COALMONT LIBRARY

GRUNDY COUNTY, TENNESSEE

HERITAGE DEVELOPMENT REPORT

DECEMBER 2018

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CONTENTS

Project Origins 3

Why the Coalmont Library Building Matters 4

Architectural Description 14

Preservation Needs Assessment 20

Preservation and Maintenance Suggestions 34

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation 36

Potential Funding Sources and Potential Partners 37

Report prepared by students in Historic Preservation Seminar Fall 2018:

Jordan Alexander

Colbi Hogan

Ethan Holden

Nilo Ordonez

Savannah Grandey, CHP fieldwork coordinator

Dr. Carroll Van West, director

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PROJECT ORIGINS

In May 2018, Jill Rael contacted the Center for Historic Preservation regarding the repair and preservation of the National Register-listed Coalmont Library Building in Grundy County, Tennessee. Rael also involved Jim Gass, an AmeriCorp VISTA volunteer in the Grundy County mayor’s office interested in the preservation of the building. On September 7, 2018, Dr. Carroll Van West, fieldwork coordinator Savannah Grandey, and graduate assistants Colbi Hogan and Ethan Holden met with Jill Rael, Jim Gass, Fran Adams of the Coalmont Library, and Melissa Mortimer of the Southeast Tennessee Development District at the building to assess the building and discuss issues and goals. After the meeting, the CHP team envisioned developing a document that would help the community and local officials convey the significance of the building in the pursuit of funds, identify preservation issues, and offer funding suggestions. In October 2018, Dr. West took students in his historic preservation class, Jordan Alexander, Colbi Hogan, and Nilo Ordonez, to the property to assess the building more fully in preparation for writing the following report.

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HISTORY: WHY THE COALMONT LIBRARY BUILDING MATTERS Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Coalmont Library Building, known historically as the Sewanee Fuel & Iron Company Building and the Coalmont Bank Building, has been a Grundy County Landmark for almost 100 years. The National Register nomination in its original historical statement recorded that the local bank, the Coalmont Savings Bank, used the building from 1921 to 1975 until it merged with the First Bank of Marion County. As the latter institution, it operated in town as the only bank until 1988. The nomination noted that the bank was a financial hub for the area and was “the best surviving example of early commercial architecture in Coalmont.” The nomination also recorded the plans to use the building as a local library, a function it still meets today.

The history of the building, however, is much deeper and more important than what is covered in the National Register nomination. The building is rare survivor of the decades when coal production was king in Grundy County and when outside investors, such as the Sewanee Fuel and Iron Company, dominated almost every facet of life in the southern Cumberlands. The southern Appalachian region was marked by the presence and heavy influence of coal mining from the early 1900s to the late 1940s.1 The numerous streams, tributaries, waterways, and forest resources were great locations for establishing coal mines and coke ovens in the region.2 Moreover, the emergence of the railroad in Grundy County in the late 1850s, signified the beginning of the coalmining industry.3 When the Sewanee Fuel and Iron Company established Coalmont, originally called Coaldale, in approximately 1903 or 1904, the company established a new railroad line from the community to the mines.4 The railroad also served as a lifeline between the small mining communities, such as Coalmont, to main line connections at Tracy City and then onto larger industrial cities, such as Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta.5

1 Outline of Grundy County, Tennessee. Topographical map provided by ArcGIS. The blue marker on the landscape denotes the location of Coalmont, Tennessee. https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/print.html (accessed November 5, 2018). See the following page for the map.

2 Ibid. 3 Stager, National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form, Historic Resources of Grundy

County, “Section 7, Description,” 2.

4 Stager, National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form, Historic Resources of Grundy County, “Section 7, Description,” 2, 5.

5 Stager, National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form, Historic Resources of Grundy County, “Section 7, Description,” 2, 5; William Ray Turner, “Grundy County,” Tennessee Encyclopedia, March 1, 2018, http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/grundy-county/ (accessed November 8, 2018).

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In 1900, E.L. Hampton, F.B. Martin, and C. Hindenburg co-founded the Sewanee Coal and Coke Company (SC&C).6 Three years later, the co–owners, renamed their business Sewanee Coal, Coke, and Land Company (SCC&L), and established plans to build coal mines in a new town, which they named Coal Dale.7 The founders made this strategic move because the workers had exhausted the resources in mines, such as Old Wooten No. 1, and wanted to establish new shafts.8 The company’s labor contractors hired African American men to lay railroad tracks from the mines into the town, which the citizens renamed Coalmont in July 1903.9 Moreover, James L. Nicholson, author of the Tennessee County History Series: Grundy County, observed that “these laborers, along with their ‘camp followers’ [most likely their families], lived in camps set up along the [railroad] route.”10 In 1903, the co–founders also built a post office, possibly with African American labor.11 The construction workers completed laying the railroad in March 1904.12 However, the business initially struggled because some of the male residents were unwilling to work in the mines and coke ovens.13

6 Stager, National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form, Historic Resources of Grundy

County, “Section 8. Significance,” 8.

