Find your reading glasses — we’re digging into the history of The Read House.

Ownership history

The Reads

Dr. John T. Read built the Read House Hotel + opened it on New Year's Day in 1872.
John sold the lease to his son, Samuel R. Read, in 1879.
Much of the original building was demolished in 1926, and the current structure was built.

The Noes

Albert Noe Jr. bought it in 1943, who operated it until his death in 1947.
His son, Albert Noe III took over, and in 1960, converted a portion of the hotel to a motor inn, which opened in 1962 + had 106 rooms and a parking garage.

Current

After some shuffling, The Read House is now owned and operated by Avocet Hospitality Group.
The Charleston, SC-based group worked with local residents, historians, and architects to recreate a modern version of the original, 1920s hotel.
The Read Hotel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places + is an example of the grand hotels built for railroad passengers in the early 1900s.

The architect

The current structure was designed by Chicago-based firm Holabird and Roche in the Georgian style. Holabird and Roche is now called Holabird and Root + is best known for designing some of the world’s first skyscrapers.

The style

Georgian (n.): an architectural style marked by symmetry and proportion based on Grecian and Roman classical architecture and Renaissance revival architecture. You will not find a lot of ornament, if any at all, on the exterior.

In 2016, local architecture firm, Artech Design Group began working with Texas-based company ForrestPerkins to restore and refresh the Read House. The $27 million renovation project was completed in 2018.

Bonus: during its renovation, the Read House donated its furniture to Chattanooga Furniture Bank, which provides furniture to families + individuals in need.

Poll

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