Classroom

The Sam Houston Inn began not as a place to stay but a headquarter for newspaper publishing. Rev. George Coleman edited and published the Independent in the upstairs of what was later the Sam Houston Inn. It was then renovated and opened in 1894. Helen M. Lord held the title for the inn from 1902 to 1917, then sold it to W.C Penn and Sam and Robert Young. They held it until September 1937 when they sold it to Dr. A. M. Gamble. It was then torn down in 1939 to make way for the Gamble building.

The Sam Houston Inn was in operation from 1884 to 1939 and was centrally located in downtown Maryville.

Sam Houston Inn

Includes the Wood Tavern, Verandah Hotel, and Sam Houston Inn

Historic Downtown Maryville Walking Tour

Instructor

Built in 1842 by William McTeer as the "College Inn." The hotel had 14 rooms and was located on lots 52 and 53. Montgomery McTeer later added verandas on both stories, prompting the name change. After being sold to Alexander Kennedy in 1855, it became a rendezvous spot for generals during the Civil War. Generals from both the Union and the Confederacy occupied the hotel depending on who controlled the area at the time. It also served as a stage stop for traveling guests. The hotel was then sold to Roderick McKenzie in 1860 and had several more owners until it was torn down in 1894 for the Broadway United Methodist Church.

The Verandah Hotel operated from 1842 to 1894. The Broadway United Methodist Church has been in its place since the end of the nineteenth century. It was in integral part of the downtown Maryville area.

Verandah Hotel

This hotel was built before Maryville was established and was the first in the area. It was located between the former Proffitt's building and the Bank of Maryville on lot 59. This hotel was considered more suited for common people. It had 8 rooms and was two stories with a porch on each level. Each bedroom had four beds, and when the hotel was full, they would place three people in each bed. It was purchased by David Russel in 1802 and became known as "Russel's Inn." It had several more owners and names in the next few decades. The spot is now Bill Cox Furniture.

The Wood Tavern, whose plot is now Bill Cox Furniture, was a hotel built in the area even before Maryville was chartered as a city.

Wood Tavern

As the original owner of Cherokee Lumber Company, Carl Pflanze decided to take on the challenge of starting his own furniture and casket factory. Pflanze quickly realized than in order to begin his new venture he would need to construct a building that enabled him to sell furniture and caskets to the community. Little did he know that a near century later the building would be located in the heart of downtown Maryville. While his services greatly provided for the community for nearly 60 years, the building was bought out in 1927 and became the new home for McCammon Ammons Funeral Parlor. After a few years, the funeral parlor relocated and Wright's Five and Dime store took advantage of the location and quickly opened up shop in the bustling city center. Unfortunately, the building caught fire in 1933 and burnt to the ground. Eager to take advantage of the location, the Crescent Amusement Company bought the land and in roughly 30 days constructed the Palace Theater.The Palace Theater was not the only cinema in downtown Maryville. The Crescent Amusement company also owned the Capitol Theater just across the street, but the only theater they did not own was the Park. This resulted in a constant competition between the two owners for business and soon the Park Theater was bought out by the Crescent Amusement Company in 1938.The Palace Theater soon moved to the Park Theater's old location and the Palace's building was bought out by Cole's Drug Store.The drug store was in business for a mere two decades and then a dollar store took shop in the building throughout the 1960s. The dollar store was open for roughly ten years when McClurg's Carpet Store bought out the shop during the 70's. Tragically in 1975 the building succumbed to another fire and was burnt down. Coincidentally, Walter and Walker Hill decided to revive the Palace Theater that everyone had come to love in the 1930s and opened the nostalgic cinema. Yet again the beloved theater closed down in the early 1980s and remained unused for many years. In 1999, Steve Kaufman and Donna Dixon purchased the vacant building and restored it back into the place it once was with the aid of local historians.Since its restoration, the Palace Theater has been used as a venue for musicians, a coffee bar, and a place for people to gather under the light of the projector and enjoy a film with family and friends.

The Palace Theatre has been a major source of entertainment for people of all ages since the early 1980s. Although this building has not always been a center for entertainment, it has provided for the community for over a century. Originally constructed in 1868, a man by the name of Carl Pflanze erected this building to house his up and coming furniture and casket store. Little did he know that in decades to come this foundation would not only become the home to his business but also a drug store and later a movie theater. 

Palace Theater

During the rise of the entertainment industry, cinemas grew popular in large cities and spread into smaller towns like Maryville. Every weekend, a new popular movie came out to the theater drawing in hundreds of people from all around the city. Some weekends, the streets were packed full of people waiting in line hoping for a open seat in the theatre. In order to get in you needed to have 5 cents or 5 borax labels. But for some teenage boys this was still too much money. Something intreresting about The Capitol Theatre is that some nights, teenage boys would hang out across the street by their cars for their fellow girl classmates to go in the theatre before them to ensure that they would not have to pay for the girls' tickets. After the girls pay for their ticket, the boys would follow them in and join them.Although the community was brought together with cheap prices, segregation was still prominent during this time. Therefore, a separate entrance for African Americans was installed that led up to the balcony. Ironically enough, in today's time, balcony seats are considered better seats than the ones on the floor. No matter what your age was, your race, or who you attended with, The Capitol Theatre was a fun place to socialize within the community.

Out of the three cinemas in town, The Capitol Theatre was the most attended theater because of its magnetic draw for people of all ages and interests. A customer could either pay with 5 cents or 5 borax labels for a ticket. In 1976 it was remodeled, but the same year it closed as a theater. Today, it is used as a popular event center for birthday parties or galas. 

Historic Downtown Maryville Walking Tour

Sam Houston Inn

Introduction

Backstory and Context

Sources