7 Ibid.

8 James L. Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County History Series: Grundy County, Robert E. Corlew, ed. (Memphis: Memphis State University Press, 1982), 93–94.

9 Ibid., 94.

10 Ibid.

11 Ibid.

12 Ibid.

13 Ibid.

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Figure 1. Postcard of Tipple at Sewanee Mine - Coalmont on the Cumberland Plateau - Grundy County, Tennessee, 1906. Photograph. Uploaded March 7, 2015. Fine Art America. Courtesy of Cody Cookston. In September 1908, the owners of the Sewanee Fuel and Iron Company (SF&I) purchased the shares of Sewanee Coal, Coke, and Land Company (SCC&L) and built coke ovens in the area.14 The facility produced great quantities of coal and coke for many years. Moreover, the company’s officials invested locally and controlled several local offices to create more opportunity. For example, John Evander Patton, the company president, also served as the town’s first postmaster. Patton was also a director of Coalmont Savings Bank, from 1908 until 1948.15 Arthur R. Curtis later “served tenures both as cashier of the bank and postmaster.”16 The center for both the bank and the postmaster was the Craftsman-styled two-story brick building that is the subject of this report. The Coalmont Savings Bank, which was founded on April 12, 1921, “with assets totaling a mere $25,543,” brought much needed stability to the mining community, in addition to Grundy County. Even as the coal and coke business diminished and then disappeared, the bank “enjoyed a steady growth

14 Stager, National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form, Historic Resources of Grundy

County, “Section 8. Significance,” 9; Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County History Series, 94–95; Turner, “Grundy County,” Tennessee Encyclopedia (accessed November 8, 2018).

15 Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County

History Series, 94–95; Stager, National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form, Historic Resources of Grundy County, “Section 8. Significance,” 9.

16 Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County History Series, 95.

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since World War II” and was the longest continually operating business in Coalmont (1921–1988).”17 The second floor of the building housed the company’s administrative offices, several vaults, and a boardroom.18 Although the Great Depression left the townspeople bereft of a major source of income, Nicholson commented that, “Mr. Curtis is given much of the credit for enabling the bank to weather the Depression, the deepest trough of which was experienced locally in the years 1930–1935.”19 Coal production during World War II briefly brought new levels of prosperity, although not as rich as previous years.20 The mines ultimately closed in the late 1940s as the demand for coal decreased.21 Similarly, the increase of mechanical coalmining operations in the postwar years led to the loss of miners’ jobs as various companies sought to maximize their profits for the lowest labor costs.22

17 Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County

History Series, 95; Karen L. Daniels, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form – Coalmont Bank Building (Chattanooga: Southeast Tennessee Development District, August 3, 1990), “Section 8. Significance,” 1.

18 Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County History Series, 95; Daniels, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form – Coalmont Bank Building, “Section 8. Significance,” 1.

19 Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County History Series, 95–96.

20 Stager, National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form, Historic Resources of Grundy

County, “Section 8. Significance,” 9–11.

21 Ibid., 11.

22 Ronald L. Lewis, Black Coal Miners: Race, Class, and Community Conflict (Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 2009), 167–172. Both African American and Caucasian American coal miners lost their jobs due to the increase in mechanized mining. However, black miners had disproportionately higher unemployment rates due to racism and the inability to wage strike for better wages, working conditions, as well as opportunities to operate the coal reaping machines.

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Figure 2. Coalmont coke ovens and yard in Grundy County, Tennessee. Source: Tennessee Division of Mines Annual Report 1928, courtesy of the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Cited in James B. Jones, Jr., “Coalmining in the Cumberland Plateau, 1880–1930,” Tennessee Historical Commission, September 30, 2008, National Park Service.

Historic photograph of the Sewanee Fuel and Iron Company's coke ovens and yard in Grundy County. Source: Tennessee Division of Mines Annual Report 1928, courtesy of the Tennessee State Library Archives.

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Figure 3. Miner dumping coal from a coal car into the coal chute at the end of the tipple, Coalmont. The tipping device was called a tip-horn. 1940s. Courtesy of Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Figure 4. Coal car on its way to the coal tipple (structure to load coal on train cars), Coalmont, 1940s. Courtesy of Tennessee State Library and Archives.

