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Buildings worth saving? (Part 4)

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A couple of big ones

Sterick Building, 8 N Third, Memphis, TN

Perspective is everything and sometimes that perspective is looking up a skyscraper.  Both the Sterick Building, 1927, 29 stories, 365 feet, and the Sears tower at 495 Watkins are imposing buildings that lend themselves to getting close and shooting upward.    Both are listed on the CCC’s list of top 10 Buildings Downtown worth saving.

The Sterick’s  original color was light gray, from the limestone and cast concrete facade.  It’s had a few paint jobs.  I don’t know who chose the current tacky yellow and brown. This is the kind of modern Gothic building you would expect Superman to leap over in a single bound.  Go look at the details at street level.  You’ll feel like you are on a movie set.

Sears Building - 495 N Watkins, Memphis, TN

The art-deco Sears building was built in 1927 as a “suburban” retail store.  The attached warehouse shipped Sears mail order all over the Southeast.  This is a big building, over 1 Million square feet.  Is there anyone who has ever lived in Midtown who hasn’t wanted to go to the top of that tower?

Buildings worth Saving? (Part 3)

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Kress Building - 9 N Main, Memphis, TN

The Kress Building, at  9 N Main,   is described in Memphis-An Architectural Guide, by Eugene J Johnson and Robert D. Russell, Jr. as a “wild replay of Florentine Renaissance motifs in terra cotta “.  Built in 1927, the building’s  bright colors have cannot be missed as you exet Court Square  onto Mainand look southwest.

I remember one of the highlights of going Downtown as a child was going to Kress to look at the toys.  But toys were quite different back then.

Another from the CCC list of top 10 Downtown buildings worth saving.

Buildings worth saving?

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147 Jefferson Plaza Building

Last week, the Center City Commission released its top 10 list of Downtown Memphis buildings – unused, vacant and ripe for redevelopment.  I have, in the past or in the last week, photographed these buildings, and there are some I would definitely leave off my top 10 list.

Here’s the list from the CCC:

  • Sterick Building, 8 N. Third
  • Sears Building, 495 N. Watkins (pardon me, but this is a Midtown eyesore, not part of Downtown)
  • Woolworth Building, 107 S. Main
  • Tennessee Brewery, 495, Tennessee
  • Goyer-Lee House, 690 Adams
  • Alabaster Building, 678 Beale
  • 147 Jefferson Plaza, 147 Jefferson
  • Nylon Net Building, 7 Vance
  • Toof Building, 195 Madison
  • Hickman Building, 240 Madison

What do you think of the list?  What should be added or removed? Since this is a photo blog, I will be posting photos of these buildings over the next few days.  I’d like to hear what you think.

Alabaster Building - 678 Beale

I hope you have some buildings worth saving to add to the list.

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