Reuben Harrison Hunt (February 2, 1862 – May 28, 1937), also known as R. H. Hunt, was an American architect who spent most of his life in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is considered to have been one of the city's most significant early architects., 1980 He also designed major public building projects in other states. He was a principal of the R.H. Hunt and Co. firm.
Hunt moved to Chattanooga in 1882 and was employed as a carpenter by Adams Brothers. By 1886, he had learned to read plans and organize projects for them and was doing the work of an architect. That year he and L. W. McDaniel formed an architectural firm. In 1890, he started a new firm with E. N. Lamm. Two years later, he opened his own firm.
Although he would eventually design and build many different kinds of buildings, Hunt, a devout Baptist, marketed and positioned his firm as primarily a builder of churches of any size. Customers could choose from three books of church building plans, and Hunt routinely reused these making changes mostly to brick, detail work, and the arrangement of buildings on the site. With this system, he was able to build churches throughout the South. This included well-known Chattanooga churches such as Second Presbyterian Church and First Baptist Church, as well as the Tabernacle in Atlanta.
In 1907, Hunt's firm opened a satellite office in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1919, they opened a second satellite office in the Southwestern Life Building in Dallas, Texas. The Dallas office oversaw all projects west of the Mississippi River.Men of Texas, c 1932: R.H. Hunt of R.H. Hunt & Co
Hunt designed a number of Chattanooga's homes and public buildings, including the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium (1924), the Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse (1934) with Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, the Hamilton County, Tennessee Courthouse (1912), the James (1907) and Maclellan (1924) buildings, the Carnegie Library (1905) and the St. John's Hotel (1915).
The U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Chattanooga, Tennessee, built 1932–1933, was Hunt's last major work. Hunt designed every major public building constructed in Chattanooga between 1895 and 1935. He was also the architect of local churches, hospitals, and private office buildings, as well as similar public and private buildings throughout the South. In 1938 the Chattanooga building was recognized by the American Institute of Architects as one of the 150 finest buildings constructed in the previous twenty years in the United States, and it was featured in an AIA photographic exhibit in America and Europe. Numerous works by Hunt are preserved and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 21 of which are covered in one 1979 survey study.
Gallery
Works
This is an incomplete list. Verifiable Hunt buildings not on the table should be added. NameAddressCityStateOpenedCitations and Notes15th Avenue Baptist Church1318 15th AvenueMeridianMississippi1922Alexandria HallLouisiana Christian UniversityPinevilleLouisiana1920NRHP listedAlumni HallMississippi CollegeClintonMississippi1926Asbury United Methodist Church1900 Bailey AvenueChattanoogaTennessee1909closed in 1984 NRHP listedAustin Avenue Methodist Church1300 Austin AvenueWacoTexas1925Reopened in 1956 after a major 1954 fire.Brainerd Junior High School4201 Cherryton DriveChattanoogaTennessee1930NRHP-listedCalvary Baptist Church1300 West Capitol StreetJacksonMississippi1929NRHP-listedCarpenter Hall, Mississippi State University210 Carpenter Engineering BuildingMississippi StateMississippi1911Carter Building501 North Main StreetHattiesburgMississippi1907Carter Hall, Covenant College14049 Scenic HighwayLookout MountainGeorgia1928NRHP-listed in 2019, built for Lookout Mountain HotelCentral United Methodist Church201 