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Figure 5. Tom and Leck Hobbs at the entrance to a coal mine, Coalmont. One has a shovel in his hand. They have carbide lamps on their hats. The other miner has a breast auger and tamping rod. No date. Courtesy of Tennessee State Library and Archives. The coal mines hired both white and black miners and, following the legal dictates of the Jim Crow era, the company kept the two races separate outside of the mines. The company located approximately twelve homes in the “Negro Quarters” of Coalmont.23 Between 20 to 25 African American men “provided much of the labor” in the coke ovens, and possibly the mines.24 The black coalminers’ families also lived in the “Negro Quarters,” which included a building that dually served as a church and school.25 Today there are few, if any, descendants of these black miners living in Coalmont and their contribution to the mining operation has been forgotten. Who were some of these forgotten coal miners? A 1910 U.S. federal census listed John W. Shaw, a thirty–year old, African American man, as a laborer in the coke ovens at Coalmont. He and his wife, Manny, were both literate. She possibly worked as a homemaker. Shaw worked with other African American laborers, such as Authur Thompson, Joe Green, Dug Hampton, Harry Springs, Horace Guinn, Jess Woodley, Henry Duncan, William Stubblefield, Earnest Patton, Finas Hamilton, and Charles

23 Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County History Series, 95.

24 Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County History Series, 95.

25 Ibid.

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Ganis, in the coke ovens. Most of the aforementioned men were married, literate, and had families. They all rented homes at Coalmont while working in the coke ovens.26

Figure 6. 1910 U.S. Census Records for African American laborers employed by Coalmont Fuel and Iron Company, Coalmont, Grundy County, Tennessee.

Jim Crow boundaries, however, did not keep violence between the races from happening. An incident between black and white coal miners at the company’s commissary led to the death of a black man near the town church, St. Alban’s Chapel.27 As a result, the African American community, fearing more violence and reprisals, abandoned the “Negro Quarters” and Coalmont in the 1920s, according to the recollection of older residents.28 Although the company president, John E. Patton, likely needed African Americans’ labor in the coal mines and coke ovens, the biographical notes demonstrated his unwillingness or hesitancy to upset the racial hierarchy.29 Labor

26 John G. Haynes, enumerator, Coalmont, Grundy County, Tennessee, Thirteenth Census of the United States: May 5, 1910.

27 Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County History Series, 95.

28 Ibid.

29 Elizabeth A. Straw, “Biographical Notes on John Evander Patton,” 3.

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and race historian Ronald L. Lewis, author of Black Coal Miners: Race, Class, and Community Conflict, noted that in central Appalachia “although racist attitudes were prevalent among white employers and white workers, …the severe labor shortage in an expanding industrial labor market eliminated the most blatant forms of racial discrimination.”30 Such was not the case in southern Appalachia and the coal mines at Coalmont. Once the racial violence took place, African Americans never returned despite of the demand for heavy labor. Due to a lack of surviving company records, it is difficult to identify the names of the coal miners, regardless of ethnicity, until you turn to federal census records. According to 1940 federal census records, for example, Jim Parmby was a 39-year old, married man who lived with his family in Coalmont. Their home cost three hundred dollars. As a coalminer, Parmby earned two hundred dollars a month. Similarly, census records indicate that Clarence Sloasy, a coal miner, and his family rented their home for three dollars per month, and he earned one hundred seventy–five dollars a month.31 Sloasy’s 21-year old son, Howard, had been recently hired to work in the mines. Albert Ross, a married, 35-year old miner, with five children, rented a dwelling in Coalmont for seven dollars a month. His 67-year old father John, who was also a coalminer, lived with the family.32 Census records and biographical notes on John Evander Patton present a much more detailed story of the officers who administered Coalmont Fuel and Iron Company. According to George E. Sylvester’s 1911 work, “The Twenty–first Annual Report of the Mining Department,” J.E. Patton, the company president, and H.S. Walden, the superintendent, oversaw the Grundy County and Coalmont mining operations. Similarly, J.S. Brown and J.M. Sehorn were inside foremen for the Grundy County and Coalmont Mines, respectively.33 Another company officer tied closely to the Coalmont Bank Building was Arthur Curtis, the postmaster and cashier for the bank, who earned $1,380 per year. He and his family, which included his wife, and seven children, rented a home for fifteen dollars a month. His son, Johnny, employed as a timekeeper for the mines, earned two hundred fifty dollars per month. Although the miners, company president, and other administrators have long passed away, their dwellings, the mines, and the Coalmont Savings Bank, especially the numerous iron vaults throughout the bank, serve as

30 Lewis, Black Coal Miners, 144.

31 John A. Anderson, enumerator, Coalmont, Grundy County, Tennessee, Sixteenth Census of the United States: April 20, 1940.

32 John A. Anderson, enumerator, Coalmont, Grundy County, Tennessee, Sixteenth Census of the United States: April 22, 1940.

