SoldiersAndSailorsMemorialAuditoriuminChattanooga

Reuben Harrison Hunt (February 2, 1862 – May 28, 1937), also known as R. H. Hunt, was an American

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

who spent most of his life in

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

. He is considered to have been one of the city's most significant early architects. He also designed major public building projects in other states. He was a principal of the R.H. Hunt and Co. firm. He came to Chattanooga in 1882 and within four years had established a successful architectural firm. Hunt designed a number of Chattanooga's homes and public buildings, including the

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium is a historic performance hall in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Built between 1922 and 1924 by John Parks (John Parks Company, General Contractors) at a cost of $700,000 and designed by noted architect R. H ...

(1922), the Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse (1934) with

Shreve, Lamb and Harmon Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon, founded as Shreve & Lamb, was an architect, architectural firm, best known for designing the Empire State Building, the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion in 1931. History The firm was founded in ...

, the

Hamilton County, Tennessee Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the southern part of East Tennessee on the border with Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 366,207, making it the fourth-most populous county i ...

Courthouse (1912), the James (1907) and Maclellan (1924) buildings, the Carnegie Library (1905) and the St. John's Hotel (1915). Hunt also designed churches throughout the South. This included well-known Chattanooga churches such as Second Presbyterian Church and First Baptist Church, as well as

The Tabernacle The Tabernacle is a mid-size concert hall located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Opening in 1911 as a church, the building was converted into a music venue in 1996. It is owned and managed by concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment and has a c ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. Numerous works by Hunt are preserved and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, 21 of which are covered in one 1979 survey study. The U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Chattanooga, Tennessee, built 1932–1933, was Hunt's last major work. Hunt designed every major public building constructed in Chattanooga between 1895 and 1935. He was also the architect of local churches, hospitals, and private office buildings, as well as similar public and private buildings throughout the South. In 1938 the Chattanooga building was recognized by the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

as one of the 150 finest buildings constructed in the previous twenty years in the United States, and it was featured in an AIA photographic exhibit in America and Europe.

Works

Projects credited to Hunt or his firm include (with attribution): *

Alexandria Hall-Louisiana College Alexandria Hall-Louisiana College is a Classical Revival structure built in 1920, located in Pineville, Louisiana. Alexandria Hall was named to honor the people of Alexandria, Louisiana. Alexandria Hall was added to the National Register of Hist ...

, Louisiana College, Pineville, LA (Hunt, R.H., Co.) NRHP-listed *

Austin Avenue Methodist Episcopal South Church Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city i ...

, 1300 Austin Ave, Waco, TX (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed *

Brainerd Junior High Brainerd may refer to: Place names in the United States * Brainerd, a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois ** Brainerd station, a train station in Chicago * Brainerd, Kansas, an unincorporated community * Brainerd, Minnesota, a city ** Brainerd Inte ...

, 4201 Cherryton Dr., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed *Courthouse in

Cadiz Downtown Historic District The Cadiz Downtown Historic District, in Cadiz, Kentucky, is a historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. It includes Main Street from Scott Street to Franklin Street. It included 16 contributing bu ...

, Cadiz, KY (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed * Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church Street, Asheville, NC (Hunt, Reuben H.) * Central United Methodist Church, 201 E. Third Ave., Knoxville, TN (Hunt, R.H. and Co.) NRHP-listed *

Chattanooga Bank Building Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

, 8th St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed *

Chattanooga Car Barns The Chattanooga Car Barns is a three-building complex located at 301 Market St. in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was built in 1887 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the ...

, 301 Market St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed *

Chattanooga Electric Railway Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

, 211-241 Market St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed *Court Street Baptist Church, Portsmouth, VA. * Elbert County Courthouse, Courthouse Sq., Elberton, GA (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed *Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, 1135 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV (Hunt, R. H.) *First Baptist Church, 2201 6th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL (Hunt, R.H.) destroyed *First Baptist Church, Durham, NC (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) * First Baptist Church, 538 Linden Ave., Memphis, TN (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed * First Baptist Church, 418 E. Bute St., Norfolk, VA (Hunt, Reuben H.) NRHP-listed * First Baptist Church, 119 29th St., Newport News, VA NRHP-listed *

First Baptist Church Education Building First Baptist Church Education Building is a historic building at 317 Oak Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was built in 1928 to serve the congregation of the adjacent First Baptist Church, which had been built in 1886. Both buildings were d ...

