn’s future remains undetermined. ETPA hopes to close on the property in the near future and work will begin at the site soon thereafter.”

The Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board has endorsed, and the Oak Ridge City Council has approved, a 90 percent, 10-year tax break for the project to convert the hotel. The tax break will be used to build a new road for cars that now drive through the three-acre site, move a storm sewer under the two-story building, and help remove asbestos, among other things.

The project is scheduled to be discussed during an IDB meeting at 4 p.m. today in the Municipal Building Training Room.

ETPA said it works with community leaders, organizations, and businesses across the region to find preservation solutions for the endangered properties identified for the annual list and encourage the communities across the region to join in efforts to save our endangered heritage.

“This marks the fourth list of endangered historic places selected by the ETPA board of directors from nominations received from members and the general public,” the press release said. “Preservation strategies are developed for each site on the list and can include working with current property owners, government officials, citizens and/or potential new owners to preserve these important parts of East Tennessee’s heritage. In some cases, ETPA will organize volunteer work days to help stabilize and protect sites.”

The East Tennessee Preservation Alliance works to protect places and structures with historic or cultural significance in Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union counties. It is governed by a board of directors with representatives from across the region.

Other buildings and places on the list released Monday are:

• Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg,
  
• Former Tennessee Military Institute in Sweetwater,
• Stonecipher-Kelly-McCartt House in Morgan County,
• Old Post Office in LaFollette,
• The Tanner Cultural Center in Newport,
• Abandoned Rural Schoolhouses in Grainger County,
• Rural Mount in Hamblen County,
• Morristown College in MorristownHistoric Dandridge School in Dandridge,
• Quaker Valley in New Market,
• Central Business District of Lenoir City,
• Old Monroe Health Department/Legion Hall in Madisonville,
• Brushy Mountain State Correctional Complex in Morgan County,
• Neglected cemeteries across the entire region,
• New Salem Baptist Church in Sevierville, and
• Oak Grove School in Sharps Chapel.

To get involved with ETPA’s advocacy efforts, call (865) 523-8008.