33 George E. Sylvester, “The Twenty–first Annual Report of the Mining Department,” (1911), 108, cited in Elizabeth A. Straw, (Nashville: Tennessee Historical Commission) “Biographical Notes on John Evander Patton,” 2, no date.

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evidence of the mining industry’s indelible impact on the historic, southern Appalachian landscape.34

34 Nicholson, “Coalmont,” under “Twentieth Century Mining Towns (1904–1917),” in Tennessee County History Series, 95; Daniels, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form – Coalmont Bank Building, “Section 8. Significance,” 1.

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ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION

Figure 7. East elevation of building

EXTERIOR

The Coalmont Library Building is a two-story, brick Craftsman style building located on State Highway 56 and Heidenburg Street in Coalmont, Tennessee. The west (rear) elevation of the building is visible from Tennessee Highway 56, but the east façade faces one of the town’s historic roads, Heidenburg Street, as well as the local post office. The building is situated on a small, manicured yard with parking available at the front entrance.

The exterior has had few alterations since its restoration as a community library in 1991. Bricks used in the construction of the building alternate between varying shades of red and blue to create diagonal patterns on the façade. The building rests on a concrete foundation with a basement, which is accessible from the south elevation. The hipped roof was covered with asphalt shingles, 1991, which replaced an original tile roof. Overhanging eaves project outward from the building and are studded with sawn wood dentils and brackets on all four sides.

The east façade is organized around a pair of central single-pane windows with 15 over 5-tile transoms, flanked by first floor corniced doors. The eastern entrance has a poured concrete ramp with an iron railing, c. 1991, leading up to the doorway, and the western

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entrance features limestone steps which terminate about a foot below door level. The second story has three arched 6-over-1windows flanked by eight-light casement windows with individual limestone sills.

Figure 8. North elevation of building

The north elevation has experienced the most alterations of the exterior. This side once provided separate access to city hall and to the financial offices of the bank. The elevation is arranged around two three-light transomed doors, with the western door blocked off with a plywood board. On the east side of the doors there is a single 6-over-one double-hung window and paired double-hung windows; on the west side of the doors bricks, added at an unknown date, now cover the original window bay. The second story features symmetrically arranged sets of three 6-over-1 double-hung windows, with individual limestone sills. On the roof are three dormer windows with attic vents, and white gutters extend from the roofline down to the stuccoed water table on the far eastern and western sides of the north elevation.

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Figure 9. West and south elevations of building

The west elevation once provided access for the police department. Its asymmetrical first story has a single transomed door, with storm door, at the northern corner, with three windows to the west: a boarded-up single-hung, 1-over-1 window, a small 2-over-2 window, and another single-hung, 1-over-1 window. Two sets of symmetrical paired 6-over-1 windows with individual limestone sills are on the second story.

The south elevation has five symmetrical bays of 6-over-1 double-hung sash windows. A chain link fence provides access to the basement door.

Figure 10. South elevation of building

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INTERIOR

The interior retains most of the original floor plan and almost all character-defining features. Much of the original interior woodwork is still present: walnut six-paneled doors, walnut baseboards, walnut window casings, and original metal hardware in both doors and windows.

Carpets have been installed over original wood floors on the first and second stories. The ceilings on both floors have been covered with a white, crackle-type paint, and all of the original light fixtures have either been replaced with modern ceiling fans or fluorescent lighting.

The primary alteration was the removal of an interior wall that once separated the post office and bank spaces on the first floor. Now the entire first floor space is devoted to use as the library. The Coalmont Savings Bank safe remains in place in the first floor library space while in the library office area there is a second safe for the Sewanee Fuel & Iron Company. Both first floor safes were manufactured by the Hall’s Safe Company of Cincinnati.

A finely crafted walnut staircase, with decorative newel posts and a curved railing at the stair’s landing, leads from the first floor to the second floor. This north entrance space also provides access to a small suite of two offices, which served as a paymaster office for the coal company and later as the office for the city police.

Figure 11. Craftsman-style mantle on west wall of conference room

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The second floor consists of a large conference room and adjoining offices with one small bathroom. A Craftsman-styled mantel, easily the most important decorative element of the interior, dominates the conference room; in the wall is another Sewanee Fuel & Iron Company safe. A second vault is located in a large room on the west end of the second floor. A toilet room and storage room are located between the two primary rooms on the second floor. There is a corner office accessible from the staircase that was locked at the time of our site visit.

Figure 12. Safe in north wall of conference room

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

The Craftsman style, upon which the Library Building is modeled, focused on a return to functional aesthetics, natural materials, and a greater degree of craftmanship. By returning to a simpler and less pretentious design—compared to the Classical Revival style then dominant for public and commercial buildings--a “healthier, more comfortable and productive life” could be achieved by those who inhabited or interacted with architectural designs influenced by the movement.35

35“Craftsman-styleBungalows.”AntiqueHome.www.antiquehome.org/Architectural-Style/craftsman.htm.Accessed11.27.2018.