East Third AvenueKnoxvilleTennessee1927with Baumann, A.B. & Son, NRHP-listedCentral United Methodist Church1004 23rd AvenueMeridianMississippi1919Central United Methodist Church Downtown Location27 Church StreetAshevilleNorth Carolina1905Chattanooga Bank Building8th StreetChattanoogaTennessee1927NRHP-listedChattanooga Car Barns301 Market StreetChattanoogaTennesseeNRHP-listedChattanooga Electric Railway211-241 Market StreetChattanoogaTennesseeNRHP-listedChrestman HallMississippi CollegeClintonMississippi1926College Hall, University of Southern Mississippi114 Southern Miss DriveHattiesburgMississippi1912Columbus City Hall525 Main StreetColumbusMississippi1903Columbus Hall, Mississippi University for Women1206 College StreetColumbusMississippi1896Court Street Baptist Church447 Court StreetPortsmouthVirginia1903Dominion Outreach Worship Center119 29th StreetNewport NewsVirginia1903NRHP-listed, built for First Baptist Church Newport NewsElbert County CourthouseCourthouse SquareElbertonGeorgia1894NRHP-listedFarr InfirmaryMississippi CollegeClintonMississippi1926Fifth Avenue Baptist Church1135 Fifth AvenueHuntingtonWest Virginia1916First Baptist Church980 Broadway StreetBeaumontTexas closedFirst Baptist Church2201 6th Avenue NorthBirminghamAlabamadestroyedFirst Baptist Church125 East Fulton StreetCantonMississippi1918First Baptist Church100 East College StreetClintonMississippi1923First Baptist Church414 Cleveland StreetDurhamNorth Carolina1927First Baptist Church151 Caldwell DriveHazlehurstMississippi1926First Baptist Church607 West 5th StreetLaurelMississippi1920demolished 1960First Baptist Church111 South 7th StreetMuskogeeOklahomaFirst Baptist Church418 East Bute StreetNorfolkVirginia1906NRHP-listedFirst Baptist Church Education Building317 Oak StreetChattanoogaTennessee1928NRHP-listedFirst Presbyterian Church300 East Main StreetEl DoradoArkansas1926NRHP-listedFirst Presbyterian ChurchAR 79BFordyceArkansas1912NRHP-listedFirst Presbyterian Church1501 Cherry StreetVicksburgMississippi1908First United Methodist Church1928 Ross AvenueDallasTexas1926with Herbert M. GreeneFirst United Methodist Church201 South Locust StreetDentonTexasFirst United Methodist Church200 North 15th StreetFort SmithArkansasFirst United Methodist Church310 West Washington StreetGreenwoodMississippi1898NRHP-listedFirst United Methodist Church309 Church Street NWLenoirNorth CarolinaFirst United Methodist Church1817 Arlington AvenueBessemerAlabama1914Burned 1928 and rebuilt. Closed 2010.First United Methodist Church68 South Main StreetPontotocMississippi1910First United Methodist Church417 Elm StreetRangerTexas closed in 2018Forrest County HallUniversity of Southern MississippiHattiesburgMississippi1912Fountain Square600–622 Georgia Avenue and 317 Oak StreetChattanoogaTennesseeNRHP-listedFrances Willard House615 Lindsay StreetChattanoogaTennesseeNRHP-listedFranklin Hall, Mississippi University for Women1400 College StreetColumbusMississippi1900Galloway United Methodist Church305 North Congress StreetJacksonMississippi1915Grove, E. W. Henry County High SchoolGrove BlvdParisTennesseeNRHP-listedHamilton County CourthouseWest 6th Street and Georgia AvenueChattanoogaTennessee1912NRHP-listedHamilton National Bank701 North Market StreetChattanoogaTennesseeHasting-Simmons Hall, Mississippi University for Women1210 College StreetColumbusMississippi1900Hattiesburg Hall, University of Southern Mississippi108 East Memorial DriveHattiesburgMississippi1912Henderson Hall, Tennessee Technological UniversityDixie AvenueCookevilleTennesseeHenry County CourthouseCourt SquareParisTennessee1896Honor House, University of Southern Mississippi118 College Drive #5162HattiesburgMississippi1912Houston Carnegie Library105 West Madison StreetHoustonMississippi1909James Building735 Broad StreetChattanoogaTennesseeNRHP-listedJoel W. Solomon Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseChattanoogaTennessee1934with