By Ralphine Major

ralphine3@yahoo.com

I vaguely remember the site before the structure was built.  For years, the Old Knox County Courthouse at the corner of Gay Street and Main and the Old City Hall atop the hill at Henley Street and Summit Hill Drive had served area citizens.  In 1980, the new City-County Building brought a new look and a new location for Knox County and the City of Knoxville governments.

The long, horizontal style building overlooking the Tennessee River is positioned alongside and extends behind the Old Knox County Courthouse.  The City-County Building provides a central location for both city and county governments, including courtrooms, public meeting spaces, and various offices to serve the public’s needs.  The streamlined architectural style offers a more modern look, which is drastically different from the character of the two older brick buildings that had served citizens for so many years.  While the residents of Knoxville and Knox County often frequent the City-County Building for their business needs, it was one of the key downtown sites they were encouraged to visit during Knox County’s 1992 Bicentennial, called the Two Centuries Celebration.  It still serves residents today.  The City-County Building—bridging the old and the new—in the heart of downtown Knoxville.

Words of Faith: “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.” Joel 2:21 (KJV).