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Why was the style used in this building? John E. Patton, who was the first postmaster of Coalmont, president of the Sewanee Fuel and Iron Company beginning in 1908, president of the Coalmont Coal and Coke Company beginning in 1939, and the director of the Coalmont Bank, lived in a nearby one-and-a-half story Craftsman style house that was built in 1904.36 This building featured round logs and concrete chinking. Patton’s choice of personal residential architecture, combined with the popularity of the Craftsman style during this period, clearly influenced the architectural style of the Coalmont Library Building.

Completed nearly three years after the Coalmont Library Building was the DuBose Memorial Church Training School nearby Monteagle. It is an excellent example of Mission Revival Style with its stuccoed walls, red clay tiled roof, iron railed balconets, curvilinear gable, bell tower, and projecting eaves.37 There is quite a bit of overlap between Craftsman and Mission Revival, which stems from both of their roots in the Arts and Crafts movement. Thus the Coalmont LibraryBuilding is not only an excellent representation of commercial and Craftsman architecture in Coalmont and Grundy County, but also part of a larger landscape of architecture borne from the Arts and Crafts movement.

36ElizabethStraw,“JohnE.PattonHouse,”NationalRegisterofHistoricPlacesInventory/NominationForm,TennesseeHistoricalCommission.37BrittCasteel,“DuBoseMemorialChurchTrainingSchool,”NationalRegisterofHistoricPlacesInventory/NominationForm,TennesseeHistoricalCommission,Nashville,August15th,1980,pg.2.

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PRESERVATION NEEDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS As a building listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Coalmont Library Building is an irreplaceable community asset. Coalmont’s community is now envisioning a new future, a future that is both important and sustainable once a few critical problems are addressed in addition to continuing regular maintenance of the property. Any changes to the building should follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation, which are listed in the appendix.

Exterior

East Entrance

Landscape the east façade. The building’s east façade is subjected to direct sunlight all day, which has contributed to damage on the historic wooden doors and windows frames. The sunlight coupled with cool air from the building’s air-conditioned interior has also caused condensation on the large single-pane stationary windows, which has contributed to larger moisture and pest control problems. Planting trees to shade the east façade from direct sun is suggested.

Restore flowerbed. Also on the east façade, asphalt has been used to fill in what was most likely a flowerbed beneath the first story windows. Currently, there is nowhere for water to drain, so removing the asphalt and restoring the original crab orchard stone flowerbed will help reduce splashing and prevent further water damage to the building.

Repair concrete and stone steps. The concrete and crab orchard stone steps leading to the library’s eastern door are deteriorating. After removing any reminents of foliage or ant hills, damage to the steps should be inspected and repaired using mortar that is compatible with historic stone. Portland cement is not recommended as it may be “harder” than the existing mortar and could lead to additional cracks. As an alternative, mortar that has a higher lime content and is therefore “softer” may be a better match for the historic concrete.38

38 Robert A. Young, Historic Preservation Technology, (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2008), 87.

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Figure 13. Concrete steps on east elevation

Repair/replace and repaint window frames. The wood on the transom windows on the east façade appear to be in good condition but should be repainted. The stationary windows need to be sealed properly once wood damaged by termites is replaced. Currently, the metal perimeter of the stationary window is contributing to the deterioration of the wood when rain water splashes off of that metal.

Figure 14. Deterioration of wood and rusted metal beneath stationary window

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Exterior Doors

Repair or replace damaged doors. The building’s historic wooden exterior doors are sun damaged and/or partially rotten. Seeking a professional carpenter or woodworking mill to replace affected parts of the frames and doors is suggested.

Figure 15. Wood paneled exterior door on west elevation

Figure 16. One of two doors on the east elevation

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Clear away foliage at basement entrance. The bottom of the basement door has water damage and should be replaced. In order to prevent future problems, plant overgrowth in front of the door should be cleared away.

Figure 17. Vegetation near basement entrance

Exterior Walls

Remove graffiti from masonry. Many paint strippers and solvents exist for the purpose of removing graffiti, but it is important to protect historic masonry during the removal process. An assessment of the brick work should be performed before the graffiti removal to determine the least abrasive method of cleaning. For more information on removing graffiti, see NPS Preservation Brief 38, “Removing Graffiti from Historic Masonry.”39

Figure 18. Graffiti on north elevation of building

39 Martin E. Weaver, Preservation Brief 38: Removing Graffiti from Historic Masonry (Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 1995), https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/38-remove-graffiti.htm (accessed October 27, 2018).

