418 South Gay Street

The 1930s were not the most glamorous years for most Americans. The Great Depression was in full swing and funds were low for almost everyone. There was, however, enough spending cash to catch a quick movie or head to the local soda fountain with friends.

Today, Knoxvillians know to head to the Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain for all of their 1930s-soda shop nostalgia and for their neighborhood pharmaceutical needs. The Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain is rich with history from a local father-son duo starting the business to the very building the shop is housed inside.

Building history

This story starts before the 1930s in Knoxville, Tenn. in 1897. The Phoenix building, 418 South Gay Street, has truly earned its name over the years starting with the first fire that destroyed the original phoenix-adorned building.

In April 1897, Knoxville’s “The Million Dollar Fire” destroyed an entire block of Gay Street including the original Phoenix building. This was not the end for the Phoenix though.

As the Phoenix in the myth rose from the ashes, so did the building. In 1899, the current building was constructed for Cullen & Newman Queensware Wholesalers. One year later, editor and founder of the Knoxville Journal William Rule wrote about Knoxville’s history, mentioning the Phoenix building.

“The finest building of the whole is the Phoenix…the highest building on

Gay Street and, in fact, in the city of Knoxville,” Rule said.

The building was successful for many years after the reconstruction in

1899. It was filled with history and passion from the various previous

owners and occupants.

Some of those previous tenants include a former Confederate prisoner

of war, a former FBI agent and Fowlers Furniture.

The Phoenix building housed Fowlers for 50 years before the

establishment decided to move locations.

Currently, Fowlers has several locations around the Knoxville area,

and Richard Fowler’s son remembers the Phoenix building from when

he was growing up in the family business.

The rebuilt Phoenix building after the first fire.

“The Phoenix building holds a special place in our hearts,” Richard Fowler Jr. said. “The rich history of the building and the childhood memories of playing hide and seek with my siblings around the furniture while dad scolded us for running around are memories that I hold dear today.”

Eleven years after Fowlers moved out, a second fire destroyed the top two floors of the building and large sections of the roof on Dec. 29, 1999.

Local developers Wayne Blasius and Skip Bibb completed the building’s restorations after several years. Without knowing the original name of the building, the pair decided to call the new building The Phoenix.

Rising from the Ashes

After all of the history and destruction that happened at the Phoenix building, the Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain opened in 2016 to honor the spirit of the original developer’s intent.

The Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain’s co-owner Nolan Sherrill says that prioritizing the original building and the shop’s 1930s-era are extremely important to him and to the Knoxville community.

Modern Gay Street including the Phoenix.

“The shop is meant to bring awareness to the building and its rich history, Knoxville’s history, the 1930s in general and the local pharmacy-fountain relationship and vibe that people like my parents experienced during the ‘30s,” Sherrill said.

The Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain is just one of the current tenants. Others include Prestige Cleaners, Clayton Bank, Covenant Health, an urgent care clinic, Paragon Healthcare, the Rutherford Weinstein Law Group, and a few private residences.

Currently, the Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain is gearing up for a 1930s themed New Year’s Eve party that will honor the time period while celebrating the shop’s and Knoxville’s bright future.