Estes Kefauver Federal Building

This building contains federal courts and offices and was named for Tennessee politician Carey Estes Kefauver. Kefauver served in the House of Representatives from 1939-49, as the representative for District 3 which includes Chattanooga and in the U.S. Senate from 1949 to 1963. He was a staunch supporter of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, including the controversial Tennessee Valley Authority project, which brought jobs and hydroelectric power to the region but also displaced thousands of families from their homes. He also sought the Democratic nomination for president twice, in 1952 and 1956, both times losing to the eventual nominee Adlai Stevenson.

This federal building was completed in 1952 and effectively replaced the U.S. Customs House. The lack of detail is actually the defining feature of the Estes Kefauver Federal Building—influenced by both the Simplified Classical and Modern styles. Local architects Marr & Holman integrated this modern office building into its historic surroundings by using repetitive fenestration paired with classic building materials, such as granite, mahogany, and limestone. An annex was built in the rear of the building in 1974. The interior has been significantly altered to accommodate rotating tenants and heightened security measures over the years. A few details do remain however; terrazzo floors in the entry and first floor elevator lobbies are still intact, as is the original marble wall cladding. In 1977, Three Presidents from Tennessee, a series of bronze sculptures by Leonard Baskin, was added to the lobby.

Across the street is Christ Church Cathedral, a Victorian Gothic Episcopalian church built in 1887-94. You can learn more about the church on several other tours, including Woman’s Suffrage and Old Time Religion. Continue on to the building immediately to your left, the Frist Art Museum.