This Friday

Have you ever thought, "I wish I could see the inside of that sweet old building," as you've walked downtown or driven around Knoxville?

Well, this Friday is your chance because Knox Heritage is taking all of their members on a tour of the Arnstein and Daylight Buildings. The Arnstein may be the future home of Urban Outfitters (where McCloud's used to be across from Market Square Kitchen). And remember, I recently wrote about The Daylight Building, located across the street from Pete's on Union.

If you're already a member of Knox Heritage, you can email rsvp@knoxheritage.org or call 523-8008 to RSVP (a-hem, The Pol and MG)

If you're not a member yet (a-hem, all the rest of you beautiful wigshoppers), but would like to support what Knox Heritage does, please join today.

Below is history on the buildings if you're interested:

The Arnstein (505 Market Square) is a seven-story Neo-Classical building with Renaissance-Revival detailing is said to be the first steel frame "skyscraper" built in Knoxville -- the City's tallest building when it was erected in 1905. The M.B. Arnstein Company became one of Knoxville's finest retail stores, famous for Irish linen and other imported goods such as jewelry, lingerie, and other "exclusive" best-quality goods. It is currently being renovated for office and retail use.


The Daylight Building (501 Union Avenue), completed in 1927, was built by Benjamin Sprankle, an influential real estate developer. Initially, the Daylight housed retail space on the ground floor and office space above. By 1934, it was primarily occupied by the offices of the Tennessee Valley Authority. On November 25, 2009, the Daylight Building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is being renovated for residential use.