Downtown Knoxville: Explore unrground Gay Street

Contents:

• GUI TO GAY STREET KNOXVILLE, TENNSEE
• DID YOU KNOW THE 100 BLOCK OF GAY STREET WAS RAISED? TAKE AN UNRGROUND TOUR
• GAY STREET
• Y’ALL MEANS ALL – THE GAY SCENE KNOXVILLE
• 530 SOUTH GAY STREET

GUI TO GAY STREET KNOXVILLE, TENNSEE

The 100 block of Gay Street was raised one story 1919 to the level is today. Storeonts are still visible the unrground tate velopers see an opportuny to re-purpose unrground the 100 block of the Gay Street we know today is the 100 block of yterday or, rather, ytercentury.

Fixg 'the Death Dip' The 100 block of Gay Street was raised to rolve what lol historian Jack Neely referred to as "the Death Dip.

"As Gay Street grew and the railroad got by, acmodatg dozens of tras every day, the cy built bridg over the rail yards. "By 1900, the downward slope of Gay Street and the upward slope of a bridge created a road that seemed more like a roller aster — "a pretty absurd thg to fd a by part of town, " Neely said. The pavement lights people walk over daily on the Gay Street siwalk are illumated om the tunnel directly below where the siwalk ed to unrground street area is now jt a ncrete wall led wh utily box.

DID YOU KNOW THE 100 BLOCK OF GAY STREET WAS RAISED? TAKE AN UNRGROUND TOUR

People who wanr to the bottom floor of the buildg on the east si of Gay Street n peer through glass doors at a mural pated on a wall where the street once was.

GAY STREET

But jt a few steps away om the mural, out of sight for Emporium visors, is a portn of unrground Gay Street that Hez believ has the most potential.

You n see the urtyard lookg down om Gay Street next to Sterchi Lofts. The unrground floors of the Commerce Buildg are also visible om Gay Street level. " In Hez's opn, the east si of Gay Street is the more excg si.

There is also a tunnel unrneath Gay Street near Unn Avenue and lots of utily rridors beneath siwalks.

Y’ALL MEANS ALL – THE GAY SCENE KNOXVILLE

Sce the 1790s, Gay Street has played a primary role Knoxville’s historil and cultural velopment.

Gay Street is home to art galleri, historic theaters, the East Tennsee History Center and more – wh many buildgs listed on the Natnal Register of Historic Plac. Gay Street was the se of the 1796 Constutnal Conventn that rulted the foundg of the state of Tennsee, and was a fol pot for the early polil activy of both the cy and the state of Tennsee. On the eve of the Civil War, Gay Street was the se of simultaneo Unn and Conferate recg ralli.

Durg the Civil War, Gay Street saw some early vlence, a fatal shootg of a Unnist monstrator, days after the firg on Ft. William Sanrs died as the rult of wounds the Lamar Hoe on Gay.

530 SOUTH GAY STREET

After the war, Gay Street saw extensive mercial velopment as railroad nstctn brought an dtrial boom to Knoxville. By 1850, Gay Street was home to three-fourths of Knoxville's mercial activy. In 1854, Gay Street beme Knoxville's first paved road.