| Sources |
- [S4] Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee), 15 Nov 2000.
Earley N. Ogle obituary
- [S74] Atchley Funeral Home Records, Volume IV, 1987-1999, Larry D. Fox, (Smoky Mountain Historical Society), 6 Apr 1998.
Carroll Stephen Huskey obituary
- [S73] Rawlings Funeral Home, Book 2, 25 Oct 1982.
Clauce William Huskey obituary
- [S73] Rawlings Funeral Home, Book 2, 12 Oct 1962.
Henry R. Huskey obituary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 28 Nov 2011.
Upland Chronicles column: Ogle Building in downtown Sevierville was built in 1920
The Ogle Building is located on the southeast corner of Bruce Street and Court Avenue in downtown Sevierville.
By Carroll McMahan
The stately three-story brick building located on the southeast corner of Court Avenue and Bruce Street which is known today as the Ogle Building has been a part of downtown Sevierville for more than 90 years.
Built in the autumn of 1920, the structure was built on a piece of property that is significant in the history of Sevierville and Sevier County.
James W. McMahan, who donated the initial 25 acres for the development of the county seat in 1794, lived in a house located a few yards east of the location and his yard included the area where the Ogle Building now stands. He lived in a log house which was later replaced by a substantial frame structure. The Bistro 109 is currently located on the actual spot of the McMahan residence.
The property was passed down to his son, Wellington McMahan, who built an attractive two-story frame house to replace his father’s rustic log building in 1850. Wellington McMahan’s son, Robert Bruce McMahan, who was born in the house on May 28, 1855, inherited the property upon his father’s death in 1887.
Bruce Street was named in honor of Bruce McMahan who began selling parcels of the property around 1918.
The center of commerce been shifting southward since the new courthouse was built in 1896. Another catalyst contributing to interest in the real estate was the extension of the KS&E Railroad tracks across the west prong of the Little Pigeon River and up through Bruce Street in 1916.
On Nov. 20, 1918, Bruce McMahan sold the property to Charles McAfee, S.K. McAfee, Dr. S.W. Flanagan and J.B. Waters Sr. for $5 cash and $2,000 stock in the new brick building to be constructed on the lot. Instead of selling the dwelling along with the property, he hired Stewart Burden to move the house to 209 Court Ave.
Bruce McMahan died on Nov. 21, 1933 and the house was purchased at auction by John and Effie Temple in 1934. The home remains in the Temple family.
The Ogle Building was built by A.R. McMurry Construction Co. of Knoxville. The lumber was provided by A.J. King Sr. and M.B. McMahan ll. Bricks were made in a local kiln owned and operated by J.F. & N. McMahan Co. of Sevierville.
The building was 35 by 95 feet. According to M.B. McMahan ll, the wood used in the building was “notable because it came out of the finest tract of yellow pine lumber ever cut in Sevier County.”
Incidentally, Harry Gervin, who was the project’s superintendent for McMurry Construction Co., was shot and killed on May 16, 1930 as a result of a love triangle. At the time of the murder, Harry Gervin was the general contractor for the construction of the gothic revival Church Street United Methodist Church on Henley Street in Knoxville. Eugene Blanchard was found guilty in a sensational trial.
The first business to occupy the Ogle Building was Purity Drug Co. Fixtures for the new drug store were purchased for $4,000. The corporation was in business for less than three years before selling the building to Ephraim E. Conner and Roy Marshall.
On Dec. 8, 1923, the First National Bank of Sevierville opened in this building formally occupied by Purity Drug. After renting from Connor and Marshall for almost two years, the bank purchased the building for $20,000 on Aug. 23, 1924.
For security purposes, the bank added a large circular, impregnable door. The operating personnel included Arthur Ingle, cashier, J. Olin Trotter, assistant cashier, and Carrie Bryan McBee, teller. The first board of directors of the institution included Henry C. Butler, president, Ephraim E. Conner, vice president, and James S. Tinsley, Robert B. “Ben” Robertson, Samuel A. Blalock, John W. Ogle, S.W. Flannigan, N.G.T. Fox, Arthur G. Connatser and Charles A. Kyker.
The bank had 3,000 depositors who were paid interest of $14,000 in 1929. Although the reputable institution was a member of state and national depositories, First National Bank of Sevierville did not survive the Great Depression. They closed in 1934.
First National Bank was sold at public auction to Robert Seaton, attorney at law, along with Dr. Casper P. Wilson and Dr. Otha H. Yarberry. Dr. Wilson used the front ground floor for his office, clinic and operating room, while Dr. Yarberry occupied the rear of the first floor. Seaton’s law offices and the medical facilities of Dr. Roy A. McCall were upstairs.
Over the years, other ground floor occupants included A&P Grocery Store and Car & Home Supply Co. Among the second-floor tenants at various times were Dr. Hamilton, dentist; Ephraim E. Conner, lumberman and merchant; Samuel A. Blalock and James R. Burchfiel, lumbermen; and others.
The Fashion House, a women’s dress shop owned by Trula Brackins and Charlotte Huff, was located on the ground floor for several years before W. Henry Ogle, attorney at law, purchased the property in 1977 and named it the Ogle Building.
Prior to practicing law, W. Henry Ogle served as Sevier County Court Clerk from 1946-1950. Ogle represented Sevier County at the 1965 Tennessee State Constitutional Convention, served on the Republican State Executive Committee and was appointed juvenile judge.
Once W. Henry Ogle took possession of the old building, he hired Blalock Construction Co. to convert the aging structure into a professional building.
The interior was completely renovated with large comfortable reception rooms and spacious offices, modern rest room facilities and an impressive library. The ceilings were lowered to a more efficient height and attractive hardwood paneling was applied to the walls.
Several law firms have called the Ogle building home since 1977. Currently, Hickman and Gray Law Firm is located on the first floor and the offices of Ogle, Gass and Richardson, operated by James Gass and Cynthia Richardson Wyrick, is on the second.
— Carroll McMahan is the special projects facilitator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. The Upland Chronicles series celebrates the heritage and past of Sevier County. If you have suggestions for future topics, would like to submit a column or have comments; please contact Carroll McMahan at 453-6411 or email to cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or email to ron@ronraderproperties.com.
- [S73] Rawlings Funeral Home, Book 2, 8 Dec 1980.
Ogle, William Henry July 18, 1921 Tn Dec 8, 1980
Spouse: Huskey, Bonnie
Father: Ogle, William Henry
Mother: King, Nancy
Sons: Rex
Cemetery: Shiloh
Brothers: Earl Nelson, Hubert
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