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Repair or replace synthetic stucco and inspect the buidling’s foundation. The Coalmont Library Building’s 1991 National Register nomination refers to a “stuccoed water table [which] runs around the building about two feet above the limestone foundation;” however, the current material at the base of the building is actually synthetic.40 EIFS (exterior insulation finish systems) or synthetic stucco is also known by the brand name, Dryvit, a company established in 1969. Dryvit refers to an acrylic coating that is applied to exterior walls with a trowel, typically with plywood and foam insulation layers in between.41 A professional should be contacted to repair tears and holes in the Dryvit in addition to inspecting the foundation for any issues that the Dryvit may be covering. For more information about how to repair Dryvit, view DryvitCARE’s EIFS Repair Procedures.42

Figure 19. Damage to the synthetic stucco on the north elevation

40 National Register of Historic Places, Sewanee Fuel & Iron Company Building, Coalmont, Grundy County, Tennessee, National Register #1024-0018. 41 Joseph W. Lstiburek, “Face-Lift for Old Buildings.” ASHRAE Journal (September 2007), 82. https://www.dryvit.com/fileshare/doc/in_the_news/face_lift_for_old_building.pdf.42 Dryvit Systems, Inc. “Dryvit CARE EIFS Repair Procedures DS498.” 2005. http://www.dryvit.com/media/341484/ds498.pdf.

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Clean Dryvit on south façade. Drainage from the air conditioner unit has stained the synthetic stucco located beneath the window on the building’s south façade. After properly draining the unit to prevent future damage, use water and a non-abrasive cleaner to remove the stain from the Dryvit. More information about cleaning Dryvit is in “Cleaning & Recoating DS152.”43

Figure 20. Water stains on synthetic stucco, south elevation of building

Exterior Details

Replace historic doors and windows on the north elevation. To restore the building’s original style, replace the plate glass window on the building’s north entrance door. It is also suggested that the door and window openings that have been closed with brick and concrete be restored with a matching wooden door and a mulled, six-over-one single hung window unit. Rotten wood on each of the transoms and door frames should also be replaced.

Figure 21. Damage to wooden door transom

43 Dryvit Systems, Inc. “Cleaning & Recoating DS152.” 1990. http://www.dryvit.com/media/347734/ds152.pdf.

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Figure 22. North elevation. Note the areas on the first floor which need: 1. A replacement six-over-one window, 2. Replacement doors with plate glass windows, and 3. A replacement mulled window unit to match the extant unit.

Repair window frames on the building’s north façade. Most of the window frames on the north façade appear to be in good condition, but they should be assessed to ensure proper installation and to identify any potential leaks. The three upstairs windows on the left side (see detail) are bowed at the top, preventing the windows from fully closing and therefore contributing to pest control and moisture issues. It is recommended that any damaged wood on the windows be repaired or replaced. For more information on repairing historic windows, see NPS Preservation Brief 9, “The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows.”44 Figure 23. Bowing window frames on north elevation 44 John H. Myers, Martin E. Weaver, Preservation Brief 9: The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows (Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 1981), https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/9-wooden-windows.htm (accessed October 27, 2018).

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Repair and repaint corbels, soffit, and attic vents. The roof, corbels, soffit, and attic vents appear to be sturdy, but any rotten or deteriorating wood on these areas should be repaired or replaced before repainting.

Figure 24. Peeling paint on wooden corbels

Repoint exterior walls. Though the building’s brickwork issues are minor, maintenance is needed where mortar has eroded or cracked. A contractor with experience working with historic masonry should be consulted to repoint the brick walls. “Harder” Portland cement is not recommended as the original mortar is most likely typical of historic buildings from the 1920s and therefore “softer” than the brick. When repointing, the lime ratio in the new mortar should closely match the original mortar. This “softer,” lime-based mortar will allow moisture to escape and help prevent new fractures caused by stress or movement.

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Figure 25. Missing mortar Figure 26. Rainwater should be carried away

Add a French drain. The building’s gutter system is in mostly good condition. To prevent water damage to the foundation, a French drain is recommended for the downspout located on the building’s northwest corner. A French drain is a pipe that connects to the downspout to guide rain water away from the building. It would be especially useful here in preventing water from splashing from the asphalt onto the building’s foundation.

Repoint chimney. Similar to the aforementioned exterior brick walls, the building’s chimney should be repointed. Because the chimney has leaked in the past, flashing around the chimney needs to be inspected and possibly replaced.

Figure 27. Chimney needs repointing and soffit needs repair

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Interior

Address plumbing issues in the upstairs bathroom. In addition to the area near the chimney, repairs and water damage are evident in the library’s main room, beneath the upstairs bathroom. The damage, originally caused by an incorrect fitting on the toilet, was repaired. However, current plumbing issues and potential leaks should be addressed.

