This was taken in 2010. The building has since been demolished.
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Milhorn Appliance
This is early work for me. It was done in 1975 and I was living, again, in the apartments upstairs. I’d lived there as a kid and lived there when I got out of service. This was the old Latimer Chevrolet building. At the time, the concrete ramp that allowed cars to be driven to the second floor was still there. I know that because I’d go down the back steps to the second floor, and cross over the ramp to a side door. I’d go out that door, climb down the ladder to the alley and head up to John Sevier Junior High (now the Renaissance Center). The apartments were put in after WWII and, according to the received story, were the first in Kingsport to have air conditioning units. This is located at 315 Cherokee Street. I don’t know who painted that sign, either.
The Indian
This used to be on Memorial Boulevard, roughly between 93 and Harbor Chapel Road, on the right as you’re ascending the hill. Later, it was Abe’s Pies (the pies were pretty good). I’ve heard that John Barker had a speaker in it connected to a microphone so he could surprise tourists (this was, after all, originally a tourist attraction). It’s now in pieces somewhere. I’ve also heard that, at one time, a fun-loving family of wasps built a nest under the loincloth, resulting in some startled expressions from people who happened to glance up ‘twixt the faux Native American’s legs.
Skateland
I never learned to skate. But this, I’m told, was a happenin’ place in its day.
Lovedale gas station
In 1959, this gas station, at 666 Sullivan Street, was Estep’s Gulf service station (I looked it up). I took the reference picture for this in the late 70s or so. Note the price of gas.
Further notes: Lovedale was an intermediate area as the business section of Kingsport moved gradually to its current location. At first, it was down on the river: Old Kingsport. After the Civil War had laid waste to this area, things moved a little to the east, to the intersection of the Bristol Highway (Bloomingdale Pike) and Scott County Road, which went up to Gate City. It was called Peltier then. Later, for reasons unknown to me, it became Lovedale. Slightly to the north, a wholesaler named Lynn maintained a farm. That came to be called Lynn’s Gardens.
The first airport in town was in Lovedale. Zoom, zoom.
Back of building on Charlemont Street
This is the backside of a building on Charlemont Street. The upper level was divided up into apartments. The ground level housed a variety of businesses over the years. The building was razed and the land is now part of a church’s parking lot.
Interesting doorway on Broad Street
This is in the 200 block of Broad Street. Built ten years after Kingsport was incorporated, again.
Former Kingsport Travel building
This triangular building was Kingsport Travel’s office for many years. It fronted on Charlemont Street, with the alley between it and what is now Able Printing (it used to be Able Cable Company). This building was lost in a land grab by a local church.
Central Barber Shop
This is how it looked in 1993.
Bob Lawrence's Kingsport 