The State Review Board will meet on January 17 to examine Tennessee’s proposed nominations to the National Register of Historic Places. The Board will vote on nine nominations from across the state. The nominations the Board believes meets the criteria will be sent for final approval to the National Register of Historic Places at the U.S. Department of the Interior.
One of the buildings the Board is considering to nominate is the former Highland Park Methodist Episcopal Church South, currently St. Andrews Center.
The cornerstone of Highland Park Methodist Episcopal Church South shows a construction date of 1907. In 2004, the building ceased to be a church and became a social services center.
Although the structure, which is located on Union Avenue, has aged, Kristi Strode, executive director of St. Andrews, said it was a sight to behold in its prime. “It was exceptionally beautiful for its time in Chattanooga, and we’re blessed to have it,” she says.
Strode hopes inclusion on the National Register would cast a spotlight on the building and stir up interest in renovating it. “I want Chattanooga to know what a rare jewel this is. She’s a beautiful building, but she needs work,” she says.
Strode says the church can still serve its original purpose as a place of hope. “We want to take the light the people who built this building intended to shine in this community and carry it forward,” she says.
The State Review Board is comprised of 13 people with backgrounds in American history, architecture, archeology and related fields. It also includes members of the public. The National Register program was authorized under the National Historical Preservation Act of 1966. The Tennessee Historical Commission administers the program in Tennessee.