Living History on the Ridge

Todd, who works in preservation, is no stranger to uncovering the mysteries behind historic buildings. Between trips to the public library to pore over newspaper clippings and maps, as well as connecting with community members and neighbors in connection to the property, Todd and Steven have uncovered many of the seams in the fabric of the house’s history.

“A lot of folks seem to have memories of this house,” Todd shares, “It’s nice to feel like you’re part of the community’s history when you live in a place.” Construction began on the home in 1909 by Joseph Trimby, builder of several notable buildings in Chattanooga, including City Hall and the Carnegie Library. Trimby’s close friend and consistent collaborator, architect R.H. Hunt, is attributed with the design of the home. The house has seen several other prominent figures throughout its lifetime, and it’s known colloquially as “the McCravey home” for the family that lived in the house in the middle of the 20th century: Chattanooga’s first neurosurgeon Dr. Augustus McCravey and his wife Helen Marjorie Wells McCravey.

The house showcases classical symmetry and trimmings – aesthetic qualities that caught the eye of Todd and Steven years before they bought the home. “I never would have dreamed that we would be the owners of the house,” Todd says. “It’s a privilege to experience a house like this, to know that you’re part of this lineage of the home’s history and you’re just stewards for a moment in time.” As part of the home’s lineage, Todd and Steven have carried on the tradition of naming houses by dubbing this home “Wrencrest.”

Todd and Steven already had an affinity for traditional décor, which the architecture of the home naturally lends itself to. That being said, there were several spots of the home that needed refreshing when they moved in. For replacement parts like interior doors and hardware pieces, they have tried to stay as true to the original design as possible in keeping with the spirit of the home.

“Even having worked in preservation for a while, it’s been great to really experience a historic home in a very personal way,” says Todd. “You start to really pay attention to the craftsmanship and the quality of materials. When we first bought it, we immediately created a list of all the things that we needed to do, and I’m so glad that we ended up pacing ourselves and taking it bit by bit because we’ve made different decisions after living with the house for a while. Sometimes you just have to live with a place for it to tell you all of its secrets.”

Making sense of a historic place requires putting yourself in the perspective of someone’s daily life a century ago. One difference between early 20th and 21st century living is how a home is illuminated: guests will find very little overhead lighting in Wrencrest. The library, for example, is swathed in natural light from original French doors and arched windows. Supplementary wall sconces, candelabras, and antique lamps create a warmth that is inherent to the home’s original design. This is a great complement to the primary entertaining space in the house, which has been used over the years for social clubs, family gatherings, and now doubles as a music room for Steven and Todd.

Alongside antique décor and rich wooden furnishings, Wrencrest features bright pops of color throughout. Steven shares that he’s always loved jewel tones, which comes through in the ruby shades and cool blues of the library and dining rooms. The intricate white trim offsets the saturated walls, adding apt dynamics to the storied house.

The dining room hints at another piece of Wrencrest’s past. A 1928 aerial photo of the home reveals the strong colonial revival influence on the façade of the house, including an entryway portico with classical columns. This porch was removed in 1944 after a B-24 Liberator crashed on Missionary Ridge under poor weather conditions. Four darkened triangles above the west-facing windows in the dining room are evidence of the restoration that followed the accident.

The kitchen, as with many other spaces of Wrencrest, is a melody of influences from several decades as each owner left their fingerprints on the home. This space was once the formal dining room and was remodeled by a previous owner into a kitchen. Beyond the more recent addition of the island and bar, the stunning original mantelpiece hints at the room’s past life as a fine space for entertaining.

Here, under a sidebar displaying heirloom serveware and fine china, Todd and Steven also feature a treasured art piece: a portrait by Tennessee artist Adelia Armstrong Lutz. Lutz lived from 1859 to 1931 and was instrumental in the formation of Knoxville’s first visual-arts organization, the Knoxville Art Club (later renamed the Nicholson Art League). Todd and Steven were introduced to Lutz’s work while Todd worked at Westwood, her historic home in Knoxville.

“I love the story behind that because when I was working at Westwood, I got to learn about Adelia and her impact on the art community in Knoxville,” Todd says. “It just opened up a whole world of how people can influence their community at a particular time. She was one of two women who co-founded an art league in Knoxville, and they worked with artists no matter gender or skin color – their only goal being to bring beauty into the world.”
Todd and Steven have an additional painting of Lutz’s, which was gifted to them by Diana Samples, the artist’s great-granddaughter. “It’s a way we’ve brought our history with us to this house,” Steven adds.

Throughout the ups and downs of restoration and research, Todd and Steven have appreciated the opportunities Wrencrest offers to take in the natural beauty all around. “There’s an opportunity to interact with nature here that you may not have in another city neighborhood,” Steven says.

Todd agrees, adding, “You see spectacular sunrises and sunsets in this house. You’re watching from within the shelter how the outside world changes throughout the day. That’s been one of the more joyful experiences because it causes you to slow down and just think about the world.”

A favorite spot for relaxing is the roof deck, featuring panoramic views of downtown Chattanooga to the west and the rolling landscape to the east. In some ways, the preservation of Wrencrest is never complete, but that’s one of the joys of the work, Steven shares:

“It’s a bit of that European notion that you are not really the owner of a property, you’re the steward of it for the time you’re there. This is our time to be here, but the house will be here longer than we are. So you have to ask, ‘What does your stewardship do to protect it until you hand it off to the one who will be next, who you hope will also protect and enhance it?’ In that sense, the house really does have its own living history.”