Shreve, Lamb and HarmonKimsey Junior College244 TN 68DucktownTennessee1933Vacant since 2007. NRHP-listedLander College Old Main BuildingStanley Avenue and Lander StreetGreenwoodSouth Carolina1904NRHP-listedLawrence County CourthouseNorth side Broad Street between Jefferson and Washington StreetsMonticelloMississippi1913NRHP-listedLeflore County Courthouse310 West Market StreetGreenwoodMississippi1906Lenoir Presbyterian Church1002 Kirkwood StreetLenoirNorth Carolina1903Lowrey HallMississippi CollegeClintonMississippi1917Maclellan Building721 Broad StreetChattanoogaTennesseeNRHP-listedMain Street United Methodist Church712 Main StreetHattiesburgMississippi1910McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, Southern Methodist University6405 Boaz Lane, Suite G38University ParkTexas1926NRHP-listedMedical Arts BuildingMcCallie AvenueChattanoogaTennesseeNRHP-listedMiller Brothers Department Store629 Market StreetChattanoogaTennesseeNRHP-listedMissionary Ridge Historic DistrictN. and S. Crest Road from Delong Reservation to 700 S. Crest RoadChattanoogaTennesseeNRHP-listedMississippi HallUniversity of Southern MississippiHattiesburgMississippi1914Montgomery HallMississippi State UniversityStarkvilleMississippi1914NRHP-listedMount Olive Cathedral C.M.E. Church538 Dr. M.L. King Jr. AvenueMemphisTennessee1907NRHP-listed, built for First Baptist ChurchMunicipal BuildingEast 11th StreetChattanoogaTennesseeNRHP-listedNathan L. Bachman School281 Anderson PikeWaldenTennessee1937NRHP-listedNorth Alexander School313B North Alexander AvenueWashingtonGeorgiaNorthside Presbyterian Church923 Mississippi AvenueChattanoogaTennessee1916NRHP-listed, the one known Greek Revival work by Hunt in Hamilton CountyOgletree Alumni House, University of Southern Mississippi102 Alumni DriveHattiesburgMississippi1912Old Library Building200 East 8th StreetChattanoogaTennessee1904NRHP-listedParis Commercial Historic DistrictAlong sections of E. and W. Wood, W. Washington, N. and S. Poplar, N. and S. Market, Fentress and W. Blythe StsParisTennesseeNRHP-listedPolk County CourthouseBounded by US 411 and Ward, Commerce and Main StreetsBentonTennessee1937NRHP-listedPolk Street Methodist Church1401 South Polk StreetAmarilloTexas1928Details - Polk Street United Methodist Church - Atlas Number 5507017577 - Atlas: Texas Historical CommissionRatliff HallMississippi CollegeClintonMississippi1914Red Bank United Methodist Church3800 Dayton Blvd.ChattanoogaTennesseeSecond Presbyterian Church700 Pine StreetChattanoogaTennessee1890NRHP-listedShattuck Hall, Mississippi University for Women302 15th Street SouthColumbusMississippi1911Soldiers and Sailors Memorial AuditoriumMcCallie AvenueChattanoogaTennessee1924NRHP-listedSoul's Harbor Deliverance Center1921 Avenue GBirminghamAlabama1910built for First United Methodist Church of EnsleySouth Main Street Historic District200–422 S. Main StreetPikevilleTennesseeNRHP-listedSouthern Hall, University of Southern MississippiSouthern Miss DriveHattiesburgMississippi1922Southside Baptist Church1016 19th Street SouthBirminghamAlabama1911Temple B'nai Sholom103 Lincoln Street SEHuntsvilleAlabama1899NRHP-listedThird Baptist Church527 Allen StreetOwensboroKentucky1897Tivoli Theater709 Broad StreetChattanoogaTennessee1921NRHP-listedTrigg County CourthouseCadizKentuckyNRHP-listedTrinity Methodist Episcopal ChurchMcCallie AvenueChattanoogaTennessee1899NRHP-listed collapsed 2011Union Presbyterian Church700 Fisk AvenueBrownwoodTexasUniversity Baptist Church102 South Columbia StreetChapel HillNorth CarolinaWinona Commercial Historic DistrictRoughly bounded by Magnolia Street, Central Avenue, Carrollton Street and Sterling AvenueWinonaMississippiNRHP-listedWisteria HotelCentral AvenueWinonaMississippi1910NRHP-listedWyatt Hall865 East Third StreetChattanoogaTennessee1921NRHP-listed References