Figure 28. Example of the water damage related to the chimney on the second-floor conference room wall and ceiling.

Patch and repaint walls and ceilings. The building’s plaster walls are cracked in several places both upstairs and in the library. These cracks appear to be cosmetic issues, but may have been caused by structural problems or moisture and should therefore be further assessed before repairs are made. To address minor cosmetic cracks, a high-gauge lime putty or an all-purpose drywall joint compound should be applied with a trowel. For larger cosmetic cracks, gently chiseling plaster away from around the crack before applying the putty will ensure that the crack is properly refilled.45 Once the repairs are complete, the walls and ceilings should be repainted.

45 Robert A. Young, Historic Preservation Technology, (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2008), 330; Mary Lee MacDonald, Preservation Brief 21: Repairing Historic Flat Plaster Walls and Ceilings (Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 1989), https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/21-flat-plaster.htm#beyond-repair (accessed October 27, 2018).

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Figure 29. Patch repairs on second-floor ceiling

Repair and restore interior hardwood floors. In the library, a visible space between the baseboard and floor may be evidence of more serious foundation issues. After pest control, repairing the foundation is the second most urgent preservation concern. Once those needs are addressed, the floor joists should be inspected and repaired by a professional, which will involve adding support posts underneath the floor. Removing the building’s carpet, restoring the original hardwood floors, and using rugs in high traffic areas in order to reduce noise is suggested for both the building’s upstairs and downstairs.

Rehang historic wood door. On the building’s east façade, there are two historic wooden doors. One functions as the library’s entrance. The other (see Figure 27) is not in use and needs to be rehung once rotten portions of the door’s exterior and frame are replaced.

Figure 30. Gaps in door frame are currently being stuffed with paper towels

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Basement

Address moisture issues in the basement. The lowest level of the building is half-basement, half-crawlspace and is accessible through an exterior door and stairwell. Since only half of the area has a concrete floor and block walls, moisture is a common problem. To prevent moisture from coming up from the ground, cover the crawlspace dirt with a polyethylene plastic sheeting, such as Visqueen. In order to completely waterproof the basement, the plastic sheeting will also need to cover the concrete block. Ventilation is needed, so adding an electrical junction box, fan, and air conditioner vent is recommended.

Figure 31. View of crawlspace in basement

Figure 32. Uninsulated pipes in basement

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Insulate pipes in the basement. Plumbing in the basement has been repaired and altered over time. Currently, all of the pipes need to recovered with pipe insulation to prevent freezing. In addition to adding pipe insulation, the hot water line needs to be supported with a strap. Securing a block of wood against the wall behind this pipe will allow the use of a strap bracket to secure the pipe.

Repair or replace damaged flooring. Floor joists in the basement should be assessed and repaired or replaced as necessary. Pest control issues, such as termites and cellar spiders, may be contributing to the damaged wood.

Pest Control

Due to maintenance issues such as moisture penetration and warping along window casings, pest problems in the building have worsened and led to further preservation issues. To begin, a professional exterminator should treat the building for termites. Ants near the eastern façade, cellar spiders in the basement, wasps on the soffit, and insects and birds in the building’s second story conference room should also be addressed. Moving forward, termite and pest inspection and treatment should be conducted every twelve months.

Figure 33. Bird and other pests should be removed from second floor.

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Figure 34. Ant hills located near building’s east elevation

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Preservation and Maintenance Suggestions

Overall, the Coalmont Public Library is in good repair; problems always come with buildings that are almost 100 years old. Addressing the following critical issues as soon as possible is recommended:

1. Pest control: In addition to having a professional address the termite infestation, dead insects and birds should be removed from the building’s interior immediately.

2. Assess and address foundation problems. 3. Address urgent moisture issues such as leaking windows.

Once this initial repair work is complete, the following preservation and maintenance issues should be addressed within a year’s time:

• Clear away any plant overgrowth; install a French drain; waterproof the basement.

• Address plumbing issues to prevent future leaks.

• Secure and insulate pipes in the basement.

• Landscape and repair the concrete and stone steps on the building’s east façade.

• Repair or replace damaged exterior doors. Note: Some of the doors need to be rehung after door frames are repaired.

• Repoint masonry walls and the chimney.

• Repair and clean the building’s synthetic stucco (Dryvit).

• Repair and repaint exterior woodwork including the corbels, soffit, and attic vents.

• Patch plaster and repaint interior walls.

• Remove carpeting and restore hardwood floors in the library and the upstairs.

• Remove graffiti from masonry.

• Add replacement doors and windows to restore historical integrity on the north façade.

