The First Horizon Pavilion, which has grown to become one of the flagship event spaces in the Scenic City, is not only home to the incredibly popular Chattanooga Market and many other gatherings, events, and festivals, but it also has a rich and elaborate history, originally serving as the home of the Ross-Meehan Foundry, which dates back to 1895.
The foundry, a major industrial facility, operated for almost an entire century before shutting down in 1985. The foundry was known mostly for serving the country, supplying tank turrets and other tank parts during World War II, among other commercial uses like iron castings, and industrial products typical for a foundry of that time.
When the foundry shut down, it proved to be a major eyesore for the city, and there were very serious talks about demolishing it during the development of Finley Stadium.
However, an article in The Chattanooga Times from 1996 entitled “Save a grand old Foundry” details the space as a potential hidden gem, with the author writing, “Ross-Meehan Foundry cloaks its secret grandeur in a mantle of ruin.” The author went on to write that “Ross-Meehan may not be a charming place to visit now, but with a little imagination and will, it can, and should become, an asset to make the city proud.”
Around this same time, Mayor Gene Roberts, along with many advocates, proposed a plan for preservation. However, Mayor Roberts was seemingly more focused on economic development to enhance the parking of Finley Stadium, and less on historical preservation.
Mayor Roberts initially moved forward with a plan that included demolition, though, through the encouragement and support of local preservation advocates, he ultimately agreed to its preservation, and, in 2003, the initial foundry structure was redeveloped into an open-air pavilion, with a design that intentionally preserved the historic industrial skeleton.
Today, the First Horizon Pavilion, which was originally named First Tennessee Pavilion, serves as a community and cultural hub for Chattanooga, hosting a variety of major community events, including the Chattanooga Market every Sunday from April to November.
The nearly 55,000-square-foot open-air event space is one of Chattanooga's most historic and frequented in the city. Events year-round range from 500 to 5,000 attendees, with the space hosting, in addition to the Chattanooga Market, the Chattanooga Marathon, the Four Bridges Arts Festival, Ice on the Landing, Chattanooga Oktoberfest, and multiple other markets, festivals, and events.
I was able to speak with Brian Wright, executive director of Finley Stadium, and Ryan Crimmins, a Finley board member, about the history of the Pavilion and the preservation of the space.
They both spoke to the preservation process of the space prior to its proposed demolition, with Wright highlighting some of the reasoning behind why the original space was there and how it has evolved.
“The Pavilion was saved without clear tenants or events that would be hosted there. Early articles envisioned tailgating, markets, festivals, carnivals, and an ice rink. What a good public assembly space does is create the space and means for entrepreneurs, local organizations, and entities to create events and activities that contribute to the local culture and economy.
Without this space, the Chattanooga Market and the hundreds of small businesses spurred from it may never have come to fruition. And the openness of the venue has allowed any event imaginable to be hosted here; in recent years, that includes pickleball, rodeos, ice rinks, car shows, and concerts.”
In studying the early visions of the space, Ryan Crimmins spoke to the design process the architect at the time used to save the foundry building, which proved to be wildly successful in the years to come.
“Architect Bill Wilkerson masterfully used the center line of the foundry to line up the center of the goal posts, providing a campus-wide uniformity. It turned out to be a great idea to save the foundry building, as many events include pre-game tail-gating and The Chattanooga Market calls First Horizon Pavilion home.”
Wright then discussed the impact that the Pavilion has had on the Southside, as well as how the Pavilion has exceeded the initial expectations for the price at which it was initially restored.
“What is amazing to me is the restoration was done at a cost of $700,000.00, and the reality is it has far exceeded even the best expectations in terms of use and impact on the community. It is activated for events 236 days a year and brings over 350,000 visitors to our campus annually.
The stadium and pavilion served as the original anchor of the Southside that has spurred a revitalization all along Main Street that continues today. The Chattanooga Market became a weekly staple in 2003 and has provided a space for entrepreneurs of all kinds to create and grow their businesses. Many of which grew beyond the Market into storefronts on the Southside, online retailers, and thriving small businesses.”
When asked about plans for the future of the space in the next 3-5 years, Wright mentioned that the goal now is to continue developing the space to serve the respective Westside and Southside communities.
“Now that we have a thriving weekend event business, our goal is to develop the space to serve our Westside and Southside neighbors' daily lives. Working closely with the City of Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors team, we are excited for the reopening of the park beyond the Pavilion to serve all residents and opportunities around the venue to develop for commercial, leisure, and recreational use.”
First Horizon Pavilion is not only a cherished event space that hosts countless community-oriented gatherings, festivals, and markets; it is also a beacon of hope for Chattanooga. It serves as a visual reminder of the city's industrial roots and a demonstration of the impact reinvention and preservation can have on a structure and how that preservation can spark change and community growth.