, 317 Oak St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed *

First Methodist Church of Greenwood First Methodist Church of Greenwood is a historic church at 310 W. Washington Street in Greenwood, Mississippi. The Romanesque style building was constructed in 1898 and added to the National Register of Historic Places The National Reg ...

, 310 W. Washington St., Greenwood, MS (Hunt, Reuben Harris) NRHP-listed * First Presbyterian Church, AR 79B, Fordyce, AR (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed * First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main, El Dorado, AR (Hunt, R. H., & Associates) NRHP-listed *First United Methodist Church, 309 Church St. NW, Lenoir, NC, *First United Methodist Church of Ensley, 1921 Avenue G, Birmingham, AL (Hunt, R. H.) *

Fountain Square A fountain square is a park or plaza in a city that features a fountain. It may stand alone or as part of a larger public park. In the United States, there are numerous fountain squares, many of which are actually called "fountain square." Ther ...

, 600–622 Georgia Ave. and 317 Oak St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed * Grove, E. W. Henry County High School, Grove Blvd., Paris, TN (Hunt, R. H.) NRHP-listed * Hamilton County Courthouse, W. 6th St. and Georgia Ave., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed * Henderson Hall, Tennessee Technological University, Dixie Ave., Cookeville, TN (Hunt, Reuben H.,& Co.) * Henry County Courthouse, Court Square, Paris, TN (1896) *

Highland Park Methodist Episcopal Church Asbury United Methodist Church, originally Highland Park Methodist Episcopal Church, is a historic church on Bailey Avenue in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The congregation was organized in 1889 as the Highland Park Methodist Episcopal Church. The co ...

, Bailey Ave., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed * James Building, 735 Broad St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Rueben Harrison) NRHP-listed * Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse (Hunt, R.H.,

) (1934) *

Kimsey Junior College Located in Ducktown, Tennessee, Kimsey Junior College was originally constructed in 1933 by the Fourth Fractional Township with the intention of serving as a junior college for the region. The building is named for one of the commissioners of th ...

, 244 TN 68, Ducktown, TN (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed *

Lander College Old Main Building Lander College Old Main Building is a historic academic building located on the campus of Lander University at Greenwood, Greenwood County, South Carolina. It is a large masonry building, composed of three distinct sections with a blending of elem ...

, Stanley Ave. and Lander St., Greenwood, SC (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed * Lawrence County Courthouse, N. side Broad St. between Jefferson and Washington Sts., Monticello, MS (Hunt, Reuben) NRHP-listed *Lenoir Presbyterian Church, 1002 Kirkwood St., Lenoir, NC (Hunt, R. H.) * Lookout Mountain Hotel (1927), now Carter Hall on

Covenant College Covenant College is a private, liberal arts, Christian college in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, located near Chattanooga, Tennessee. As the college of the Presbyterian Church in America, Covenant teaches subjects from a Reformed theological wor ...

campus. NRHP-listed in 2019. *

Maclellan Building MacLellan or McLellan may refer to: People *MacLellan (surname) * Clan MacLellan Places * McLellan Galleries, exhibition space in the city of Glasgow, Scotland * McLellan Stores, twentieth century chain of five and dime stores in the United St ...

, 721 Broad St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed *

McFarlin Memorial Auditorium McFarlin Memorial Auditorium is a proscenium style theatre located on the campus of Southern Methodist University. The venue seats 2,386 on three levels. The building is the third oldest on SMU's campus and has hosted a number of notable acts. H ...

, 6405 Hillcrest Rd., Dallas, TX (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed *

Medical Arts Building (Chattanooga, Tennessee) Medical Arts Building may refer to: Canada * Medical Arts Building (Montreal) United States (by state then city/town) * Medical Arts Building (Hot Springs, Arkansas), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) * Medical Arts Buildin ...

, McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed *

Miller Brothers Department Store A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents ...

, 629 Market St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben H.) NRHP-listed *

Montgomery Hall Montgomery refers to: People For people with the name Montgomery, see Montgomery (name) Places Belgium * Montgomery Square, Brussels * Montgomery metro station, Brussels Pakistan * Montgomery (town), British India, former name of Sahiwal, Punjab ...

, Mississippi State University campus, Starkville, MS (Hunt, R.H.) NRHP-listed *

Municipal Building Municipal Building may refer to the following places: United States Arkansas *Crossett Municipal Building, Crossett, AR, List of RHPs in AR, listed on the NRHP in Arkansas *Municipal Building (El Dorado, Arkansas), El Dorado, AR, List of RHPs in A ...

, E. 11th St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed * Nathan L. Bachman School, 281 Anderson Pike, Walden, TN (Hunt, R.H. & Co.) NRHP-listed *North Alexander School, North Alexander Avenue, Washington, GA 30673 *

Northside Presbyterian Church Northside Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church at 923 Mississippi Avenue in Chattanooga, Tennessee, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA. The congregation was founded in 1886, and its first building was completed in 1888 ...

, 923 Mississippi Ave., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed, the one known Greek Revival work by Hunt in Hamilton County * Old Library Building, 200 E. 8th St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed * Polk County Courthouse, Bounded by US 411 and Ward, Commerce and Main Sts., Benton, TN (Hunt, R.H. & Co. et al.) NRHP-listed * Polk Street Methodist Church, 1401 S. Polk St., Amarillo, TX (Hunt, R.H., Co.) NRHP-listed * Second Presbyterian Church, 700 Pine St. Chattanooga TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed *

, McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed (1922) *

Southside Baptist Church Southside or South Side may refer to: Places Australia * Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region Canada * South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of New ...

, 1016 19th St. South, Birmingham, AL (Hunt, R.H.) *Third Baptist Church, 527 Allen St., Owensboro, KY (Hunt, R.H.) 1896 * Tivoli Theater, 709 Broad St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed * Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, McCallie Ave. Chattanooga TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed * Frances Willard House, 615 Lindsay St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed * University Baptist Church, 102 S. Columbia St., Chapel Hill, NC (Hunt, Reuben H.) *

Wisteria Hotel ''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae), that includes ten species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and north o ...

, Central Ave., Winona, MS (Hunt, R.H. & Co.) NRHP-listed * Wyatt Hall, 865 E. Third St., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben H.) NRHP-listed *One or more works in

Missionary Ridge Historic District A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

, N. and S. Crest Rd. from Delong Reservation to 700 S. Crest Rd., Chattanooga, TN (Hunt, Reuben Harrison) NRHP-listed *One or more works in Paris Commercial Historic District, Along sections of E. and W. Wood, W. Washington, N. and S. Poplar, N. and S. Market, Fentress and W. Blythe Sts., Paris, TN (Hunt, Rueben H.) NRHP-listed *One or more works in South Main Street Historic District, 200–422 S. Main St., Pikeville, TN (Hunt, R. H.) NRHP-listed *One or more works in

Winona Commercial Historic District The Winona Commercial Historic District comprises six downtown blocks along 3rd Street in Winona, Minnesota, United States. It comprises 65 contributing properties mostly built in the 1880s and 1890s. The district was listed on the National ...

, Roughly bounded by Magnolia St., Central Ave., Carrollton St. and Sterling Ave., Winona, MS (Hunt, R. H.) NRHP-listed

References

External links

Cornerstones, Inc.R.H. Hunt's buildings
at

Emporis Emporis GmbH was a real estate data mining company that was headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The company collected data and photographs of buildings worldwide, which were published in an online database from 2000 to September 2022. On 12 Sept ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, R. H. 1862 births 1937 deaths Architects from Tennessee People from Chattanooga, Tennessee People from Elbert County, Georgia Architects from Georgia (U.S. state) National Sculpture Society members