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Regular inspection of the entire building should be maintained according to the National Park Service’s guidelines listed below:

INSPECTION FREQUENCY CHART

Feature Minimum Inspection Frequency Season

Roof Annually Spring or fall; every 5 years by roofer

Chimneys Annually Fall, prior to heating season; every 5 years by mason

Roof Drainage 6 months; more frequently as needed

Before and after wet season, during heavy rain

Exterior Walls and Porches Annually Spring, prior to summer/fall

painting season

Windows Annually Spring, prior to summer/fall painting season

Foundation and Grade Annually Spring or during wet season

Building Perimeter Annually Winter, after leaves have dropped off trees

Entryways Annually; heavily used entries may merit greater frequency

Spring, prior to summer/fall painting season

Doors 6 months; heavily used entry doors may merit greater frequency

Spring and fall; prior to heating/cooling seasons

Attic 4 months, or after a major storm

Before, during and after wet season

Basement/Crawlspace 4 months, or after a major storm

Before, during and after rain season

Figure 35. From Sharon C. Park, “Maintaining the Exterior of Small and Medium Size Historic Buildings,” National Park Service Preservation Brief No. 47.46

46Sharon C. Park, Preservation Brief 47: Maintaining the Exterior of Small and Medium Size Historic Buildings (Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 2007),

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Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation:

1. A property will be used as it was historically, or be given a new use that maximizes the retention of distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships. Where a treatment and use have not been identified, a property will be protected and, if necessary, stabilized until additional work may be undertaken.

2. The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The replacement of intact or repairable historic materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided.

3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Work needed to stabilize, consolidate, and conserve existing historic materials and features will be physically and visually compatible, identifiable upon close inspection, and properly documented for future research.

4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right will be retained and preserved.

5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved.

6. The existing condition of historic features will be evaluated to determine the appropriate level of intervention needed. Where the severity of deterioration requires repair or limited replacement of a distinctive feature, the new material will match the old in composition, design, color, and texture.

7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.

8. Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.47

https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/47-maintaining-exteriors.htm#inspection. (accessed October 27, 2018). 47 U.S. Department of the Interior, The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings, Revised by Anne E. Grimmer. 2017. https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards/treatment-guidelines-2017.pdf

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POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES & PARTNERS There are grants available to local and state government agencies that fund the repair, preservation, and reuse of historic buildings. The National Register status of the Coalmont Library building and its significance to the history of the area can be leveraged to preserve the building as a heritage asset that can benefit residents and visitors alike for generations to come.

The following is not a comprehensive list of all grants that may be available to preserve the Coalmont Bank building but highlights the major potential partners and funding sources in the region.

Southeast Tennessee Development District (SETDD)

The SETDD is one of nine development districts in Tennessee designed to help local governments plan for successful economic growth and community development. The SETDD covers 10 counties, including Grundy. The district’s historic preservation planner, Melissa Mortimer, attended the first site visit with the CHP team and is familiar with the property. We encourage contacting Melissa to inform her of any goings on regarding the preservation of the building, as preservation planners are often most up-to-date on funding resources available for their district and can provide grant-writing assistance.

Melissa Mortimer Historic Preservation Planner SETDD 1000 Riverfront Pkway Chattanooga, TN 37402 423-266-5781 mmortimer@sedev.org

Tennessee Historical Commission (THC)

The THC administers federal historic preservation funds in Tennessee. Priorities include buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and have a public use. Information about the latest round of funds available is found on the THC’s website under Federal Programs for the Tennessee Historical Commission/Preservation Grants.

Clover Bottom Mansion 2941 Lebanon Rd. Nashville, TN 37243 615-532-1550 https://www.tn.gov/environment/about-tdec/tennessee-historical-commission.html

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Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) The ARC is a regional economic development agency that serves Appalachian regions of the 13 Appalachian states. The ARC invests in activities in five goal areas, one of which is leveraging the cultural heritage assets of the region. Grants may be applied for through local and state government agencies. ARC targets special assistance to economically distressed counties, including Grundy County. Local officials may consider leveraging the extant historic designation of the Coalmont Library building and its current and potential future uses to acquire an ARC grant. Appalachian Regional Commission 1666 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20009 Candace Stribling Grants System Administrator 202-884-7707 cstribling@arc.gov https://www.arc.gov/funding/ARCGrantsandContracts.asp United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development USDA Rural Development provides grant funding to develop “essential community facilities in rural areas.” An “essential community facility” is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to a local community in a rural area (rural area defined as less than 20,000 residents). Should the building continue as a library or house another community function, it may qualify for such grants.

Chattanooga Area Office

Lisa Hewitt-Cruz, Area Director 103 Cherokee Blvd, Ste 217 Chattanooga, TN 37405 423-756-2239