ADDRESS: 219 E. Broadway Street, Newport, Tennessee, 37821
ARTIST: Minna Citron
TITLE: TVA Power
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The murals no longer resides in the original building shown here. They were moved to the Newport Community Center on Cosby Highway. The murals are located in the second floor museum. They are only viewable during very limited volunteer hours.
YEAR: 1940
After I finished my visit at the newer post office I headed over to the former Newport building. Anyone familiar with the older buildings knows its easy to spot. It’s the classic square boxy shape. Has two lamps on either side of the staircase and a half circle above the door. But you won’t find the mural here. Nope! according to my research it has been moved to Newport Community Center. Inside the community center is the Cocke County Museum where the mural resides.
By the time we had figured this out we were not able to visit the museum. Further more, I’ve also discovered the museum is only open one day a week and for limited hours. Go figure! How does that jive with making the art accessible? Anyway, another time and another place, I’ll be back to hopefully seen this one. To be honest I was reluctant to post this one since I didn’t have the artwork to include in this article. But I when I first started this blog I was more concerned with getting a good exterior picture of the building. I’ve achieved that so I decided to post this article. Hopefully, I have it before this article goes live. Yes, I was able to get the mural photos before this article posted. Please see the update below.
When I was talking to the man at the newer building he mentioned he knew the owner of the building. It also occurred to me that the post office may have vacated and sold this building many years ago. Here is why, at some point federal law required all buildings to be ADA compliant. Many of these older buildings had to be retrofitted with ramps in front of the buildings to accommodate persons with disabilities. This building does not have a ramp which lead me to believe it may have been sold prior the law being enforced for older buildings.
What can you tell me about it? Are my assumptions correct? Now that I think about it maybe there is a ramp in the back of the building. I don’t recall seeing one but you never know. Please comment below if you know more about this building.
I found the murals, scheduled a visit, and photographed them. This was actually in December but I’m just getting around to updating this post in January. It’s actually 4 separate panels I’ve labeled each panel 1, panel 2, panel 3 etc. The biggest question I have for everyone now is this: Where inside the building where the murals installed? See I can tell by panel 1 that this was above the postmasters office door as it has the classic missing square at the bottom of the mural. This is because the mural came down past the door on either side.
So if that is the case which walls were the other 3 panels installed? I like to see picture of when this building was a post office and when the art was installed. Anyone out there have such images? Please comment and share below.
The mural is no longer at the building on Broadway. It has been moved to the Newport community center. There is a small museum on the second floor. I scheduled an appointment and a volunteer meet me there. Special thanks to Jane and the museum for taking time out your day.
Thanks,
David W. Gates Jr.
Sources
- Personal visit on 9/04/2014 by David W. Gates Jr.
- Tennessee Post Office Murals by David W. Gates Jr.
- Tennessee Post Office Mural Guidebook
by David W. Gates Jr.
- (affiliate link) Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal
: [Hardcover] Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz
- (affiliate link): Tennessee Post Office Murals
: Howard Hull
- The Newport Main Talk (https://www.newportplaintalk.com/news/article_574e3e8e-f22e-11e3-89ad-001a4bcf887a.html?mode=image&photo=0)
by David W. Gates Jr.
